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On her wedding day, Tara was abducted by the masterful Leon Petrides, dragged off to Greece and forced to marry him. And from the start it had been a real marriage, not an "in name only" one. Yet hadn't Tara any mind of her own at all? Why hadn't she flatly refused to marry him? Why didn't she try to run away? After all, she loved her fiancé David, didn't she, and wanted nothing but to get back to him. This feeling she had for her pagan husband, a feeling she couldn't deny, was only physical attraction, wasn't it? So what was stopping her?
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1980
21 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Anne Hampson
169 books152 followersAnne Hampson was born on 28 November 1928 in England. At age six she had two ambitions: to teach and to write. Poverty after WWI deprived her of an education and at 14 she was making Marks & Spencer's blouses at one shilling (5p) each.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 14, 2017
Google Translator for Pagan Lover
Pagan Lover = BDSM Master
Wife = My Submissive
Wedding vows = implied consent for subjugation
Promise not to leave = overt consent for subjugation
Wear this dress = I have a fetish for certain items of clothing
Cut your hair = we’ll get the brand/tattoo later
My Island = my dungeon
Loyal Servants = other guys who practice the life style
OW = previous sub who didn’t hold my interest
OM = previous master who couldn’t tame you
You won’t get a beating for a disobedience = I see signs of submission but you'll always be learning to please me.
I won't press charges for kidnapping = this is my lifestyle choice.
I Love You = I’m your master
I Love You = I’m your submissive
Total trainwreck. If AH had the heroine walking around naked and with some leather cuffs on her wrists and ankles people would still be reading it today and calling it the Story of T. (Tara was heroine's first name) Alas, she wimped out and just wrote a BDSM novel in disguise.
Pagan Lover = BDSM Master
Wife = My Submissive
Wedding vows = implied consent for subjugation
Promise not to leave = overt consent for subjugation
Wear this dress = I have a fetish for certain items of clothing
Cut your hair = we’ll get the brand/tattoo later
My Island = my dungeon
Loyal Servants = other guys who practice the life style
OW = previous sub who didn’t hold my interest
OM = previous master who couldn’t tame you
You won’t get a beating for a disobedience = I see signs of submission but you'll always be learning to please me.
I won't press charges for kidnapping = this is my lifestyle choice.
I Love You = I’m your master
I Love You = I’m your submissive
Total trainwreck. If AH had the heroine walking around naked and with some leather cuffs on her wrists and ankles people would still be reading it today and calling it the Story of T. (Tara was heroine's first name) Alas, she wimped out and just wrote a BDSM novel in disguise.
November 26, 2013
3.5 stars
Ok, just so you know, I’m rating this based on its value as a D/s story, because the H is in total Dom mode without the safe, sane and consensual (all you BSDM lovers will get that reference ;). At the beginning, we don't necessarily realize the underlying submissiveness of the h, but by the end, we are blatantly informed that the heroine likes his domineering ways, which includes extreme arrogance, towering posture, physical coercion, threats of punishment, mocking sneers, and verbal denigration. You know, the usual.
The first half…two-thirds…four-fifths… of the book is just heart wrenching or at least disconcerting. It’s domination at first sight for the H, and he decides they are fated for eternity. And since he has vampire powers, in that his kisses have the ability to hypnotize her into doing and saying whatever he wants, he catches her on the front stoop of her apartment, uses his swagger, and gets her to agree to dump her current fiancé to whom she has been engaged to forever and marry him instead (ok, maybe we do see signs of her proclivity in a submissive role from the get-go). However, this lasts all of five minutes until her head clears and she attempts to have nothing more to do with him.
Not to be foiled by a lesser fate, the H kidnaps her in her wedding dress as she’s on the way to the church to marry her fiancé and absconds with her to his luxurious Greek hidey hole but not before making a pit stop to marry her himself. She agrees to the marriage because she doesn’t want to submit to the fate of being his “pillow friend.” (Ha! I have to tell you, that weirded me out every time he used that phrase. What’s wrong with “mistress?” I kept getting mental pictures of rainbow colored stuff animals. It ran counter to the dude’s dominant persona. ~snicker~)
The trip there was SO DEPRESSING. We get to grieve along with her as she worries about David, her fiancé, spends time thinking about her pretty wedding that was so lovingly planned and imagining that they would be on their honeymoon. The H also took her beautiful wedding dress that underwent “multiple fittings” so it would be just perfect and dumped it in the ocean on their way to Greece. And as her dress descended into the abyss, so too did her dreams. The sad factor for all these little thoughts and moments is amplified during the comparisons with what she was experiencing with the H. Her dress, although beautiful, held no sentimental value, no friends and family, no reception, honeymoon, freedom, say in her life, ect., ect.
Once they get to the Greek island where they make their home, she is made prisoner, with the staff ordered to watch her like a hawk and not allow her to leave the premises. The story takes on the day to day where the h is constantly defying the H while he forces her to heel. It’s here that we witness the gradual softening (or Stockholm Syndrome, whichever) of the h towards the H. There is then an insidious alteration in the feel of the story where we begin to see more and more of the tidbits that clue us in that this type of relationship is desirable to the h. Little code words like “dominant”, “strong”, “powerful” are dropped here and there and we start hearing more of a positive slant regarding the h’s attitude towards her arrogant, stalking, kidnapping hubby. We learn too that he is all knowing and only has her best interests at heart (said tongue in cheek), such as when she refused to wear the dress that he chose for her, cut it up rather than submit to his wishes, and ended up being outshined by the ex-girlfriend. Should’ve listened babe.
Despite becoming ever more receptive to being dominated, she continues to try to make a break for it. It could be real easy for her but she refuses to give her promise not to run away because she has honor. Really? I thought that was a strange plot point because then one could always argue that marriage vows are promises and she’s breaking those by running. This is just as well, though, because we wouldn’t get little scenes like when the Dom foils her plans to take off with the help of the little pup who wants her for his lady love too. Lots of dark, angry rage in that scene that ended up with an intense whoopie session.
As an aside, we never actually see any whoopie throughout the story, other than some bold breast fondling and references that lets us know it was rough and that the H totally powered on the h in true Dom fashion.
As we get closer to the end of the book, the h admits her love of the H to herself and is ever distressed that these deeper emotions aren’t reciprocated. Just as she’s becoming self-aware, the calavary finally arrives in the form of her ex-fiancé and two cops riding atop donkeys (we’d never see the H riding on any silly looking donkey). There’s a very telling scene where, despite being surrounded by her rescuers that includes the sweet but now weak David, she is still under the dominant powers of the H. In full audience, she responds to his command to “come here,” complete with pointy finger to the floor at his feet after which he grabs her by her jaw, gets in her face, and demands that she admits that she married him willingly. David later references this little scene and says to her “you like being domineered,” which in today speak would be “dominated.”
In case you’re wondering, the H can’t be prosecuted because he married the h and a wife can’t testify against her husband. Very clever, hmm?
Even though she now knows that nobody will ever make her panties wet like her Dominant, she leaves with the posse because a life without love is a hard limit for our little sub. We get the necessary, uncoerced break from the ex-fiancé, where they were both relieved(he, less than her) that they were given the opportunity to see that they weren’t in love with each other after all (I call BS on that scene. I was there. They were in love. They held hands while they shopped for furniture for their little home). David, being unable to stand the thoughts of another man all up in her stuff, leaves immediately aboard the only seat left on the plane. She’s left behind with the grumpy cop who later proves to be a matchmaker (called the H and told him the h would lie rather than have him prosecuted thus letting him know the depths of her love), along with the little pup who returns to his sworn fealty to the H.
With a little help from his friends, but always maintaining his dominant role, the story ends with the H kidnapping her again before she can fly out of Athens. But this time, there are velvet declarations of love to encase his iron fist and we get our HEA.
So, to whom would I recommend this beauty? Well, if you are a lover of BDSM genre, and you read it from that perspective, there’s a lot for you in this story. I truly believe the author was writing to that audience and was pretty blatant about it with that book cover where he’s towering over her, gripping her by the arm, getting in her face as she submits beneath him. If this is not your cup of tea, stay away, you’ll likely be horrified.
Ok, just so you know, I’m rating this based on its value as a D/s story, because the H is in total Dom mode without the safe, sane and consensual (all you BSDM lovers will get that reference ;). At the beginning, we don't necessarily realize the underlying submissiveness of the h, but by the end, we are blatantly informed that the heroine likes his domineering ways, which includes extreme arrogance, towering posture, physical coercion, threats of punishment, mocking sneers, and verbal denigration. You know, the usual.
The first half…two-thirds…four-fifths… of the book is just heart wrenching or at least disconcerting. It’s domination at first sight for the H, and he decides they are fated for eternity. And since he has vampire powers, in that his kisses have the ability to hypnotize her into doing and saying whatever he wants, he catches her on the front stoop of her apartment, uses his swagger, and gets her to agree to dump her current fiancé to whom she has been engaged to forever and marry him instead (ok, maybe we do see signs of her proclivity in a submissive role from the get-go). However, this lasts all of five minutes until her head clears and she attempts to have nothing more to do with him.
Not to be foiled by a lesser fate, the H kidnaps her in her wedding dress as she’s on the way to the church to marry her fiancé and absconds with her to his luxurious Greek hidey hole but not before making a pit stop to marry her himself. She agrees to the marriage because she doesn’t want to submit to the fate of being his “pillow friend.” (Ha! I have to tell you, that weirded me out every time he used that phrase. What’s wrong with “mistress?” I kept getting mental pictures of rainbow colored stuff animals. It ran counter to the dude’s dominant persona. ~snicker~)
The trip there was SO DEPRESSING. We get to grieve along with her as she worries about David, her fiancé, spends time thinking about her pretty wedding that was so lovingly planned and imagining that they would be on their honeymoon. The H also took her beautiful wedding dress that underwent “multiple fittings” so it would be just perfect and dumped it in the ocean on their way to Greece. And as her dress descended into the abyss, so too did her dreams. The sad factor for all these little thoughts and moments is amplified during the comparisons with what she was experiencing with the H. Her dress, although beautiful, held no sentimental value, no friends and family, no reception, honeymoon, freedom, say in her life, ect., ect.
Once they get to the Greek island where they make their home, she is made prisoner, with the staff ordered to watch her like a hawk and not allow her to leave the premises. The story takes on the day to day where the h is constantly defying the H while he forces her to heel. It’s here that we witness the gradual softening (or Stockholm Syndrome, whichever) of the h towards the H. There is then an insidious alteration in the feel of the story where we begin to see more and more of the tidbits that clue us in that this type of relationship is desirable to the h. Little code words like “dominant”, “strong”, “powerful” are dropped here and there and we start hearing more of a positive slant regarding the h’s attitude towards her arrogant, stalking, kidnapping hubby. We learn too that he is all knowing and only has her best interests at heart (said tongue in cheek), such as when she refused to wear the dress that he chose for her, cut it up rather than submit to his wishes, and ended up being outshined by the ex-girlfriend. Should’ve listened babe.
Despite becoming ever more receptive to being dominated, she continues to try to make a break for it. It could be real easy for her but she refuses to give her promise not to run away because she has honor. Really? I thought that was a strange plot point because then one could always argue that marriage vows are promises and she’s breaking those by running. This is just as well, though, because we wouldn’t get little scenes like when the Dom foils her plans to take off with the help of the little pup who wants her for his lady love too. Lots of dark, angry rage in that scene that ended up with an intense whoopie session.
As an aside, we never actually see any whoopie throughout the story, other than some bold breast fondling and references that lets us know it was rough and that the H totally powered on the h in true Dom fashion.
As we get closer to the end of the book, the h admits her love of the H to herself and is ever distressed that these deeper emotions aren’t reciprocated. Just as she’s becoming self-aware, the calavary finally arrives in the form of her ex-fiancé and two cops riding atop donkeys (we’d never see the H riding on any silly looking donkey). There’s a very telling scene where, despite being surrounded by her rescuers that includes the sweet but now weak David, she is still under the dominant powers of the H. In full audience, she responds to his command to “come here,” complete with pointy finger to the floor at his feet after which he grabs her by her jaw, gets in her face, and demands that she admits that she married him willingly. David later references this little scene and says to her “you like being domineered,” which in today speak would be “dominated.”
In case you’re wondering, the H can’t be prosecuted because he married the h and a wife can’t testify against her husband. Very clever, hmm?
Even though she now knows that nobody will ever make her panties wet like her Dominant, she leaves with the posse because a life without love is a hard limit for our little sub. We get the necessary, uncoerced break from the ex-fiancé, where they were both relieved(he, less than her) that they were given the opportunity to see that they weren’t in love with each other after all (I call BS on that scene. I was there. They were in love. They held hands while they shopped for furniture for their little home). David, being unable to stand the thoughts of another man all up in her stuff, leaves immediately aboard the only seat left on the plane. She’s left behind with the grumpy cop who later proves to be a matchmaker (called the H and told him the h would lie rather than have him prosecuted thus letting him know the depths of her love), along with the little pup who returns to his sworn fealty to the H.
With a little help from his friends, but always maintaining his dominant role, the story ends with the H kidnapping her again before she can fly out of Athens. But this time, there are velvet declarations of love to encase his iron fist and we get our HEA.
So, to whom would I recommend this beauty? Well, if you are a lover of BDSM genre, and you read it from that perspective, there’s a lot for you in this story. I truly believe the author was writing to that audience and was pretty blatant about it with that book cover where he’s towering over her, gripping her by the arm, getting in her face as she submits beneath him. If this is not your cup of tea, stay away, you’ll likely be horrified.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2023
WOW! What a crazy ride THIS was!I haven`t read anything else by Anne Hampson than her A Man to be Feared which i just so loved and through that experience i know that she is a very powerful writer with terrific characters and addicting plot."Pagan Lover" is no exception.
I just LOVE the way the hero and heroine meet in this book, it was so unexpected in a way that the connection between them just sizzled it all up, and the spark just was THERE the whole time.
Leon Petrides is a one conceited, self-important,self-opiniated, magisterial DOUBLE ASS-HOLE JERK,but i have to admit that he fascinated me! He was a whole Heathcliff in another Greek dimension with his dynamic appearance, passionate outbursts, his obvious devotion to his heroine and the Pagan side of him that was thrilling-he is an Anti-hero who simply exists in the wrong generation of life and Tara Bennet simply is the right woman to face his heathen ways.
She was a stubborn woman i came to love already from the start and while falling for her abductor (and also hating him) she did everything to escape him and never gave up on that thought. How she fought him and battled against him-i enjoyed every second of it! They were a couple at war with each other..a war that they both would lose and win at the end!This is a keeper i definitely will re-read in the future!
I just LOVE the way the hero and heroine meet in this book, it was so unexpected in a way that the connection between them just sizzled it all up, and the spark just was THERE the whole time.
Leon Petrides is a one conceited, self-important,self-opiniated, magisterial DOUBLE ASS-HOLE JERK,but i have to admit that he fascinated me! He was a whole Heathcliff in another Greek dimension with his dynamic appearance, passionate outbursts, his obvious devotion to his heroine and the Pagan side of him that was thrilling-he is an Anti-hero who simply exists in the wrong generation of life and Tara Bennet simply is the right woman to face his heathen ways.
She was a stubborn woman i came to love already from the start and while falling for her abductor (and also hating him) she did everything to escape him and never gave up on that thought. How she fought him and battled against him-i enjoyed every second of it! They were a couple at war with each other..a war that they both would lose and win at the end!This is a keeper i definitely will re-read in the future!
February 7, 2019
This one was soooo entertaining, I can’t even begin to say! It totally made my day...still grinning! Ms Hampson outdid herself even with her usual non-pc asshole H/ wimpy h formula but this one has a complete wtf whackiness to it. And the guy spouts some real whoppers and I still rooted for him.
Of course, as with all these HRs, it does tend to drag after a while but the 1st half was a hoot!!
And for all her shrieking denials, the h ends up promising him marriage (while still saddled with one fiance!) in a sexual swoon as he keeps stalking and kissing and molesting her. I think he should get that whatever bottled. Very potent! She was 'in love' with her fiancé when the 'pagan Greek' abducts her on her wedding day and carries/smuggles her off to Greece (btw pagan reminds me of words like native, heathen ;)). Anyways if she can call him non-pc words like pagan, she deserved some paganism, eh?
And so of course he kidnaps her-a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.
Of course, as with all these HRs, it does tend to drag after a while but the 1st half was a hoot!!
And for all her shrieking denials, the h ends up promising him marriage (while still saddled with one fiance!) in a sexual swoon as he keeps stalking and kissing and molesting her. I think he should get that whatever bottled. Very potent! She was 'in love' with her fiancé when the 'pagan Greek' abducts her on her wedding day and carries/smuggles her off to Greece (btw pagan reminds me of words like native, heathen ;)). Anyways if she can call him non-pc words like pagan, she deserved some paganism, eh?
And so of course he kidnaps her-a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.
October 13, 2016
Countdown to crazy town. I did not leave a review when I first read this in part not knowing what in the hell to write.
I'm wimping out with a three star when I should take a stand and either go for a 1 or a 4 star. I would consider this a must-read as it has to be seen (read) to be believed.
Pagan Lover not to be confused with Pagan Lover is an over-the-top, old skool Harlequin. It's hard to find words to describe a book where after a humongous case of insta-love on the part of the H, the heroine is kidnapped, yes kidnapped - not coerced, on her wedding day IN her wedding dress and stowed away on her Greek alpha's yacht. She is then taken to an island, forced to marry and wear fab dresses that the H designs and picks out because he knows how she should dress. In a fit of rage, she rips up one of his designer dresses on the day that the gorgeous and snidely evil OW comes dressed ten times better than the h could ever be. Not a good day to express your independence.
The Uber alpha Greek pagan lover bosses her around, threatens her and drags her off to his lair to have his evil and seductive way with her. She, on the other hand, plots to leave at every moment and is strident and bitchy. I had to keep reminding myself that he did kidnap her, forced her to stay on his island, and treats her like Harlequin Barbie, so strident and bitchy would be a natural go-to reaction.
The vanilla bean ex-fiancee finally finds her in Greece, but I guess she's used to punishing kisses and fade to black sex so she decides she loves her pagan lover. As curious as I am as to their passion, it might be best if we simply don't get the details.
I'm wimping out with a three star when I should take a stand and either go for a 1 or a 4 star. I would consider this a must-read as it has to be seen (read) to be believed.
Pagan Lover not to be confused with Pagan Lover is an over-the-top, old skool Harlequin. It's hard to find words to describe a book where after a humongous case of insta-love on the part of the H, the heroine is kidnapped, yes kidnapped - not coerced, on her wedding day IN her wedding dress and stowed away on her Greek alpha's yacht. She is then taken to an island, forced to marry and wear fab dresses that the H designs and picks out because he knows how she should dress. In a fit of rage, she rips up one of his designer dresses on the day that the gorgeous and snidely evil OW comes dressed ten times better than the h could ever be. Not a good day to express your independence.
The Uber alpha Greek pagan lover bosses her around, threatens her and drags her off to his lair to have his evil and seductive way with her. She, on the other hand, plots to leave at every moment and is strident and bitchy. I had to keep reminding myself that he did kidnap her, forced her to stay on his island, and treats her like Harlequin Barbie, so strident and bitchy would be a natural go-to reaction.
The vanilla bean ex-fiancee finally finds her in Greece, but I guess she's used to punishing kisses and fade to black sex so she decides she loves her pagan lover. As curious as I am as to their passion, it might be best if we simply don't get the details.
August 27, 2012
Ah yia yia yia....what a train wreck. The only good thing about this book is the cover. Of course, he is no Fabio, but the scene depicted accurately portrays what happens on every other page. This is all about how he threatens to beat her into submission, grab her wrists, pull her hair or loom right in her face. She is constantly crying, pleading with him not to hit her. Of course she can't stop from smexing it up with him on the pages he is not threatening her, so my empathy for her varied depending on which page I was reading.
Since I prefer my HP reads to adhere to the kindergarden rules of no biting, hitting or scratching, this one fails miserably.
I found myself skimming through many parts to put myself out of misery.
Since I prefer my HP reads to adhere to the kindergarden rules of no biting, hitting or scratching, this one fails miserably.
I found myself skimming through many parts to put myself out of misery.
November 15, 2017
Lol! I'll give it a 3.5 for the sheer crazy hot mess that it is. You can't take this too seriously or your head will explode. Suffice it to say that if our dashing hero wasn't a rich Greek tycoon living in the HP dimension, he would be just slightly less creepy than this guy
Amazing how a bunch of money and a designer wardrobe can turn batshit crazy into masterful, Greek sex god. It's HP magic at it's most wtf.
Anne Hampson managed to write a D/s Harlequin with the bedroom door mostly shut. As this was waaaay pre-50 Shades, the language was coded a bit. See St. Margarets' review for a handy-dandy Anne Hampson to BDSM thesaurus.
I do have to wonder if this were so obvious in the pre-50 Shades world of 1985. I know I would have been baffled, but I was only 12.
Also, just have to mention the creepy servant with the gold tooth and dark leering face. Ahhh.. the political incorrectness of an old school Harley.
Amazing how a bunch of money and a designer wardrobe can turn batshit crazy into masterful, Greek sex god. It's HP magic at it's most wtf.
Anne Hampson managed to write a D/s Harlequin with the bedroom door mostly shut. As this was waaaay pre-50 Shades, the language was coded a bit. See St. Margarets' review for a handy-dandy Anne Hampson to BDSM thesaurus.
I do have to wonder if this were so obvious in the pre-50 Shades world of 1985. I know I would have been baffled, but I was only 12.
Also, just have to mention the creepy servant with the gold tooth and dark leering face. Ahhh.. the political incorrectness of an old school Harley.
April 6, 2018
"Pagan Lover" is the story of Tara and Leon.
Basically, I have a weakness for stalkery possessive heroes- hence this blurb immediately made me order this book. However, I so wasnt ready for this..
Tara is a trained nurse, who comes across a Greek patient one night who ends up kissing, and later stalking her. He showers her with gifts, and repeatedly corners and kisses her - despite her protests (half hearted, duh) about being engaged.
Soon its Tara's wedding date- but low behold- she is kidnapped by Leon and whisked away to his private island (because all heroes own one)!
Contrary to the blurb, the heroine resists in ALL her might, tries to run away and velhemently protests- only for the hero to shut her down with bruising kisses, threats, sex, violent shaking and tapping her knuckles with knife. Apart from warnings of beatings, the heroine is so afraid throughout the book that she once attempts suicide and multiple time tries to run away and shakes to tears.
Anyways, if you like a super crazy (like loose in the cortex) hero, a doormat heroine who loves some manhandling, a super S&M, twisted type of romance with severe Stockholm syndrome and semi-domestic violence feels- this one is for you.
For me, it started out interesting and then...
SWE
1.75/5
P.S. The cover says it ALL, when will I ever learn..
Basically, I have a weakness for stalkery possessive heroes- hence this blurb immediately made me order this book. However, I so wasnt ready for this..
Tara is a trained nurse, who comes across a Greek patient one night who ends up kissing, and later stalking her. He showers her with gifts, and repeatedly corners and kisses her - despite her protests (half hearted, duh) about being engaged.
Soon its Tara's wedding date- but low behold- she is kidnapped by Leon and whisked away to his private island (because all heroes own one)!
Contrary to the blurb, the heroine resists in ALL her might, tries to run away and velhemently protests- only for the hero to shut her down with bruising kisses, threats, sex, violent shaking and tapping her knuckles with knife. Apart from warnings of beatings, the heroine is so afraid throughout the book that she once attempts suicide and multiple time tries to run away and shakes to tears.
Anyways, if you like a super crazy (like loose in the cortex) hero, a doormat heroine who loves some manhandling, a super S&M, twisted type of romance with severe Stockholm syndrome and semi-domestic violence feels- this one is for you.
For me, it started out interesting and then...
SWE
1.75/5
P.S. The cover says it ALL, when will I ever learn..
October 5, 2016
beauty and the beast (as might have been re-imagined by E.L. James). This hero takes the term 'macho' to new heights. He's violently possessive, aggressive and passionate and while I generally enjoy such characters- the guy simply scared me with all his knuckle rapping and putting his hands around the heroine's throat. The heroine on the other hand, (who was right to be angry at him for the way he treated her) often suffered from spells of such piercing bitchiness that it made it difficult for me to decide who my sympathy should lie with. Nonetheless, Stockholm syndrome did eventually kick in and the heroine who so far had only wanted to escape, suddenly wanted nothing more than to capitulate to her husband of BDSM tendencies - as expected -which of course led to the requisite HEA. A little contrived maybe, but still interesting. Two stars.
January 9, 2023
This is an oldie from 1981. Very entertaining because he is an alpha and she has spirit.
Don’t read this if you like a nice, mellow H.
Don’t read this if you like a nice, mellow H.
Read
March 14, 2018Please see StMargarets review. After reading her review, I had to read Pagan Lover. AH reinforces his pagan attributes by telling us about the hero's pagan-ness.
Descriptions with the word pagan:
pagan mastery
pagan face
pagan ardour
pagan Greek god
pagan love
Greek pagan
pagan expression
pagan lovemaking
pagan desires
pagan dominance
pagan voice
.....yes, he was her pagan lover! We get it.
Descriptions with the word pagan:
pagan mastery
pagan face
pagan ardour
pagan Greek god
pagan love
Greek pagan
pagan expression
pagan lovemaking
pagan desires
pagan dominance
pagan voice
.....yes, he was her pagan lover! We get it.
April 20, 2014
This read too much like a cruel parody to be an enjoyable trainwreckalicious read for me. Oh well, onwards and upwards! There's always still Julz' review (wish she'd written the actual book as well :D).
December 5, 2014
This is a total BDSM romance. Old HP are so crazy and entertaining it's impossible not to love them!
September 5, 2012
BACK COVER:
On her wedding day, Tara was abducted by the masterful Leon Petrides, dragged off to Greece and forced to marry him. And from the start it had been a real marriage, not an "in name only" one. Yet hadn't Tara any mind of her own at all? Why hadn't she flatly refused to marry him? Why didn't she try to run away? After all, she loved her fiancé David, didn't she, and wanted nothing but to get back to him. This feeling she had for her pagan husband, a feeling she couldn't deny, was only physical attraction, wasn't it? So what was stopping her?
MY REVIEW:
Yes, Tara promised to marry Leon and ditch David, but that was only to get rid of him, right? When Leon abducts her and takes her to his island it seemed more like a Harlequin early version of a D/s r/s. At one point he even tells her that he will be her Master! She must give in to his will in all things it would seem. He gets a bit physical w/ her a few times, and he isolates her from others because he can’t trust that she will stay there. Oh, but since he can comfort her at other times, then he also has gentle feelings. Leon insults her about her taste to the length of her hair. He also feels that if she will give her promise then she will do what she promised to do – why he thinks that I don’t know given that he claimed she promised to marry him and then she didn’t do it!! Back to the D/s r/s Tara craves to be mastered and seems okay w/ it, but she can’t stay w/ him unless he loves her. Felt like she was enamored of the magical wick and she liked being his possession and dominated by him.
He lies to his staff in order to keep her from running as well. Constantly calls her my child - sorry but that gets a little annoying and slightly sick. Threats of violence, but they don’t always materialize. It’s the ones that weren’t threatened that do though. Because there is physical pleasures that are so great then of course she can’t hate him! He doesn’t relent in his abuse of her until she almost commits suicide. He, of course, doesn’t want to dominate her but she goads him. Yes, the blame game again!
Finally, help comes but she refuses to testify against hubby and would willingly lie to protect him. True love confessed and a DHEA is had by all!! Dysfunctional Happily Ever After
On her wedding day, Tara was abducted by the masterful Leon Petrides, dragged off to Greece and forced to marry him. And from the start it had been a real marriage, not an "in name only" one. Yet hadn't Tara any mind of her own at all? Why hadn't she flatly refused to marry him? Why didn't she try to run away? After all, she loved her fiancé David, didn't she, and wanted nothing but to get back to him. This feeling she had for her pagan husband, a feeling she couldn't deny, was only physical attraction, wasn't it? So what was stopping her?
MY REVIEW:
Yes, Tara promised to marry Leon and ditch David, but that was only to get rid of him, right? When Leon abducts her and takes her to his island it seemed more like a Harlequin early version of a D/s r/s. At one point he even tells her that he will be her Master! She must give in to his will in all things it would seem. He gets a bit physical w/ her a few times, and he isolates her from others because he can’t trust that she will stay there. Oh, but since he can comfort her at other times, then he also has gentle feelings. Leon insults her about her taste to the length of her hair. He also feels that if she will give her promise then she will do what she promised to do – why he thinks that I don’t know given that he claimed she promised to marry him and then she didn’t do it!! Back to the D/s r/s Tara craves to be mastered and seems okay w/ it, but she can’t stay w/ him unless he loves her. Felt like she was enamored of the magical wick and she liked being his possession and dominated by him.
He lies to his staff in order to keep her from running as well. Constantly calls her my child - sorry but that gets a little annoying and slightly sick. Threats of violence, but they don’t always materialize. It’s the ones that weren’t threatened that do though. Because there is physical pleasures that are so great then of course she can’t hate him! He doesn’t relent in his abuse of her until she almost commits suicide. He, of course, doesn’t want to dominate her but she goads him. Yes, the blame game again!
Finally, help comes but she refuses to testify against hubby and would willingly lie to protect him. True love confessed and a DHEA is had by all!! Dysfunctional Happily Ever After
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2018
Four years after the Patty Hearst trial, Anne Hampson reaches what many critics feel is the apex of her Stockholm Syndrome series. The h is kidnapped, forced into a real marriage, kept prisoner, physically intimidated and punished by her husband. When her former fiance comes to the rescue, she is unhappy to leave her captor and returns to him, where he admits that he finally surrendered to his love for her when she threatened (convincingly) to throw herself out the window to her death if he made her stay with him. He stops short of asking her to rob a bank for him, but that's because no Hampson Greek would allow his property to work outside the home. (He does ask her how she feels about changing her name to Tania, though.)
April 29, 2024
Completely bonkers, even by old-school Harlequin romance standards.
Kidnapping, forced marriage, very dubious consent, extremely controlling hero - basically a Harlequin version of dark romance.
And yes, it was entertaining in a toxic kind of way.
Spoilers/TW
- No cheating between the two MC's but the heroine is initially engaged to another man, you could say that the hero doesn't leave her much choice but it's a bit borderline.
- No significant OW drama
- OM drama: heroine was engaged to another man and thinks she's still in love with him.
TW:
Dubcon, physical violence from the hero strongly implied
Kidnapping, forced marriage, very dubious consent, extremely controlling hero - basically a Harlequin version of dark romance.
And yes, it was entertaining in a toxic kind of way.
Spoilers/TW
- No cheating between the two MC's but the heroine is initially engaged to another man, you could say that the hero doesn't leave her much choice but it's a bit borderline.
- No significant OW drama
- OM drama: heroine was engaged to another man and thinks she's still in love with him.
TW:
Dubcon, physical violence from the hero strongly implied
October 11, 2025
“His word was law and never could it be argued with; his will was supreme; his orders had to be obeyed without question.”
This refers in generally to Greek men. I think my father, uncle, brother and assorted friends husbands missed the memo. My hubby isn’t Greek so I may be wrong and Greek men may have this secret dominating their wives life. Bwahahahaaaa.
As always... hilarious. I suppose the loud dominating Greek wife that can’t speak unless she can be heard three blocks down and the whipped Greek husband are more comedy and less romance stereotypes. Don’t get me wrong! I laughed. Even the Greek names were wrong btw... lol
Hmm... to the book. 3.5? It was fun... kinda hot. Leon was fun to read about but I was a bit confused in the end. He does a complete personality turn and the heroine likes? Doesn’t like it? Weird end.
Fun read if you get your hands on it but nothing memorable.
Assorted notes:
If you threaten to ‘punish’ her again and again and again, you kinda lose your credibility if you don’t deliver Leon. Not a slap? Not a spanking? Nothing? Just ‘punishing’ kisses? Kisses? They don’t count... all 70s heroes do those.
Spoiler: LAMEST virtuous excuse: “If I promise my abductor not to run away, I wouldn’t run away. My honour wouldn’t allow it!” Really? And we are supposed to think the heroine is a good and honourable person cause of that? Cause I’d lie to my abductor n get the hell out of there. In a millisecond.
This refers in generally to Greek men. I think my father, uncle, brother and assorted friends husbands missed the memo. My hubby isn’t Greek so I may be wrong and Greek men may have this secret dominating their wives life. Bwahahahaaaa.
As always... hilarious. I suppose the loud dominating Greek wife that can’t speak unless she can be heard three blocks down and the whipped Greek husband are more comedy and less romance stereotypes. Don’t get me wrong! I laughed. Even the Greek names were wrong btw... lol
Hmm... to the book. 3.5? It was fun... kinda hot. Leon was fun to read about but I was a bit confused in the end. He does a complete personality turn and the heroine likes? Doesn’t like it? Weird end.
Fun read if you get your hands on it but nothing memorable.
Assorted notes:
If you threaten to ‘punish’ her again and again and again, you kinda lose your credibility if you don’t deliver Leon. Not a slap? Not a spanking? Nothing? Just ‘punishing’ kisses? Kisses? They don’t count... all 70s heroes do those.
Spoiler: LAMEST virtuous excuse: “If I promise my abductor not to run away, I wouldn’t run away. My honour wouldn’t allow it!” Really? And we are supposed to think the heroine is a good and honourable person cause of that? Cause I’d lie to my abductor n get the hell out of there. In a millisecond.
May 23, 2012
‘Obey me,’ he said harshly. ‘If you knew me better you wouldn’t need a second telling.’
‘Ordering, you mean!’
‘I’m in no mood for inane arguments, Tara! Do as I say, at once!’
She shook her head, a little afraid now on account of his manner which was threatening to say the least.
‘I don’t want your presents,’ she began, then gave a little squeal of pain as her wrist was taken in a vicious grip.
‘Do as I tell you!’ he thundered. ‘I shall make you, so you might as well capitulate before you receive something that will both hurt and humiliate.’
------------------
Her temper surged and without considering the consequences she bit the finger that was caressing her mouth. He winced, his body caught in a spasm of pain. She saw his disbelieving stare and tried to escape. But it was too late and she felt that hell had been let loose within him as, catching hold of a handful of her hair, he dragged her head back with a ruthlessness that brought a cry of pain to her lips.
‘You ... wretch! I ought to pay you in your own medicine!’ Instead, his hands touched her throat, then encased it, closing slowly, increasing the pressure. Her eyes dilated and the fear he saw appeared to satisfy him. His hands were withdrawn from, her neck. ‘Just a warning,’ he told her softly, ‘in case you should ever be that foolish again.’
------------
‘As you will obey me when I order you not to speak like that again to any of my servants. For one thing, it’s undignified. I won’t allow my wife to lose her dignity with anyone else but me. Understand?’
Fury burned colour into her cheeks.
‘You are the last person I’d lower my dignity for! One hand was resting on the snow-white tablecloth and before she could even guess at his intention he had rapped her sharply over the knuckles with the blade of his knife. It was no gentle tap and involuntarily she cried out, tears springing to her eyes, as much from the shock of the unexpected as from the pain inflicted.
‘Take heed from that,’ warned Leon darkly. ‘Guard your tongue if you want to avoid punishment.’ He looked at her plate, then his eyes tame back to her face. ‘Dry your eyes, and then eat your salmon,’ he ordered curtly.
------------
‘I pray I shall never have a child of yours.’
There is nothing wrong with either of us,’ was his quiet rejoinder, ‘so it’s reasonable to assume that you will have my child within the year.’ She said nothing and he turned her face to him, his cruel fingers gripping her chin so hard that she knew there would be bruises within a minute or two. ‘I shall make you have my child, Tara. Do you understand? I’m your master; from now on I control your life. You will have as many children as I decide you shall have.’
‘Ordering, you mean!’
‘I’m in no mood for inane arguments, Tara! Do as I say, at once!’
She shook her head, a little afraid now on account of his manner which was threatening to say the least.
‘I don’t want your presents,’ she began, then gave a little squeal of pain as her wrist was taken in a vicious grip.
‘Do as I tell you!’ he thundered. ‘I shall make you, so you might as well capitulate before you receive something that will both hurt and humiliate.’
------------------
Her temper surged and without considering the consequences she bit the finger that was caressing her mouth. He winced, his body caught in a spasm of pain. She saw his disbelieving stare and tried to escape. But it was too late and she felt that hell had been let loose within him as, catching hold of a handful of her hair, he dragged her head back with a ruthlessness that brought a cry of pain to her lips.
‘You ... wretch! I ought to pay you in your own medicine!’ Instead, his hands touched her throat, then encased it, closing slowly, increasing the pressure. Her eyes dilated and the fear he saw appeared to satisfy him. His hands were withdrawn from, her neck. ‘Just a warning,’ he told her softly, ‘in case you should ever be that foolish again.’
------------
‘As you will obey me when I order you not to speak like that again to any of my servants. For one thing, it’s undignified. I won’t allow my wife to lose her dignity with anyone else but me. Understand?’
Fury burned colour into her cheeks.
‘You are the last person I’d lower my dignity for! One hand was resting on the snow-white tablecloth and before she could even guess at his intention he had rapped her sharply over the knuckles with the blade of his knife. It was no gentle tap and involuntarily she cried out, tears springing to her eyes, as much from the shock of the unexpected as from the pain inflicted.
‘Take heed from that,’ warned Leon darkly. ‘Guard your tongue if you want to avoid punishment.’ He looked at her plate, then his eyes tame back to her face. ‘Dry your eyes, and then eat your salmon,’ he ordered curtly.
------------
‘I pray I shall never have a child of yours.’
There is nothing wrong with either of us,’ was his quiet rejoinder, ‘so it’s reasonable to assume that you will have my child within the year.’ She said nothing and he turned her face to him, his cruel fingers gripping her chin so hard that she knew there would be bruises within a minute or two. ‘I shall make you have my child, Tara. Do you understand? I’m your master; from now on I control your life. You will have as many children as I decide you shall have.’
January 31, 2013
Ha -- entirely crazy older HP. So insane that I liked it -- great entertainment value, even if the romance wasn't very compelling. Basically the hero, after meeting the heroine briefly, arrogantly and without justification abducts her on the morning of her planned wedding to someone else, forces her to marry him, and imprisons her in Greece. She spends most of the book trying to escape. What a romance! Still, this was bad enough to be good, I thought.
February 7, 2022
Very stilted, clumsy attempt at a bdsm relationship. If you wish to read about a forceful, domineering anti hero, incidentally written around the same time this was, then I recommend the Silver Devil.
April 20, 2021
Ok, if you take this story as a parody of all those regency bodice rippers, then you will find it hugely entertaining and hilarious as I did.
It has lashings of melodrama.
The hero was wackadoodle insanely obsessive and stalkerish.
The daft heroine is so mesmerized by the hero that all he has to do is kiss her punishingly and she obeyed his every command like a robot. There's no 'shades' of BDSM here, it's the full deal - dom/sub - in technicolour.
There was point where he was trying to train her like a puppy to "come here" and the dim twit obeys in the end. Surprised he didn't scratch her behind the ears and say "Who's a good girl?"
Then the hero's sartorial elegance had me in stitches - especially when he wore a green linen suit with a frilled white shirt. Ah the seventies - I miss them!
The sex scenes were hidden and jumped around. The whole wedding night was completely skipped over, so I was surprised when he said she could be pregnant already. I was like.. wait..., what? they are married now?
Our heroine seems happy enough in the end, treating her hero like the Greek god Zeus. But maybe she should remember that Zeus was notoriously incapable of being faithful. Oh well, good luck to them. They can only survive and be happy in a fictional world.
It has lashings of melodrama.
The hero was wackadoodle insanely obsessive and stalkerish.
The daft heroine is so mesmerized by the hero that all he has to do is kiss her punishingly and she obeyed his every command like a robot. There's no 'shades' of BDSM here, it's the full deal - dom/sub - in technicolour.
There was point where he was trying to train her like a puppy to "come here" and the dim twit obeys in the end. Surprised he didn't scratch her behind the ears and say "Who's a good girl?"
Then the hero's sartorial elegance had me in stitches - especially when he wore a green linen suit with a frilled white shirt. Ah the seventies - I miss them!
The sex scenes were hidden and jumped around. The whole wedding night was completely skipped over, so I was surprised when he said she could be pregnant already. I was like.. wait..., what? they are married now?
Our heroine seems happy enough in the end, treating her hero like the Greek god Zeus. But maybe she should remember that Zeus was notoriously incapable of being faithful. Oh well, good luck to them. They can only survive and be happy in a fictional world.
September 4, 2016
Buddy read with Super K! Let's blast our clubhouse back into orbit :-D
I am having a hard time rating this book, I keep wavering between 2 and 4 stars, but think I will ultimately settle for just the 2.
There were some reaaaally nice cringeworthy scenes, I highlighted a ton of hilarious dialogue, and the basic plot had so much potential, but in the end I felt it was just so poorly executed that it came off as tedious rather than intriguing. I am also removing one whole star for all the missed toe-curling opportunities... so many scenes were set just right for something deliciously sinister to happen and the moment was simply let pass.
Let's also not forget to mention that other than a considerable amount of groping there is no actual 'bodice ripping' done in this book. He does threaten to hit her with a stick however.
Onwards and upwards they say!
I am having a hard time rating this book, I keep wavering between 2 and 4 stars, but think I will ultimately settle for just the 2.
There were some reaaaally nice cringeworthy scenes, I highlighted a ton of hilarious dialogue, and the basic plot had so much potential, but in the end I felt it was just so poorly executed that it came off as tedious rather than intriguing. I am also removing one whole star for all the missed toe-curling opportunities... so many scenes were set just right for something deliciously sinister to happen and the moment was simply let pass.
Let's also not forget to mention that other than a considerable amount of groping there is no actual 'bodice ripping' done in this book. He does threaten to hit her with a stick however.
Onwards and upwards they say!
March 14, 2014
Anne Hampson seemed to go out of her way to show the hero as barbaric. Normally, I love these cruel, ass hat, "pagan" heroes but this guy was so annoying. Or perhaps the way he was portrayed annoyed the hell out of me. The author kept reiterating the fact that the hero was a "pagan" by constantly dropping the word "pagan" in every other sentence. Of course, the hero was a barbarian who tried to "master" the "spirited" heroine with his cruel and punishing kisses.
Of course, our poor, innocent heroine fought him like a hell cat. But alas! The man was too masterful for her and she couldn't fight the tremorous feelings of lust evoked by the master seducer. She fought him as well as she could but ultimately the feelings of lust overwhelmed her which she later confused with the feelings of love. This suited the Pagan hero just right. He got to have his cake and eat it too.
For thoe of us who are romantic at heart, we are told that the hero was obviously in love with the heroine. It was a love at first sight. Of course he knew he was the right man for the heroine and the heroine just needed some convincing. So the "abduction" was totally justifiable.
Both the hero and the heroine were equally annoying. This book gave me a terrible headache.
Of course, our poor, innocent heroine fought him like a hell cat. But alas! The man was too masterful for her and she couldn't fight the tremorous feelings of lust evoked by the master seducer. She fought him as well as she could but ultimately the feelings of lust overwhelmed her which she later confused with the feelings of love. This suited the Pagan hero just right. He got to have his cake and eat it too.
For thoe of us who are romantic at heart, we are told that the hero was obviously in love with the heroine. It was a love at first sight. Of course he knew he was the right man for the heroine and the heroine just needed some convincing. So the "abduction" was totally justifiable.
Both the hero and the heroine were equally annoying. This book gave me a terrible headache.
May 28, 2014
What a load of bullcrap. This from someone who usually likes the cruel heroes and the I hate you/I love you dramas etc etc. If this were written today it would be written as a bdsm story and thank god it's not because this story would give it a bad name. I kept expecting one of the officers to shout "Stockholm Syndrome!". But alas all she needed to here was I love you after months of living in fear and abuse to forgive her abductor. The hero had not a shred of remorse or any plans to change his behavior. What a load of crap. And are you kidding me what the fuck kind of an officer goes and telephones the abductor no matter what the situation. This was an incredibly infuriating book. Oh and how stupid was the heroine. She's supposed to be a nurse for god's sake. Where is the common sense?!!
August 29, 2014
I love this cover(M&B)..its one of the best! Tara was just too stupid, for a nurse, she had zero common sense. Anne Hampson got carried away with the title of her book...his pagan kisses, pagan eyes, pagan desires. Leon was creepy and I'm surprised she didn't meet him in the mental ward of the hospital. Completely over the top but not in a way that appealed to me.
July 30, 2011
It made sense that I loved this when I was only a teenager and LONG time ago... Loved other works of hers far more than this... even though this was one of my absolute favorites a couple of decades ago! lol
December 18, 2022
“She struggled mentally but surrendered physically,” this quote sums it up perfectly…
August 13, 2025
Unexpectedly boring and tiresome.
Monotonous, doesn't get too deep.
Monotonous, doesn't get too deep.
February 14, 2024
On her wedding day, Tara was abducted by the masterful Leon Petrides, dragged off to Greece and forced to marry him. And from the start it had been a real marriage, not an "in name only" one. Yet hadn't Tara any mind of her own at all? Why hadn't she flatly refused to marry him? Why didn't she try to run away? After all, she loved her fiancé David, didn't she, and wanted nothing but to get back to him. This feeling she had for her pagan husband, a feeling she couldn't deny, was only physical attraction, wasn't it? So what was stopping her
October 9, 2017
It was meh...
Leon did everything right and fulfilled his role as the hero, but Tara's character was quite annoying.
That annoyance unfortunately took away from the story. I like submissive heroines but she talked back a little too much. I would have given it an extra star or two if Leon had made good on his threats and roughed her up a little bit more (maybe a lot more), but then again it's not that kind of book.
Leon did everything right and fulfilled his role as the hero, but Tara's character was quite annoying.
That annoyance unfortunately took away from the story. I like submissive heroines but she talked back a little too much. I would have given it an extra star or two if Leon had made good on his threats and roughed her up a little bit more (maybe a lot more), but then again it's not that kind of book.
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