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Tender Triumph
On Friday, a sensuous stranger enters Katie’s life. By Sunday, her life is irrevocably changed forever.
Katie Connelly submerges her painful past in a promising career, an elegant apartment, and uncomplicated, commitment-free romantic liaisons. Yet something vital is missing from her life and she’s uncertain what it is—until she meets proud, rugged Ramon Galverra.
With his charm and passionate nature, Ramon gives her a love she has never known. She is still, however, afraid to surrender her heart to this strong, willful, secretive man—a man from a different world, a man with a daring, uncertain future. Will Katie’s relationship with Ramon survive once the initial thrill of their simmering passion subsides?
Katie Connelly submerges her painful past in a promising career, an elegant apartment, and uncomplicated, commitment-free romantic liaisons. Yet something vital is missing from her life and she’s uncertain what it is—until she meets proud, rugged Ramon Galverra.
With his charm and passionate nature, Ramon gives her a love she has never known. She is still, however, afraid to surrender her heart to this strong, willful, secretive man—a man from a different world, a man with a daring, uncertain future. Will Katie’s relationship with Ramon survive once the initial thrill of their simmering passion subsides?
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
321 people are currently reading
1762 people want to read
About the author
Judith McNaught
89 books7,794 followersYou can find Judith McNaught in facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjudith...
Judith McNaught is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, with more than forty million copies of her novels in print, in over eighty countries and more than thirty languages. She was also the first female executive producer at a CBS radio station. McNaught is credited with inventing the modern Regency Historical romance subgenre.
Judith McNaught is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, with more than forty million copies of her novels in print, in over eighty countries and more than thirty languages. She was also the first female executive producer at a CBS radio station. McNaught is credited with inventing the modern Regency Historical romance subgenre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
March 12, 2021
Well that was quite painful. Honestly, I know it was her very first book but it is hard to believe that she wrote such brilliant books after reading that ... I thought it was quite dreadful (especially compared to some of her other books).
*you know it's bad when I include the above gif!
I know these older books (this one is from 1983) are written in a different era but, honestly, how she got away with writing about such a chauvinistic pig is beyond me. As for Katie, she was a silly cow really. She wrote some very stereotypical characters, not very flattering, to be sure. But please don't be put off her books by this review. She has some fabulous books out there ... just not this one (in my humble opinion)!
Honestly, I cannot find anything good to say about the book. I really skimmed to the end and I was glad that it was available on my Scribd account so I didn't feel as if I paid to read it. I see the kindle version is $10 on Amazon, a rip off, if you ask me.
Check out some of her other books ... the following are some of my favourites and solid FIVE STARS.
Anyway, I have moved that off your TBR list for you ... no thanks necessary xxx
I hope my next read will be ...
Excuse the pun.
*you know it's bad when I include the above gif!
I know these older books (this one is from 1983) are written in a different era but, honestly, how she got away with writing about such a chauvinistic pig is beyond me. As for Katie, she was a silly cow really. She wrote some very stereotypical characters, not very flattering, to be sure. But please don't be put off her books by this review. She has some fabulous books out there ... just not this one (in my humble opinion)!
Honestly, I cannot find anything good to say about the book. I really skimmed to the end and I was glad that it was available on my Scribd account so I didn't feel as if I paid to read it. I see the kindle version is $10 on Amazon, a rip off, if you ask me.
Check out some of her other books ... the following are some of my favourites and solid FIVE STARS.
Anyway, I have moved that off your TBR list for you ... no thanks necessary xxx
I hope my next read will be ...
Excuse the pun.
May 22, 2014
I've always enjoyed reading Judith McNaught's romances, but it's fair to say Tender Triumph is not one of the better ones. In fact it's probably the worst.
It was her first published book, published in 1983, and it shows as it's horribly dated. Ramon was to sexist and chauvinistic to be truly likable and Katie's views tread to close to being racist and elitist for my liking. To make matters worse the whole romance happened far too quickly. Who meets a guy and agrees to marry him 48 hours later?. Especially if that means moving country and quitting your job!.
Despite my problems with some aspects of this book there was still some hints of the things I like about McNaught's book. Katie might have been naive and idiotic at times, but she was likable enough for all that and her character did have an interesting backstory.
Rating: A disappointing 3 stars.
It was her first published book, published in 1983, and it shows as it's horribly dated. Ramon was to sexist and chauvinistic to be truly likable and Katie's views tread to close to being racist and elitist for my liking. To make matters worse the whole romance happened far too quickly. Who meets a guy and agrees to marry him 48 hours later?. Especially if that means moving country and quitting your job!.
Despite my problems with some aspects of this book there was still some hints of the things I like about McNaught's book. Katie might have been naive and idiotic at times, but she was likable enough for all that and her character did have an interesting backstory.
Rating: A disappointing 3 stars.
January 8, 2020
Frumoasă carte!
October 7, 2025
Parafraseando a Rita: #RomanceNaAreia
E acrescento: O que é escrito na areia, a onda leva. Bendita seja a Natureza que sabe o que faz.
Apesar do livro ter sido publicado em 1983, a minha nota é a de que o bom carácter é intemporal e a autora esqueceu-se de vestir de preto.
Não obstante a protagonista feminina ser uma mimada pedante, senti empatia pela violência que esta sofre.
Primeiro, pelo ex-marido.
«Saias com pregas fazem com que as tuas ancas pareçam ainda mais largas»(.).Katie protestava, dizendo que não tinha ancas largas, mas, mesmo assim, começou a frequentar um ginásio. «Se cortasses os cabelos bem curtos, o teu queixo não pareceria tão proeminente.» Katie protestava que o seu queixo não era «proeminente», mas cortou os cabelos. «Se apertasses os joelhos, o teu rabo não abanava tanto quando andas.» Katie corrigiu a postura, perguntando-se se ainda continuava a «abanar».
O seu subconsciente registara a raiva controlada nos olhos dele, quando um empregado não o atendia suficientemente depressa num restaurante; tinha observado o aperto nervoso das mãos no volante, quando outro condutor não saía da sua frente(...).
(...)vira-o a desafivelar o cinto e a tirá-lo das presilhas. (...)
- (...) Vais chorar muito, pedir desculpas e dizer que me amas.
E ele tinha razão. Meia hora depois, Katie ainda gritava «amo-te», com o rosto enfiado na almofada, quando a porta do apartamento se fechou atrás dele.
Mais tarde, pelo par romântico da estória. Um machista inveterado.
- Eu não disse que todas as mulheres eram boas cozinheiras, apenas que as mulheres deveriam cozinhar. Os homens deveriam trabalhar para comprar a comida para elas prepararem. É assim que deve ser.
- Como homem, é responsabilidade minha providenciar-te uma casa e toda a mobília. Tu não vais pagar por nada.
- Veste outro - disse ele (...).
- Não - disse Katie (...) - Porque razão o faria?
- Porque eu te pedi.
Até poderia apreciar o livro, como mero educador cívico do que são red flags conjugais, mas a autora passa pano nisto tudo e insiste em tornar esta novela numa bela história deamor terror.
Foi a derrota da razão.
E acrescento: O que é escrito na areia, a onda leva. Bendita seja a Natureza que sabe o que faz.
Apesar do livro ter sido publicado em 1983, a minha nota é a de que o bom carácter é intemporal e a autora esqueceu-se de vestir de preto.
Não obstante a protagonista feminina ser uma mimada pedante, senti empatia pela violência que esta sofre.
Primeiro, pelo ex-marido.
«Saias com pregas fazem com que as tuas ancas pareçam ainda mais largas»(.).Katie protestava, dizendo que não tinha ancas largas, mas, mesmo assim, começou a frequentar um ginásio. «Se cortasses os cabelos bem curtos, o teu queixo não pareceria tão proeminente.» Katie protestava que o seu queixo não era «proeminente», mas cortou os cabelos. «Se apertasses os joelhos, o teu rabo não abanava tanto quando andas.» Katie corrigiu a postura, perguntando-se se ainda continuava a «abanar».
O seu subconsciente registara a raiva controlada nos olhos dele, quando um empregado não o atendia suficientemente depressa num restaurante; tinha observado o aperto nervoso das mãos no volante, quando outro condutor não saía da sua frente(...).
(...)vira-o a desafivelar o cinto e a tirá-lo das presilhas. (...)
- (...) Vais chorar muito, pedir desculpas e dizer que me amas.
E ele tinha razão. Meia hora depois, Katie ainda gritava «amo-te», com o rosto enfiado na almofada, quando a porta do apartamento se fechou atrás dele.
Mais tarde, pelo par romântico da estória. Um machista inveterado.
- Eu não disse que todas as mulheres eram boas cozinheiras, apenas que as mulheres deveriam cozinhar. Os homens deveriam trabalhar para comprar a comida para elas prepararem. É assim que deve ser.
- Como homem, é responsabilidade minha providenciar-te uma casa e toda a mobília. Tu não vais pagar por nada.
- Veste outro - disse ele (...).
- Não - disse Katie (...) - Porque razão o faria?
- Porque eu te pedi.
Até poderia apreciar o livro, como mero educador cívico do que são red flags conjugais, mas a autora passa pano nisto tudo e insiste em tornar esta novela numa bela história de
Foi a derrota da razão.
May 26, 2009
Definitely a waste of my money. Should have just borrowed it instead of buying.
It's told mostly from Katie's (the heroine) point of view, and seeing it from her point of view doesn't make her at all likeable, it makes her annoying. And having an annoying girl for the heroine, you can't enjoy the story that much.
Ramon, the hero, is too persuasive. I don't exactly get their romance anyway. They met for a few days and he goes head over heels in love with her? It'll be more realistic if he just say he's attracted to her beautiful face, but in love?? I don't know just what is it in Katie that can make anyone love her upon meeting for a few days. They have different opinions, and it's like she's been that good to Ramon anyway.
This book is a dissappointment. It's boring, not even interesting in the least. I've read at least 5 of McNaught's books, and this is definitely the worst.
It's told mostly from Katie's (the heroine) point of view, and seeing it from her point of view doesn't make her at all likeable, it makes her annoying. And having an annoying girl for the heroine, you can't enjoy the story that much.
Ramon, the hero, is too persuasive. I don't exactly get their romance anyway. They met for a few days and he goes head over heels in love with her? It'll be more realistic if he just say he's attracted to her beautiful face, but in love?? I don't know just what is it in Katie that can make anyone love her upon meeting for a few days. They have different opinions, and it's like she's been that good to Ramon anyway.
This book is a dissappointment. It's boring, not even interesting in the least. I've read at least 5 of McNaught's books, and this is definitely the worst.
September 21, 2009
Yawn. I gave this a good 75 pages but couldn't find the romance or frankly, anything else. This book is basically about a racist and a sexist who meet in a bar. He then proceeds to lie (or at least hide the truth) from her and order her around while she has a random desire to tear his shirt off. I'd expect this from Harlequin, not Judith McNaught.
June 13, 2020
Lasot jāpatur prātā, ka romāns pirmo reizi publicēts 1983. gadā, un mūsdienām tas jau ir morāli novecojis. Ja tas būtu publicēts šogad, es teiktu: "Meitenīt, bēdz, psihopāts, psihopāts!!!", pat neturpinot lasīt.
Un tomēr tā ir Maknota, lai arī tikai savas rakstnieces karjeras sākumā. Dažreiz tikai viņa spēj mani izvilkt no ieilguša lasīšanas bloka.
Un tomēr tā ir Maknota, lai arī tikai savas rakstnieces karjeras sākumā. Dažreiz tikai viņa spēj mani izvilkt no ieilguša lasīšanas bloka.
June 19, 2020
Tāda vasaras vakariem, kārtīga smadzeņu košļene. Galvenie tēli man atgādina varoņus no filmas Krokodils Dandijs. Un tā arī to uztvēru.
August 16, 2017
This was a train wreck! I knew from the 1st chapter that I will hate it, but it was a McNaught book. I was sure my initial opinion will change. It didn't.
September 14, 2013
Although not her first novel written, according to Wiki, Tender Triumph is her first one published. A pioneer in the romance novel industry, McNaught has a way of tearing your heart out with big misunderstandings, sweet, smart, likable heroines who fall for broody billionaire, alpha to the point of jerky heroes. (And you thought 50 Shades was original somehow??)
With Tender Triumph, much of this is toned down. The big misunderstanding is not so big as the heroine already knows something’s up by the time all is out in the open. Secondly, though manipulative, McNaught has written bigger asses for heroes. Oh the shadow of her later characters are here but that’s all they are, pale comparisons. Combine this with the outdated attitudes and it becomes definitely one of my least favs from this author.
That said, there was something utterly engaging about it. Though Katie Connelly is snotty in her opinion of Ramon, the foreign looking man who came to her rescue outside a singles bar one night- (singles bar? Do people even call them that anymore?)- he somehow sees through all her snobbery to the genuinely caring person she is inside. At first they have nothing in common, he’s all old world chauvinistic and she’s all modern independent woman making a good living on her own. This is what keeps her holding back a large part of herself with him. Well, that and her crappy short lived first marriage to a cheating abusive asshole.
But he isn’t all he says he is either, and something in her knows it. So, though she eventually capitulates and agrees to marriage after not even knowing him for a week, (which is just weird imo), the struggle between them is very real. Until the end when the author flips the script.
If you think this heroine is gonna quiet down and stay in the kitchen where a woman belongs you’d be wrong. But you’ll be surprised by how much you don’t even care by the end.
This one is for the superfans of Judith McNaught- it’s too dated and she certainly hasn’t hit her stride as an author yet- still, it ended up being a fun read for me…
OH and one more thing- although heated at times, these two never make it to the bedroom. It's is all above the waistline touching in this novel, although the throbbing manhood gets mentioned quite a bit... :P
With Tender Triumph, much of this is toned down. The big misunderstanding is not so big as the heroine already knows something’s up by the time all is out in the open. Secondly, though manipulative, McNaught has written bigger asses for heroes. Oh the shadow of her later characters are here but that’s all they are, pale comparisons. Combine this with the outdated attitudes and it becomes definitely one of my least favs from this author.
That said, there was something utterly engaging about it. Though Katie Connelly is snotty in her opinion of Ramon, the foreign looking man who came to her rescue outside a singles bar one night- (singles bar? Do people even call them that anymore?)- he somehow sees through all her snobbery to the genuinely caring person she is inside. At first they have nothing in common, he’s all old world chauvinistic and she’s all modern independent woman making a good living on her own. This is what keeps her holding back a large part of herself with him. Well, that and her crappy short lived first marriage to a cheating abusive asshole.
But he isn’t all he says he is either, and something in her knows it. So, though she eventually capitulates and agrees to marriage after not even knowing him for a week, (which is just weird imo), the struggle between them is very real. Until the end when the author flips the script.
If you think this heroine is gonna quiet down and stay in the kitchen where a woman belongs you’d be wrong. But you’ll be surprised by how much you don’t even care by the end.
This one is for the superfans of Judith McNaught- it’s too dated and she certainly hasn’t hit her stride as an author yet- still, it ended up being a fun read for me…
OH and one more thing- although heated at times, these two never make it to the bedroom. It's is all above the waistline touching in this novel, although the throbbing manhood gets mentioned quite a bit... :P
February 1, 2012
This was not a terrible book, but it wasn't one of those books that makes me squeal with happiness.
I loved Katie's backstory. I thought it was very refreshing to read a woman that couldn't say "I love you," instead of a man. In fact, I loved the entire story... until the end.
The book felt like it 'just ended,' and everything was brought together much too quickly. Why did Ramon suddenly make so much money again? Why couldn't they have had a happy life in the cottage? It kind of brought out my inner qualms about romances. Why are they all dukes, or billionaires, or famous? I know romances are written for women so that they can imagine themselves in the heroine's situation, but what is all this about the guy being rich, powerful, and famous?
I'd love to find a romance book with normal people, who don't live in a mansion, who don't have some fantastic job, but who fall in love anyway.
In my opinion, the book would have been better if Ramon had never made his fortune again, and they'd just lived in the cottage, and they worked together in Puerto Rico.
I loved Katie's backstory. I thought it was very refreshing to read a woman that couldn't say "I love you," instead of a man. In fact, I loved the entire story... until the end.
The book felt like it 'just ended,' and everything was brought together much too quickly. Why did Ramon suddenly make so much money again? Why couldn't they have had a happy life in the cottage? It kind of brought out my inner qualms about romances. Why are they all dukes, or billionaires, or famous? I know romances are written for women so that they can imagine themselves in the heroine's situation, but what is all this about the guy being rich, powerful, and famous?
I'd love to find a romance book with normal people, who don't live in a mansion, who don't have some fantastic job, but who fall in love anyway.
In my opinion, the book would have been better if Ramon had never made his fortune again, and they'd just lived in the cottage, and they worked together in Puerto Rico.
August 16, 2020
Canım Judith. Yine çook güzeldi♥️
December 9, 2017
To read review with gifs click here.
Guess, what peeps, it’s rant time. If you know me, you know that this book has been on my hate list for awhile. Okay, maybe I haven’t mentioned it that much because it’s not YA and YA is what I usually review on this blog, but it is a known fact amongst personal friends that this is one of the most hated books on the MJ list.
Long story short, it was one of the books my mom gifted me when I first started reading romance. I don’t think she realized how God awful offensive this book was. Because if she did, she probably wouldn’t have given it to me (she has actually told me this when I ranted about said book several times). It’s the sort of book that makes my blood pressure get ridiculously high where I feel the blood pumping in that vein above my head and… I end up looking like Toht on Indiana Jones when his face melted into liquid goo.
I still remember my rants about Katie and Ramon quite well. I think I was a high school junior then so it’s been roughly about twelve years since I read it, and I still remember it.
God, I’m old.
Anyways, I decided to pick this one up again mainly because I wanted to discuss some of the faux pas in the bodice era of romance after reading that Hillary Rodham Clinton found romances in general to perpetuate to the misogynic toxic society that we are living in. Honestly, if all books were like Tender Triumph and Midsummer Magic (just mentioning that one has that vein throbbing again) I’d have had no beef with what Hillary said. However, I think with being first lady, senator of New York, secretary of state, and just being an all around BAMF for the past twenty plus years has kept her busy from picking up a modern day romance novel which departs a little bit from the bodice ripper era books.
To be blunt though, there are still some very problematic romances out there. You’ve heard me rant about them, but there are also some really good ones out there. Classifying the genre like that left me shaking my head a bit, but for someone who probably hasn’t read the genre in years I can give her a pass. Especially if she would’ve read Tender Triumph. Because if we’re using Tender Triumph as an example, then, well, Hillary’s got it pegged.
I only got through about 90 pages when I reread this one. In the couple of chapters there was sexism, racism, and homophobia. Lovely stuff.
Because I have way too much time on my hands ( I really don’t). Here’s a few keepers:
Those are just three quotes that made me throw the book against the wall, I threw it several other times as well. You know when I revisited Midsummer Magic as gross as it was-and it is gross, Coulter tries to justify rape with bloody cream-at least it was sort of fun to mock in the fact that it was clear that Coulter didn’t take herself seriously and the book in part was meant to be taken as a farce. A sick fuck of a farce, but a farce. This book though, it did take itself in a more serious fashion and these quotes I’m using-well, they were all supposed to be a part of playful banter that has the characters endear each other to them. Ramon’s backwards views that Katie should make him dinner and give up her job, were suppose to be sweet.
They weren’t sweet though, they were fucked up.
As was the marriage proposal that appears randomly after the characters barely know each other and the immediate if you marry me you move to Puerto Rico with me woman bits as well.
Seriously.
It’s not like I can even sympathize that much with Katie. She is a racist bitch. There’s no other way to describe it. But I still wanted to shake her and tell her that she was getting herself in danger with Ramon. It had all the classic marks of an abusive relationship and it made me want to vomit.
Ramon “rescues” Katie when she’s being harassed by her married boyfriend to put out. It’s not a meet cute situation for sure. I think McNaught wanted the reader to feel like Ramon was a white knight of sorts, but I kept thinking how did Katie not know that married guy was married.
As for Ramon, he’s obnoxious. Pretty much he sells produce out of his truck because daddy got senile and ruined the company, and rather than sucking it up and getting a job that his skills could actually be utilized he decides that he’s going to go back to farming-something he’s never done before. I guess based off of the books God awful narration, he thought he’d be good because his grandfather was a farmer or whatever.
You know, being a farmer actually requires you to know things like how plants grow and the like. Not that Ramon knows this. But I think he’s at least okay with farming since he can grow cabbages in Puerto Rico and apparently take them over in the mainland to fly in his truck.
Look, I don’t ask questions. Ramon is suppose to be this big shot businessman so I’m guessing he had some sort of plan in this cabbage growing investment of his. But I didn’t even know you could grow cabbages in Puerto Rico.
Anyway…digression about the agriculture business aside, after Ramon rescues Katie he decides to stalk her.
Seriously, girl asks him to go away and he won’t actually go away. Katie should’ve got the pepper spray out and called the police. But instead he’s mildly attractive so we get some very squeamish scenes of them “dating”.
Which consists of the characters insulting each other back and forth and being okay with each other only because they find each other to be oddly physically attractive.
You know, this has the bare bones to be a good story. I would’ve enjoyed reading Ramon’s riches to rags tell if he wasn’t such a sexist creeper ass. I would’ve enjoyed Katie had she not been such a racist bitch who somehow doesn’t know she’s dating a married man and then is willing to randomly agree to marry someone who is forcing her to move outside of the continental US.
But instead, this story was just gross. This was the sort of story that you could see why Hillary Clinton has the bad impression of romance books that she does. To be fair to McNaught, I vaguely recall reading an interview awhile back that this book and Double Standards (another early era McNaught book) were heavily influenced by the publisher. But honestly, that’s sort of a piss poor excuse. I think if anything Tender Triumph shows really underlying problems in society that still exists to this day.
In this book, sexism is treated merely as a courtship ritual. Racism is merely innocent assumptions made about a person. And homophobia is just a funny hahaha joke. Honestly though, nothing about this is funny, romantic, or innocent. It’s disgusting, disturbing, and deplorable.
The thing is, as bad as Tender Triumph is the genre has thankfully evolved. While books as bad as this do still unfortunately do still exist, they’re not as near as prevalent as they once were. Unfortunately though, books like this have stigmatized the genre to some degree.
When I first started reading romance, I remember picking up a copy of McNaught’s Paradise before one of my undergrad classes when the professor came into the room and told me I was too smart to read such drivel. Honestly, that comment has lingered on me since taking that class and I’m still disgusted by it. However, with the stigma that books like Tender Triumph have left on the genre, it’s understandable but still not right. Fortunately, it does seem like the genre has made a lot of strides since the early 80’s (when this book was first published). However, progress still can be made (you know, by getting rid of the alpha douche themed books all together)
Guess, what peeps, it’s rant time. If you know me, you know that this book has been on my hate list for awhile. Okay, maybe I haven’t mentioned it that much because it’s not YA and YA is what I usually review on this blog, but it is a known fact amongst personal friends that this is one of the most hated books on the MJ list.
Long story short, it was one of the books my mom gifted me when I first started reading romance. I don’t think she realized how God awful offensive this book was. Because if she did, she probably wouldn’t have given it to me (she has actually told me this when I ranted about said book several times). It’s the sort of book that makes my blood pressure get ridiculously high where I feel the blood pumping in that vein above my head and… I end up looking like Toht on Indiana Jones when his face melted into liquid goo.
I still remember my rants about Katie and Ramon quite well. I think I was a high school junior then so it’s been roughly about twelve years since I read it, and I still remember it.
God, I’m old.
Anyways, I decided to pick this one up again mainly because I wanted to discuss some of the faux pas in the bodice era of romance after reading that Hillary Rodham Clinton found romances in general to perpetuate to the misogynic toxic society that we are living in. Honestly, if all books were like Tender Triumph and Midsummer Magic (just mentioning that one has that vein throbbing again) I’d have had no beef with what Hillary said. However, I think with being first lady, senator of New York, secretary of state, and just being an all around BAMF for the past twenty plus years has kept her busy from picking up a modern day romance novel which departs a little bit from the bodice ripper era books.
To be blunt though, there are still some very problematic romances out there. You’ve heard me rant about them, but there are also some really good ones out there. Classifying the genre like that left me shaking my head a bit, but for someone who probably hasn’t read the genre in years I can give her a pass. Especially if she would’ve read Tender Triumph. Because if we’re using Tender Triumph as an example, then, well, Hillary’s got it pegged.
I only got through about 90 pages when I reread this one. In the couple of chapters there was sexism, racism, and homophobia. Lovely stuff.
Because I have way too much time on my hands ( I really don’t). Here’s a few keepers:
“Any roommates?”
“Two lesbians,” she lied gravely
He believed her, and wasn’t shocked. “No kidding? It doesn’t bother you?”
Katie gave him a look of wide-eyed innocence. “I adore them.” For just a fraction of a second he looked revolted, and Katie’s smile widened with genuine laughter.
Recovering almost immediately, she shrugged. “Too bad. See you around.” (15)
She knew, and he knew, that simply because he was Hispanic she had assumed he drove a produce truck. (23)
I mean, you think it is important that brandy be drunk in the ‘proper’ wau, yet you do not worry if it is ‘proper’ to invite any man you meet into your apartment. You risk soiling your reputation and-” (29)
Those are just three quotes that made me throw the book against the wall, I threw it several other times as well. You know when I revisited Midsummer Magic as gross as it was-and it is gross, Coulter tries to justify rape with bloody cream-at least it was sort of fun to mock in the fact that it was clear that Coulter didn’t take herself seriously and the book in part was meant to be taken as a farce. A sick fuck of a farce, but a farce. This book though, it did take itself in a more serious fashion and these quotes I’m using-well, they were all supposed to be a part of playful banter that has the characters endear each other to them. Ramon’s backwards views that Katie should make him dinner and give up her job, were suppose to be sweet.
They weren’t sweet though, they were fucked up.
As was the marriage proposal that appears randomly after the characters barely know each other and the immediate if you marry me you move to Puerto Rico with me woman bits as well.
Seriously.
It’s not like I can even sympathize that much with Katie. She is a racist bitch. There’s no other way to describe it. But I still wanted to shake her and tell her that she was getting herself in danger with Ramon. It had all the classic marks of an abusive relationship and it made me want to vomit.
Ramon “rescues” Katie when she’s being harassed by her married boyfriend to put out. It’s not a meet cute situation for sure. I think McNaught wanted the reader to feel like Ramon was a white knight of sorts, but I kept thinking how did Katie not know that married guy was married.
As for Ramon, he’s obnoxious. Pretty much he sells produce out of his truck because daddy got senile and ruined the company, and rather than sucking it up and getting a job that his skills could actually be utilized he decides that he’s going to go back to farming-something he’s never done before. I guess based off of the books God awful narration, he thought he’d be good because his grandfather was a farmer or whatever.
You know, being a farmer actually requires you to know things like how plants grow and the like. Not that Ramon knows this. But I think he’s at least okay with farming since he can grow cabbages in Puerto Rico and apparently take them over in the mainland to fly in his truck.
Look, I don’t ask questions. Ramon is suppose to be this big shot businessman so I’m guessing he had some sort of plan in this cabbage growing investment of his. But I didn’t even know you could grow cabbages in Puerto Rico.
Anyway…digression about the agriculture business aside, after Ramon rescues Katie he decides to stalk her.
Seriously, girl asks him to go away and he won’t actually go away. Katie should’ve got the pepper spray out and called the police. But instead he’s mildly attractive so we get some very squeamish scenes of them “dating”.
Which consists of the characters insulting each other back and forth and being okay with each other only because they find each other to be oddly physically attractive.
You know, this has the bare bones to be a good story. I would’ve enjoyed reading Ramon’s riches to rags tell if he wasn’t such a sexist creeper ass. I would’ve enjoyed Katie had she not been such a racist bitch who somehow doesn’t know she’s dating a married man and then is willing to randomly agree to marry someone who is forcing her to move outside of the continental US.
But instead, this story was just gross. This was the sort of story that you could see why Hillary Clinton has the bad impression of romance books that she does. To be fair to McNaught, I vaguely recall reading an interview awhile back that this book and Double Standards (another early era McNaught book) were heavily influenced by the publisher. But honestly, that’s sort of a piss poor excuse. I think if anything Tender Triumph shows really underlying problems in society that still exists to this day.
In this book, sexism is treated merely as a courtship ritual. Racism is merely innocent assumptions made about a person. And homophobia is just a funny hahaha joke. Honestly though, nothing about this is funny, romantic, or innocent. It’s disgusting, disturbing, and deplorable.
The thing is, as bad as Tender Triumph is the genre has thankfully evolved. While books as bad as this do still unfortunately do still exist, they’re not as near as prevalent as they once were. Unfortunately though, books like this have stigmatized the genre to some degree.
When I first started reading romance, I remember picking up a copy of McNaught’s Paradise before one of my undergrad classes when the professor came into the room and told me I was too smart to read such drivel. Honestly, that comment has lingered on me since taking that class and I’m still disgusted by it. However, with the stigma that books like Tender Triumph have left on the genre, it’s understandable but still not right. Fortunately, it does seem like the genre has made a lot of strides since the early 80’s (when this book was first published). However, progress still can be made (you know, by getting rid of the alpha douche themed books all together)
December 21, 2025
Omg this book gripped me. Judith McNaught is amazing no matter what she is writing. I loved the reversal of class in which a rich girl is intensively pursued and really attracted to someone she thinks delivers foods from the farm. The fact that our hero is actually businessman on the verge of bankruptcy is hidden from her.
She has to make a decision whether to move with him to PortoRico and marry him based on believing he is a farm worker.
I was celebrating this book so much for pushing the limits of class while openly asking the hard questions of such a relationship.
Kattie didn’t just blindly fall in love and nothing else mattered, she was inwardly struggling because on top of Ramon being supposedly poor, he was authoritative and bossy, narrating what she can and can not do.
That is something you can do when you have money in books but when you don’t, it comes off weird.
On the other hand, Ramon was treating her so sweetly, we could sense how attracted they were to each other and couldn’t keep their hands off. That was sweet.
The way the plot has unfolded, has undermined the whole idea of “I will marry you for you only and not for who you are”
She only agrees to marry him only when she finds out he is this worlds most richest business man and even though he is going through bankruptcy, he is still smart and ruthless and is able to make few millions in space of 2 weeks this story is taking place.
She has to make a decision whether to move with him to PortoRico and marry him based on believing he is a farm worker.
I was celebrating this book so much for pushing the limits of class while openly asking the hard questions of such a relationship.
Kattie didn’t just blindly fall in love and nothing else mattered, she was inwardly struggling because on top of Ramon being supposedly poor, he was authoritative and bossy, narrating what she can and can not do.
That is something you can do when you have money in books but when you don’t, it comes off weird.
On the other hand, Ramon was treating her so sweetly, we could sense how attracted they were to each other and couldn’t keep their hands off. That was sweet.
The way the plot has unfolded, has undermined the whole idea of “I will marry you for you only and not for who you are”
She only agrees to marry him only when she finds out he is this worlds most richest business man and even though he is going through bankruptcy, he is still smart and ruthless and is able to make few millions in space of 2 weeks this story is taking place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 20, 2025You get a DNF! You get a DNF! And I get a whole freaking lot of nothing.
November 21, 2023
Este livro foi o primeiro livro publicado da autora - é de 1983 e sim, isso importa para compreender a história. Importa porque os tempos eram outros, as ideologias eram diferentes, e homens e mulheres viam-se de maneira diferente nos anos 80 do que atualmente.
Tendo em mente que a ação ocorre numa época mais "retrógrada" em certos aspetos, a verdade é que é possível apreciar na mesma a beleza da história (apesar dos preconceitos que atualmente já não serão tão presentes).
É um romance contemporâneo que se caracteriza por ser slow burn, mas ao mesmo tempo é fast paced...é interessante de analisar o porquê da relação da Katie e do Ramon evoluir do modo que evolui; compreender os verdadeiros sentimentos deles e desvendar os segredos do passado de cada um.
A autora sabe como escrever histórias de amor bonitas e este livro prova isso mesmo. Prova que o amor pode triunfar após o sofrimento, após a dor e a desilusão...porque quando os sentimentos são verdadeiros, o amor vence tudo (até o orgulho e o preconceito).
Tendo em mente que a ação ocorre numa época mais "retrógrada" em certos aspetos, a verdade é que é possível apreciar na mesma a beleza da história (apesar dos preconceitos que atualmente já não serão tão presentes).
É um romance contemporâneo que se caracteriza por ser slow burn, mas ao mesmo tempo é fast paced...é interessante de analisar o porquê da relação da Katie e do Ramon evoluir do modo que evolui; compreender os verdadeiros sentimentos deles e desvendar os segredos do passado de cada um.
A autora sabe como escrever histórias de amor bonitas e este livro prova isso mesmo. Prova que o amor pode triunfar após o sofrimento, após a dor e a desilusão...porque quando os sentimentos são verdadeiros, o amor vence tudo (até o orgulho e o preconceito).
May 4, 2011
I amazed myself that I manage to finish this whole book in less than a day, especially considering that I don't even like the story that much. Actually, it's not the story that I have troubled with. It was the characters.
I couldn't relate to either the hero and the heroine. They're not likable; at times there were judgmental and whiny - two characteristics that I never thought I would associate with JM's work. I do think that the JM should stick with historical romance. She wrote it brilliantly and the love and triumph of the characters are much more believable. In this case, I just want the book to be over and done with so I can move on to the next book on my reading list.
I couldn't relate to either the hero and the heroine. They're not likable; at times there were judgmental and whiny - two characteristics that I never thought I would associate with JM's work. I do think that the JM should stick with historical romance. She wrote it brilliantly and the love and triumph of the characters are much more believable. In this case, I just want the book to be over and done with so I can move on to the next book on my reading list.
March 15, 2015
No here we have an uber-controlling asshole hero who tells the woman what to do, where to live and she just takes it because she "wuvs" him. She's such a doormat and therefore quite annoying. And he has absolutely no sympathy for how hard it is for her to adjust to her new life. This is why you don't get married to someone you've only known for a few days. Bit mistake - both what the characters did and reading the book in the first place. I wanted to throw the book across the room just imagining Ramon...
April 12, 2016
This is my fifth book of Mcnaught and i love every chapter of it.
I adore the characters, Katie and Ramon, especially Ramon, a alpha male that comes to love the heroine very much.Katie is a stubborn and goodhearted woman with a dark past.
Love this story...but do NOT read it if you do not like when a relationship goes too fast...................
I adore the characters, Katie and Ramon, especially Ramon, a alpha male that comes to love the heroine very much.Katie is a stubborn and goodhearted woman with a dark past.
Love this story...but do NOT read it if you do not like when a relationship goes too fast...................
January 8, 2024
De todos os livros da autora foi o que menos gostei.
Achei a relação forçada.
Uma pessoa tão independente num instante muda tudo por uma pessoa q conhece ha uma semana....
Não é isto que a autora nos habituou
Achei a relação forçada.
Uma pessoa tão independente num instante muda tudo por uma pessoa q conhece ha uma semana....
Não é isto que a autora nos habituou
March 24, 2017
No sé muy bien qué pensar de este libro.. no tiene ni pies ni cabeza, la trama quiere correr sin haber aprendido a andar, los personajes tienen unas salidas un tanto incomprensibles.. y a pesar de todo me ha entretenido y me lo he leído en pocos días.. pero sin duda alguna, no es lo mejor de esta autora ni de lejos.
June 5, 2020
I listened to the abridged audiobook of this one and it was far too disjointed and instead of a complete story, it read like a summary of one.
Not sure if I would like it any better had it been a full story since there were a number of things that felt off about it anyway, but the abridged version certainly didn't help. Oh well...
Not sure if I would like it any better had it been a full story since there were a number of things that felt off about it anyway, but the abridged version certainly didn't help. Oh well...
July 31, 2015
Tender Triumph
Ramon Galverra and Katherine Katie Connelly
3.5/5 Stars
Tender Triumph is a stand alone book by Judith McNaught.
Favorite Quotes
"Would you like to dance?" -Katie
"When I dance I like to hold a woman in my arms. Besides, I would have to wait in line for the privilege of dancing with you." -Ramon
"You are beautiful." -Katie
"Men are not beautiful." -Ramon
"You are. The way oceans and mountains are beautiful." -Katie
"Don't!" -Ramon
"You're beautiful and you're strong. But you're gentle, too. I think you are the gentlest man I've ever known—and I don't even know why I think so." -Katie
"Want me. Want me more than you want the things money can buy. Want me as much as I want you." -Ramon
"I think, that your smile could light the darkness, and when you laugh it is like music. I think your hair is like heavy silk shining in the sunlight. I think that you have the bluest eyes I have ever seen, and I like the way they sparkle when you are happy, or darken with desire when you are in my arms. And I like the way you look in those pants you are wearing. But if you do not take your hands out of your pockets, I am going to take you back to the car so that I can put my hands in them, too." -Ramon
"I am the man who wants to take you away from everything you know, and people who love you. I am the man who wants to take you to a strange country where you, not I, will have the handicap of language. I am the man who wants to take you to live in the cottage where he was born, a cottage with four rooms that are clean, but nothing more. I am the man who knows he is selfish to do these things, yet still I will try to do them." -Ramon
"Why?" -Katie
"Because I believe that I can make you happier than you have ever dreamed of being." -Ramon
"There's a cultural gap between us a million miles wide! How can you possibly think you can make it work?" -Katie
"Because I will come home to you at night and make love to you until you cry out for me to stop. I will leave you in the morning with the taste of my kiss on your lips. I will live my life for you. I will fill your days with gladness, and if God sends us heartbreak, I will hold you in my arms until your tears have passed and then I will teach you how to laugh again." -Ramon
"We'd fight." -Katie
"Fighting is only an angry way of caring." -Ramon
"Look at me. I hurt you, and now you have hurt me back, and we both ache. We can either strike out at each other in our pain until our anger is spent, or we can stop now and begin to teach each other how to heal our hurts. I do not know which way you want it." -Ramon
"Fear is lying awake at night, wondering if you will decide not to marry me, and wondering how I will bear the pain. I am afraid of losing you, and if it makes me 'unreasonable' and bad-tempered, then I humbly apologize. It is only because I am afraid." -Ramon
"In my whole life. I have never known a man with enough courage to admit he's afraid." -Katie
Ramon Galverra and Katherine Katie Connelly
3.5/5 Stars
Tender Triumph is a stand alone book by Judith McNaught.
Favorite Quotes
"Would you like to dance?" -Katie
"When I dance I like to hold a woman in my arms. Besides, I would have to wait in line for the privilege of dancing with you." -Ramon
"You are beautiful." -Katie
"Men are not beautiful." -Ramon
"You are. The way oceans and mountains are beautiful." -Katie
"Don't!" -Ramon
"You're beautiful and you're strong. But you're gentle, too. I think you are the gentlest man I've ever known—and I don't even know why I think so." -Katie
"Want me. Want me more than you want the things money can buy. Want me as much as I want you." -Ramon
"I think, that your smile could light the darkness, and when you laugh it is like music. I think your hair is like heavy silk shining in the sunlight. I think that you have the bluest eyes I have ever seen, and I like the way they sparkle when you are happy, or darken with desire when you are in my arms. And I like the way you look in those pants you are wearing. But if you do not take your hands out of your pockets, I am going to take you back to the car so that I can put my hands in them, too." -Ramon
"I am the man who wants to take you away from everything you know, and people who love you. I am the man who wants to take you to a strange country where you, not I, will have the handicap of language. I am the man who wants to take you to live in the cottage where he was born, a cottage with four rooms that are clean, but nothing more. I am the man who knows he is selfish to do these things, yet still I will try to do them." -Ramon
"Why?" -Katie
"Because I believe that I can make you happier than you have ever dreamed of being." -Ramon
"There's a cultural gap between us a million miles wide! How can you possibly think you can make it work?" -Katie
"Because I will come home to you at night and make love to you until you cry out for me to stop. I will leave you in the morning with the taste of my kiss on your lips. I will live my life for you. I will fill your days with gladness, and if God sends us heartbreak, I will hold you in my arms until your tears have passed and then I will teach you how to laugh again." -Ramon
"We'd fight." -Katie
"Fighting is only an angry way of caring." -Ramon
"Look at me. I hurt you, and now you have hurt me back, and we both ache. We can either strike out at each other in our pain until our anger is spent, or we can stop now and begin to teach each other how to heal our hurts. I do not know which way you want it." -Ramon
"Fear is lying awake at night, wondering if you will decide not to marry me, and wondering how I will bear the pain. I am afraid of losing you, and if it makes me 'unreasonable' and bad-tempered, then I humbly apologize. It is only because I am afraid." -Ramon
"In my whole life. I have never known a man with enough courage to admit he's afraid." -Katie
July 12, 2013
Ehh... my least favorite of Judith McNaught's books. She only knew Ramon for like 2 days or 2 weeks and they have a shotgun wedding. They didn't know enough about each other to get married. Ramon has gone from CEO to poor farmer and Katie was abused by her ex-husband. I felt like they need more time get to know each other before they got married. Ramon was even faster - he asked Katie to marry him and it would mean leaving everything behind - her job, her rich parents, etc. to go with him to Puerto Rico to live a farmer's life. Katie hesitated before she decided to go to Puerto Rico. She is so unsure of herself that I felt like she shouldn't have gone with Ramon to Puerto Rico know full well she might not be able to adapt to his life. And somehow miracously Ramon got back $12 million from Sidney Green who borrowed from him and never paid him back. Ramon is no longer poor and now has the money to continue building his towers. Most of this is unplausable and I have to suspend disbelief that everything seems to work out perfectly fine in the end for the two of them. It's too unreal!
April 17, 2017
1.5 stars
Almost didn't finish. There are a lot of annoying things:
1) Ramon is a macho: woman-do-as-I-say-and-be-happy-with-what-I-provide-because-of-my-love type
2) Katie trying to make Ramon jealous by dancing and flirting with other people. Ugh.
3) Insta-love to the limit.
If you can get past that, the story got better once they get to Puerto Rico. Both Katie and Ramon's insecurities emerge. Katie's doubts regarding the approaching marriage shows her intelligence and makes her more relatable. Ramon's fear that what he will not be enough for Katie gives him more depth.
So skip what you want of the first half and read the book for the second half. Then unfortunately, things wrap up too well.
Almost didn't finish. There are a lot of annoying things:
1) Ramon is a macho: woman-do-as-I-say-and-be-happy-with-what-I-provide-because-of-my-love type
2) Katie trying to make Ramon jealous by dancing and flirting with other people. Ugh.
3) Insta-love to the limit.
If you can get past that, the story got better once they get to Puerto Rico. Both Katie and Ramon's insecurities emerge. Katie's doubts regarding the approaching marriage shows her intelligence and makes her more relatable. Ramon's fear that what he will not be enough for Katie gives him more depth.
So skip what you want of the first half and read the book for the second half. Then unfortunately, things wrap up too well.
July 5, 2012
I expected to like this book a lot more, but I didn't.
I don't believe that someone can fall in love in only 48 hours and to decide to get married.
And about Ramon not allowing Katie to help him with the money, without explaining his reasons. How can she trust him when he was not completely honest but that goes for her too. And of course in the end of the book when he explained his reasons for everything I understood but it was in the last 2 pages.
I just didn't like it as much as the other book by Judith McNaught and maybe I had too big expectations.
I don't believe that someone can fall in love in only 48 hours and to decide to get married.
And about Ramon not allowing Katie to help him with the money, without explaining his reasons. How can she trust him when he was not completely honest but that goes for her too. And of course in the end of the book when he explained his reasons for everything I understood but it was in the last 2 pages.
I just didn't like it as much as the other book by Judith McNaught and maybe I had too big expectations.
January 21, 2015
All the lol's. Kinda (definitely) racist and kinda (definitely) poking fun at women's lib/feminism. It really deserves 0 stars, but I lol'ed all the way through. I probably wouldn't have read this if it hadn't been printed with Paradise and that wasn't the only of the Second Opportunities series that I hadn't yet read.
October 19, 2015
Quite true!
"Life can be so good if you let it, Katherine. But you must trade with life. You give something and you get something, then you give something of yourself again and you receive something again. Life goes bad when people try to take from it without giving. Then they came away empty-handed, and they grab harder and more often, growing more disappointed and disllusioned each time."
"Life can be so good if you let it, Katherine. But you must trade with life. You give something and you get something, then you give something of yourself again and you receive something again. Life goes bad when people try to take from it without giving. Then they came away empty-handed, and they grab harder and more often, growing more disappointed and disllusioned each time."
March 29, 2015
Ramon is such a gentleman!!! He cherishes Katie!
April 1, 2025
Este foi o livro que me acompanhou nos últimos dias de Março.
Uma vez mais gostei imenso de ler uma história escrita pela Judith Mcnaught.
Aqui tive a oportunidade de conhecer a Katie e o Ramon e de viajar desde S. Francisco até Porto Rico.
Um amor à primeira vista, duas pessoas tão diferentes uma da outra, será que esta relação vai resultar?
Romance, paixão, amizade, família, intrigas, enganos, tudo isto pode ser encontrado ao longo das páginas deste romance.
Uma história cativante escrita por uma das minhas autoras de eleição.
Muito curiosa para descobrir mais livros desta autora.
Uma vez mais gostei imenso de ler uma história escrita pela Judith Mcnaught.
Aqui tive a oportunidade de conhecer a Katie e o Ramon e de viajar desde S. Francisco até Porto Rico.
Um amor à primeira vista, duas pessoas tão diferentes uma da outra, será que esta relação vai resultar?
Romance, paixão, amizade, família, intrigas, enganos, tudo isto pode ser encontrado ao longo das páginas deste romance.
Uma história cativante escrita por uma das minhas autoras de eleição.
Muito curiosa para descobrir mais livros desta autora.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews