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Once Again: Sullivan's Woman / Less of a Stranger
Two fan-favorite stories about giving in to your heart’s desires…
Sullivan’s Woman
When struggling model Cassidy St. John is fired from yet another job, she hardly expected the solution to her problems to come from a complete stranger. He loomed out of the fog like some mythic figure, but Cassidy soon discovers Colin Sullivan is flesh and blood and all man. When Colin offers her a job modeling for one of his paintings, it seems her troubles are over—but one look at his blue eyes and Cassidy finds they are only beginning…
Less of a Stranger
Megan Miller’s grandfather is the only family she has left. So when Pops asks her for help running his amusement park, she doesn’t think twice about putting her own artistic ambitions on hold. When confident and colossally arrogant David Katcherton sweeps in trying to buy the park, Megan fights back. Yet Katch knows all the right—and wrong—buttons to push with Megan. As Katch challenges her to fulfill her dreams, he also arouses passions she never knew before…
Sullivan’s Woman
When struggling model Cassidy St. John is fired from yet another job, she hardly expected the solution to her problems to come from a complete stranger. He loomed out of the fog like some mythic figure, but Cassidy soon discovers Colin Sullivan is flesh and blood and all man. When Colin offers her a job modeling for one of his paintings, it seems her troubles are over—but one look at his blue eyes and Cassidy finds they are only beginning…
Less of a Stranger
Megan Miller’s grandfather is the only family she has left. So when Pops asks her for help running his amusement park, she doesn’t think twice about putting her own artistic ambitions on hold. When confident and colossally arrogant David Katcherton sweeps in trying to buy the park, Megan fights back. Yet Katch knows all the right—and wrong—buttons to push with Megan. As Katch challenges her to fulfill her dreams, he also arouses passions she never knew before…
- GenresRomance
299 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
6 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,215 books59.9k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 9, 2021
This book contains 2 romantic stories as written in the title: Sullivan's Woman / Less of a Stranger. It was written in 1984 and I think it didn't age well in our current times and Me Too movement.
I just abhor men who wouldn't take no for an answer in intimate situations. I don't care if the female character was secretly attracted to that man and was just reluctant whether to consent or not to a sexual encounter. I don't care if after she'd said no and the man kept at it and kissed/touched her and then she kissed/touched him back in response. Half consent is no consent in my book.
Let's set aside Nora Roberts's female characters who always say "no" and then men keep kissing/grabbing them and then they respond to the encounter and actually like it. Let's suppose that a woman was in a situation where she did mean that simple word "no" and the man persisted in doing his forceful business, then what?!
My concern isn't about creating such characters per se because they do exist in reality. What I find problematic and deeply disturbing is romanticizing such characters and picturing them as the protagonists of a romance story. Major cringe vibes!
I just abhor men who wouldn't take no for an answer in intimate situations. I don't care if the female character was secretly attracted to that man and was just reluctant whether to consent or not to a sexual encounter. I don't care if after she'd said no and the man kept at it and kissed/touched her and then she kissed/touched him back in response. Half consent is no consent in my book.
Let's set aside Nora Roberts's female characters who always say "no" and then men keep kissing/grabbing them and then they respond to the encounter and actually like it. Let's suppose that a woman was in a situation where she did mean that simple word "no" and the man persisted in doing his forceful business, then what?!
My concern isn't about creating such characters per se because they do exist in reality. What I find problematic and deeply disturbing is romanticizing such characters and picturing them as the protagonists of a romance story. Major cringe vibes!
June 9, 2019
Spoilers ahead
I didn’t particularly like either of these stories. I feel like they should be titled “How to get yourself attacked, killed or mentally abused by aggressive men 101”.
Both stories are pretty much identical as far as plot. Random handsome guy very aggressively approaches girl and convinces her to do something/go somewhere with him. In real life those dudes would probably get punched or maced, but I digress. In the second even her grandfather, someone who is typically wise and a voice of reason, is like yeah, go out to dinner with some dude you never met. Go ahead, get into his car. What? Do women really do this? Both men are continually aggressive, grabbing the women by their hair (maybe it’s the way she wrote it but another big no from me. Unless you’re looking for how to get a woman to kick a man in the balls, run away and never talk to him again) and randomly freaking out on the women in both stories. You know those Facebook memes about toxic relationships and red flags? Bingo! These men have it all. Then there’s the constant pull of they are so sexually attracted to each other but the women keep getting pissed off at the men for one reason or another yet keep going back for more. The men basically just play head games with the women. They’re constantly being stopped for whatever reason from “hooking up”, and then in the end the utterly clueless and hopeless woman finally finds out the mental case of a man actually loves her, they kiss, fanfare ensues, the man proposes (BARF) no matter that they’ve only known each other a few days/weeks. I found myself rolling my eyes so much during reading I’m surprised they didn’t roll clean out of my head.
If potentially abusive men are your bag then give it a go. It’s a quick, easy read with a sappy happy ending. The writing is mostly good. Found a few parts here and there that really bothered me (like in the second...why did her work in progress of a sculpted bust of the man suddenly disappear when he was in her studio but reappeared for his sister. There was no mention of her moving it or hiding it.) I hate head-hopping and there was plenty of that. I really hated when the author took an otherwise short and important phrase a character said and broke it up into pieces. (I would use an actual example but the book is no longer with me) Like, rather than saying something like “he’s right you know” she would write it out as “he’s right” she said with tight lips “you know”. Just don’t. Don’t break it up like that. It loses the tone and meaning. I’m sure there’s more but I’ve already given this book more time than it deserves.
I didn’t particularly like either of these stories. I feel like they should be titled “How to get yourself attacked, killed or mentally abused by aggressive men 101”.
Both stories are pretty much identical as far as plot. Random handsome guy very aggressively approaches girl and convinces her to do something/go somewhere with him. In real life those dudes would probably get punched or maced, but I digress. In the second even her grandfather, someone who is typically wise and a voice of reason, is like yeah, go out to dinner with some dude you never met. Go ahead, get into his car. What? Do women really do this? Both men are continually aggressive, grabbing the women by their hair (maybe it’s the way she wrote it but another big no from me. Unless you’re looking for how to get a woman to kick a man in the balls, run away and never talk to him again) and randomly freaking out on the women in both stories. You know those Facebook memes about toxic relationships and red flags? Bingo! These men have it all. Then there’s the constant pull of they are so sexually attracted to each other but the women keep getting pissed off at the men for one reason or another yet keep going back for more. The men basically just play head games with the women. They’re constantly being stopped for whatever reason from “hooking up”, and then in the end the utterly clueless and hopeless woman finally finds out the mental case of a man actually loves her, they kiss, fanfare ensues, the man proposes (BARF) no matter that they’ve only known each other a few days/weeks. I found myself rolling my eyes so much during reading I’m surprised they didn’t roll clean out of my head.
If potentially abusive men are your bag then give it a go. It’s a quick, easy read with a sappy happy ending. The writing is mostly good. Found a few parts here and there that really bothered me (like in the second...why did her work in progress of a sculpted bust of the man suddenly disappear when he was in her studio but reappeared for his sister. There was no mention of her moving it or hiding it.) I hate head-hopping and there was plenty of that. I really hated when the author took an otherwise short and important phrase a character said and broke it up into pieces. (I would use an actual example but the book is no longer with me) Like, rather than saying something like “he’s right you know” she would write it out as “he’s right” she said with tight lips “you know”. Just don’t. Don’t break it up like that. It loses the tone and meaning. I’m sure there’s more but I’ve already given this book more time than it deserves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2019
How do you know when you find your one true love?
"Sullivan's Woman" is the story of a young woman struggling to get her first book accepted by a publisher who got fired from another job and goes down to the beach to plan her next move. She runs into a painter who wants her to be his model. Now she will have a way to pay the bills. It should be easy until sparks begin to fly between them.
"Less of a Stranger" tells about a talented sculptor who helps the grandfather who raised her to run an amusement park called Joyland. Someone wants to buy the park. He is confident and arrogant. So why would Megan be interested in pursuing a relationship with him?
"Sullivan's Woman" is the story of a young woman struggling to get her first book accepted by a publisher who got fired from another job and goes down to the beach to plan her next move. She runs into a painter who wants her to be his model. Now she will have a way to pay the bills. It should be easy until sparks begin to fly between them.
"Less of a Stranger" tells about a talented sculptor who helps the grandfather who raised her to run an amusement park called Joyland. Someone wants to buy the park. He is confident and arrogant. So why would Megan be interested in pursuing a relationship with him?
June 1, 2020
Actually two books in one:
Sullivan’s Woman
and
Less of a Stranger
.
Although both stories are love stories with their typical drama between characters, I found them very nice and not the stereotypical trope of boy meets girl, fall in love, have a fight, walk away and get back together again.
Light easy bedtime reading material.
I highly recommend it.
Although both stories are love stories with their typical drama between characters, I found them very nice and not the stereotypical trope of boy meets girl, fall in love, have a fight, walk away and get back together again.
Light easy bedtime reading material.
I highly recommend it.
December 8, 2020
It was okay book but, I like the second part of the better.. The first part of the book reminds me this of different writing with the different characters but can’t remember that one.. No hard feelings 😊
March 19, 2018
not the best romantic book, however it was a light and easy read
July 13, 2018
Two great stories in one book.
February 10, 2019
Too cheesy
September 27, 2020
I liked Sullivan's Woman better than Less of a Stranger, but since I had previously read Less of a Stranger, it was better the second time around for some reason.
July 3, 2023
It was such a sweet novel both of them
July 2, 2020
Just an overused sentimental novel, full of platitude and nonsense witch is considered to be a romantic book.. however, I must admit that I enjoyed it.
October 23, 2019
Even though I usually love al NR’s books this two aren’t in my fav list. That’s the reason of the three stars.... Maybe I found them too short or the two ML were too aggressive for my taste. I like wild characters, but only if I have the time to know and love them. This short stories were a little rushed for my taste. No e the less, I did enjoyed the reading as I always do with her stories.
September 13, 2018
Great quick read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews