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Love's Duel
Read this classic romance by USA Today bestselling author Carole Mortimer, now available for the first time in e-book!
From scandal…to seduction!
Leonie is trying to rebuild her life after a scandal that rocked her world and ruined her reputation. Four years ago she was accused of blackmail and brought to trial for the crime she had not committed. But for which, powerful prosecuting attorney, Giles Noble was convinced she was guilty!
Now Giles is back in her life and determined to make Leonie pay for the injustice…in his bed! But feisty virgin Leonie won’t be fooled. If Giles wants to bed her, he’ll have to wed her!
From scandal…to seduction!
Leonie is trying to rebuild her life after a scandal that rocked her world and ruined her reputation. Four years ago she was accused of blackmail and brought to trial for the crime she had not committed. But for which, powerful prosecuting attorney, Giles Noble was convinced she was guilty!
Now Giles is back in her life and determined to make Leonie pay for the injustice…in his bed! But feisty virgin Leonie won’t be fooled. If Giles wants to bed her, he’ll have to wed her!
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2017
37 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Carole Mortimer
1,296 books907 followersI have written almost 250 romance novels in contemporary and Regency.
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 11, 2011
H/h have an emotional range of a teaspoon. Un-PC, implausible plot, twisty family entanglements, readable train wreck. Virginal widowed Heroine got used like wipes by 3 different men : step-bro (who got thrown into the slammer & turned out to be a nice guy), sleazy doc (who had an affair of the heart w/ heroine even tho' he's married w/ a teen daughter who ironically marries heroine's step-bro later on) ; tunnel-visioned hero (the prosecutor aka sleaze bag's BFF who persecuted heroine & step-bro). Not exactly stinko de mayo but coulda been bettah executed if it was penned by a more dramatic writer. The highlight of the book : heroine throws down the gauntlet & ups the ante that the only way she'll be hero's dinky receptacle is holy matrimony & he agrees to pay her up 100,000 as requested (the capital needed to start up step-bro's restaurant). Hero believes all the venomous tales fed by BFF that heroine was & is a promiscuous slut & slings mud in her face every chance he gets, regardless of her protestations that she's not bangin' her step-bro. Oh yeah Freakyville that HP is, her step-bro becomes friends of benefits w/ hero by the end & hero steps outta his comfort zone by spontaneously producing a twinge of fluid in his eye upon discovering on wedding nite that his bride's hymen is miraculously still intact. And we're told he fell in luv w/ her @ 1st sight the moment the jailbait heroine walked thru' the door. She got away from the blackmail charges by a whisker & married an invalid & we're supposed to believe hero searched for her in every nook & cranny after the trial ended, but came up nil. Sherlock Holmes he ain't.
February 10, 2017
OTT Carole Mortimer goodness. The then-18 year-old heroine was falsely prosecuted by the hero four years before for her part in a blackmail scandal. She was acquitted but her stepbrother went to prison for four years. The married doctor who testified against her was the hero’s friend and told a pack of lies in court because she refused to sleep with him (even though she had a crush on him).
Since then, the heroine married an older man with a terminal illness – their chaste marriage lasted a year. Then she got some art training and is now an illustrator for the hero’s aunt.
At the beginning of the story, the stepbrother is fresh out of prison and is shacking up with the daughter of the doctor who testified against the heroine in court.
Meanwhile, after their first surprise meeting, the hero pursues the heroine for a sexual affair under the benevolent eye of his aunt. She has no idea what a jezebel the heroine is in the hero’s eyes.
The hero thinks that at 18 the heroine was sleeping with her stepbrother and the doctor. And now that she has one marriage under her belt, she is looking for more easy marks to blackmail.
The heroine rarely finishes a sentence and when she does, it makes her look even worse.
The only smart thing the h does is make the hero propose marriage. She is just as attracted to the hero, but she thinks the marriage-or-else proposal will make him go away before she loses her resolve. The hero calls her bluff and arranges a wedding. When she asks for money so her stepbrother can marry his gf and open a restaurant, he writes the check. Yes, our hero is smitten with his little jezebel and will move heaven and earth to have her.
It’s only after he confesses his love for her (I’m leaving out a lot of the plot) does the heroine confess her love for him. They marry and we are treated to the hero’s tears as he realizes she was a virgin all along.
While the doctor should have gone to jail for perjury with his reputation in shreds, he did get kicked out of his daughter’s life. He was truly lower than low and the hero was an idiot to believe him.
If you like falsely accused heroines finally getting justice in the eyes of an unforgiving hero, you’ll like this one.
Since then, the heroine married an older man with a terminal illness – their chaste marriage lasted a year. Then she got some art training and is now an illustrator for the hero’s aunt.
At the beginning of the story, the stepbrother is fresh out of prison and is shacking up with the daughter of the doctor who testified against the heroine in court.
Meanwhile, after their first surprise meeting, the hero pursues the heroine for a sexual affair under the benevolent eye of his aunt. She has no idea what a jezebel the heroine is in the hero’s eyes.
The hero thinks that at 18 the heroine was sleeping with her stepbrother and the doctor. And now that she has one marriage under her belt, she is looking for more easy marks to blackmail.
The heroine rarely finishes a sentence and when she does, it makes her look even worse.
The only smart thing the h does is make the hero propose marriage. She is just as attracted to the hero, but she thinks the marriage-or-else proposal will make him go away before she loses her resolve. The hero calls her bluff and arranges a wedding. When she asks for money so her stepbrother can marry his gf and open a restaurant, he writes the check. Yes, our hero is smitten with his little jezebel and will move heaven and earth to have her.
It’s only after he confesses his love for her (I’m leaving out a lot of the plot) does the heroine confess her love for him. They marry and we are treated to the hero’s tears as he realizes she was a virgin all along.
While the doctor should have gone to jail for perjury with his reputation in shreds, he did get kicked out of his daughter’s life. He was truly lower than low and the hero was an idiot to believe him.
If you like falsely accused heroines finally getting justice in the eyes of an unforgiving hero, you’ll like this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2025
"Men blindly believe other men only, 80's edition"
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October 18, 2022
"Love's Duel" is the story of Leonie and Giles.
GAWD this was one crazy roller coaster ride! And I effing LOVED it!!
Meet our h Leonie, who works as an illustrator for the kind lady Emily Dryer. When Emily's nephew Giles is expected to visit her for the weekend, Leonie never expects Giles is the same J.G.Noble, who destroyed her life!
Four years ago, she was coerced into an affair by the married manipulator Jeremy, something that was misused by her step-brother Phil- landing him in jail and which ended when Leonie was humiliated infront of hundreds by the notorious lawyer Noble. After which, she ran to lick her wounds by marrying the invalid Tom, who later passed away. Now when she is finally finding happiness, Giles re-enters her life, expecting her to sleep with him!
There is lots of angst and passion between Giles and Leonie. He believes she slept with not just his married best friend, but also is conniving and also in a sexual relationship with her stepbrother. He also doubts her relationship with her dead husband. Does that, however, stop him from propositioning her? Nope.
Leonie hates Giles, but she soon discovers the other side of the coin. She makes Giles work for her love, and in the end it is he who does the chasing. She is kind and forgiving- and goes lengths for people she loves. If she didn't agree to see Jeremy in the second half and behave like a sissy, this would have been even rated higher.
I really liked the epilogue when the hero sheds a tear on discovering his wife's truth- and you realize his insane obsession with her.
Will take you on a crazy ride, but so worth your time.
SWE
4/5
GAWD this was one crazy roller coaster ride! And I effing LOVED it!!
Meet our h Leonie, who works as an illustrator for the kind lady Emily Dryer. When Emily's nephew Giles is expected to visit her for the weekend, Leonie never expects Giles is the same J.G.Noble, who destroyed her life!
Four years ago, she was coerced into an affair by the married manipulator Jeremy, something that was misused by her step-brother Phil- landing him in jail and which ended when Leonie was humiliated infront of hundreds by the notorious lawyer Noble. After which, she ran to lick her wounds by marrying the invalid Tom, who later passed away. Now when she is finally finding happiness, Giles re-enters her life, expecting her to sleep with him!
There is lots of angst and passion between Giles and Leonie. He believes she slept with not just his married best friend, but also is conniving and also in a sexual relationship with her stepbrother. He also doubts her relationship with her dead husband. Does that, however, stop him from propositioning her? Nope.
Leonie hates Giles, but she soon discovers the other side of the coin. She makes Giles work for her love, and in the end it is he who does the chasing. She is kind and forgiving- and goes lengths for people she loves. If she didn't agree to see Jeremy in the second half and behave like a sissy, this would have been even rated higher.
I really liked the epilogue when the hero sheds a tear on discovering his wife's truth- and you realize his insane obsession with her.
Will take you on a crazy ride, but so worth your time.
SWE
4/5
August 9, 2015
These two drove me crazy. They were toxic, but that isn't the reason for the two stars. After all, I read HPs for that very reason.
I just couldn't buy into the ending and "his love" for her. It just wasn't realistic. Oh well….another day, another HP.
I just couldn't buy into the ending and "his love" for her. It just wasn't realistic. Oh well….another day, another HP.
May 8, 2020
I understand perfectly the title to this book.This book is about a duel,a coldblooded battle between two lovers who hate each other against all odds..and fall in love in the middle of it...and they fight through the torment to hide their love for each other.
OH GOD,the passionate love-war between the cynical and sexy lawyer Giles Noble and the humble and stubborn illustrator Leonie Carter.
How i enjoyed their scenes together!There are 90% angst in this one,and i LOVE how they fought all the time...and the hot passionate encounters between them were SO YUMMY!
Their love...oh how obvious it was to me,and the end nearly broke me.Giles let go of his pride and nearly gave his heart to her!!!He is a wonderful hero and a brave one too,when he thought that she loved another man...and the epiluge,after their first night when he cries!!!!I cried for him too!He knows of her virginity and hates himself for everything he accused and did to her!
He is a cold-blooded and arrogant man from the start,but we see him soon for what he are,a madly possessive man,desperately in love with the heroine.He couldn`t stand another man near her!
I loved the heroine for her pride and stubborness,she gave back and always fought back.This is a really enjoyable 5-star,"Love´s Duel" has come to be one of my favourite angsty-reads!!!
OH GOD,the passionate love-war between the cynical and sexy lawyer Giles Noble and the humble and stubborn illustrator Leonie Carter.
How i enjoyed their scenes together!There are 90% angst in this one,and i LOVE how they fought all the time...and the hot passionate encounters between them were SO YUMMY!
Their love...oh how obvious it was to me,and the end nearly broke me.Giles let go of his pride and nearly gave his heart to her!!!He is a wonderful hero and a brave one too,when he thought that she loved another man...and the epiluge,after their first night when he cries!!!!I cried for him too!He knows of her virginity and hates himself for everything he accused and did to her!
He is a cold-blooded and arrogant man from the start,but we see him soon for what he are,a madly possessive man,desperately in love with the heroine.He couldn`t stand another man near her!
I loved the heroine for her pride and stubborness,she gave back and always fought back.This is a really enjoyable 5-star,"Love´s Duel" has come to be one of my favourite angsty-reads!!!
February 24, 2012
4 ½ Stars! ~ Leonie Carter is only 22 but she’s survived public scandal and the death of her husband. Now working as an illustrator of children’s books, she’s living a quiet life and sharing the cottage of the book’s author. Emily’s in her sixties and much prefers to have the illustrator of her books reside with her while she’s writing. This suits Leonie perfectly, until she meets Emily’s nephew. Giles Noble is the prosecutor who tried to have her convicted of larceny. He brutalized and ruined her reputation on the witness stand, and though he succeeded in convicting her brother, the jury had felt that Leonie was innocent. Seeing the con artist living in his Aunt’s home is enough to make Giles see red. And just as it was four years ago, he can’t deny that he still desires her. It was his strong attraction to Leonie that had made him attack her so forcefully, with such bitterness, after all she and her brother had set his best friend up for blackmail. He believes Leonie uses men to get what she wants, and when he proposes that she become his mistress she insists that if he wants to bed her he must wed her first.
Ah, talk about chemistry! This book was published 26 years ago, and though some of the behaviour on Giles’ part would not be acceptable in a Presents today, the story itself holds up quite nicely. And although we aren’t given Giles POV (as was the norm in 1982) we do get to see how very much Leonie affects him. They can’t seem to be in the same room with each other without sparks flying, be it bitter confrontations or sizzling sexual tension. Leonie is at first terrified of Giles, but later she realizes she just doesn’t give a damn what he thinks and she gives back just as good as she gets. Though Leonie could quite easily prove her innocence, she wants Giles to believe in her for herself and not on evidence. The ending is extremely well done, and the scenes where Giles realizes his mistakes are quite poignant. Bravo to Ms. Mortimer. This one’s a keeper!
Ah, talk about chemistry! This book was published 26 years ago, and though some of the behaviour on Giles’ part would not be acceptable in a Presents today, the story itself holds up quite nicely. And although we aren’t given Giles POV (as was the norm in 1982) we do get to see how very much Leonie affects him. They can’t seem to be in the same room with each other without sparks flying, be it bitter confrontations or sizzling sexual tension. Leonie is at first terrified of Giles, but later she realizes she just doesn’t give a damn what he thinks and she gives back just as good as she gets. Though Leonie could quite easily prove her innocence, she wants Giles to believe in her for herself and not on evidence. The ending is extremely well done, and the scenes where Giles realizes his mistakes are quite poignant. Bravo to Ms. Mortimer. This one’s a keeper!
February 26, 2012
ANGST 5 STARS, ROMANCE 1 STAR, LAUGHS FOR OTT 4
Leonie had gone against the barrister J.G. Noble four years ago in a blackmail case. He was convinced that she was a lying, scheming manipulative 18 year old hoping to gain money from blackmailing one of his good friends. Of course she was released and her step brother, Phil, the true culprit was jailed for four years. Leonie has since moved on w/ her life, but she carries around a lot of hate and dislike for that barrister. He ruined her life and embarrassed her when she had simply been taken in by a shark! Leonie never dreamed that she would come in contact w/ the sleazy attorney ever again. . . but she does!
John Giles Noble was convinced that his friend told the unvarnished truth about Leonie all those years ago and he truly believed that justice had not been carried out then. He felt she should have got life! Now he finds her staying w/ his elderly aunt as the illustrator for her books. Giles wants Leonie and he sits out to get her at any cost. He knows all about her and her crazy bedroom antics all via his good friend. He means to have her at any cost.
Loved the set-up, loved the by play, I even enjoyed the first kiss – to me it showed her loathing of Giles in that instant. Of course it was later played out differently as she remembers it. (she asked if he believed what OM told him about her and he says he didn’t think he ever did. Oh but since she responded to his kisses . . . then –sorry the first time wasn’t a response.) She constantly fought him and then she finally set her price to what she thought he wouldn’t meet . . . marriage!
He is mean to her, insults her, calls her names, never believes her, he actually threatened to break her wrist (“I can break this as easily as you broke that china figurine.”), twists her arm behind her back, tells her he will hit her and actually does later! She even feels that he would hit her – nice so she knew deep down that he is an abusive man.
Giles isn’t a very good attorney he believed his friend over her even when he is around her for a while he still believed the sleaze – oh well sleaze must stick w/ slime! Giles also claims that he can admit when he is wrong – he just isn’t wrong about her.
The way she loved this guy or realizes she loves him – OTT; the way the OM blackmails her. Seriously what happened to all of her hate? Oh yeah she suddenly love this sadist or is it masochist/wasn’t buying the OM’s blackmail but of course she gives in because she loves the beater! This guy truly loves her as well! Is there anyone who doesn’t? I half expected her step brother to do some duplicitous activities against her as well.
Leonie does exactly what he tells her to do, but then he changes his mind. She actually grew a neuron or two when she did, but then I think they rolled out of her head shortly after. I couldn’t believe how quickly Phil tossed her under the bus either. Oh I guess he suddenly couldn’t trust her just like Giles couldn’t so . . . heave ho! Giles had loved her all along – I couldn’t tell maybe you can. He says that everyone is entitled to one mistake – but NOT her. Those that he loves don’t get to make any mistakes!
Way OTT soap opera! Angst galore but I not sure I believe in romance. The ending was a big clincher too! Poor baby! NO WAY!! This abuser never showed that type of emotion before and I’m guessing he still didn’t trust her until he discovered that little thing!!
Leonie had gone against the barrister J.G. Noble four years ago in a blackmail case. He was convinced that she was a lying, scheming manipulative 18 year old hoping to gain money from blackmailing one of his good friends. Of course she was released and her step brother, Phil, the true culprit was jailed for four years. Leonie has since moved on w/ her life, but she carries around a lot of hate and dislike for that barrister. He ruined her life and embarrassed her when she had simply been taken in by a shark! Leonie never dreamed that she would come in contact w/ the sleazy attorney ever again. . . but she does!
John Giles Noble was convinced that his friend told the unvarnished truth about Leonie all those years ago and he truly believed that justice had not been carried out then. He felt she should have got life! Now he finds her staying w/ his elderly aunt as the illustrator for her books. Giles wants Leonie and he sits out to get her at any cost. He knows all about her and her crazy bedroom antics all via his good friend. He means to have her at any cost.
Loved the set-up, loved the by play, I even enjoyed the first kiss – to me it showed her loathing of Giles in that instant. Of course it was later played out differently as she remembers it. (she asked if he believed what OM told him about her and he says he didn’t think he ever did. Oh but since she responded to his kisses . . . then –sorry the first time wasn’t a response.) She constantly fought him and then she finally set her price to what she thought he wouldn’t meet . . . marriage!
He is mean to her, insults her, calls her names, never believes her, he actually threatened to break her wrist (“I can break this as easily as you broke that china figurine.”), twists her arm behind her back, tells her he will hit her and actually does later! She even feels that he would hit her – nice so she knew deep down that he is an abusive man.
Giles isn’t a very good attorney he believed his friend over her even when he is around her for a while he still believed the sleaze – oh well sleaze must stick w/ slime! Giles also claims that he can admit when he is wrong – he just isn’t wrong about her.
The way she loved this guy or realizes she loves him – OTT; the way the OM blackmails her. Seriously what happened to all of her hate? Oh yeah she suddenly love this sadist or is it masochist/wasn’t buying the OM’s blackmail but of course she gives in because she loves the beater! This guy truly loves her as well! Is there anyone who doesn’t? I half expected her step brother to do some duplicitous activities against her as well.
Leonie does exactly what he tells her to do, but then he changes his mind. She actually grew a neuron or two when she did, but then I think they rolled out of her head shortly after. I couldn’t believe how quickly Phil tossed her under the bus either. Oh I guess he suddenly couldn’t trust her just like Giles couldn’t so . . . heave ho! Giles had loved her all along – I couldn’t tell maybe you can. He says that everyone is entitled to one mistake – but NOT her. Those that he loves don’t get to make any mistakes!
Way OTT soap opera! Angst galore but I not sure I believe in romance. The ending was a big clincher too! Poor baby! NO WAY!! This abuser never showed that type of emotion before and I’m guessing he still didn’t trust her until he discovered that little thing!!
October 9, 2021
Loved this one!
It is remarkably similar to A Lady with a Past by Lillian Cheatham. At least for the 1st half, then the plot departs a bit. The Cheatham version has more steam and drama but this was still an entertaining Saturday morning read.
If you like a badly behaved and obsessed H (1st published in 1982 😏) and an innocent h, with loads of OW and OM drama, you’ll enjoy this one.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILER⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama
- OM drama
- dubcon
- h is a surprise virgin
- H is a manwhore
It is remarkably similar to A Lady with a Past by Lillian Cheatham. At least for the 1st half, then the plot departs a bit. The Cheatham version has more steam and drama but this was still an entertaining Saturday morning read.
If you like a badly behaved and obsessed H (1st published in 1982 😏) and an innocent h, with loads of OW and OM drama, you’ll enjoy this one.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILER⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama
- OM drama
- dubcon
- h is a surprise virgin
- H is a manwhore
July 7, 2021
3.5 stars
May 7, 2013
This is a classic old-school story of a hero who thinks the heroine is a lying whore based on a misunderstanding, while of course in reality the heroine is as pure as the driven snow despite even having been married once before. Very fun to watch the hero going crazy for her despite his beliefs, and to watch him discover the truth. Very good read if you're in the mood for an old-school, irrationally angry hero.
June 29, 2025
Amending my rating from 3 star to 2 star
Omg this was cluster fuck and the most unlikeable h and H i have ever read.
The H was rude, obnoxious, callous and treated the h badly but still i didn't feel as much as anger on him as the h
She was something else, a brainless person , a tstl who wants a relationship with a brother who tried to blackmail the OM for money, because of the brother she got humiliated but she never attested any blame on him, i mean it's ridiculous.
And the merry chase she lets the H, i mean what the eff, the constant lying, trying to act smarter and then getting money for her brother's venture, meeting the evil OM, lying about it but always acting as if she is holier, also she feel in love with the H(How i don't know!)
This was a mess and not my read
Omg this was cluster fuck and the most unlikeable h and H i have ever read.
The H was rude, obnoxious, callous and treated the h badly but still i didn't feel as much as anger on him as the h
She was something else, a brainless person , a tstl who wants a relationship with a brother who tried to blackmail the OM for money, because of the brother she got humiliated but she never attested any blame on him, i mean it's ridiculous.
And the merry chase she lets the H, i mean what the eff, the constant lying, trying to act smarter and then getting money for her brother's venture, meeting the evil OM, lying about it but always acting as if she is holier, also she feel in love with the H(How i don't know!)
This was a mess and not my read
January 11, 2022
Wow, this h is supposed to be sweet and innocent, but she is really wicked. She lies to the H to get 100.000 pounds from him. She lies to the H again and again. She kept hiding things from him.
He was cruel, but at least he was honest. She was cruel and dishonest.
He is passionate and he doesn’t hide his feelings for her. I love a besotted H, so 4 stars.
He was cruel, but at least he was honest. She was cruel and dishonest.
He is passionate and he doesn’t hide his feelings for her. I love a besotted H, so 4 stars.
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December 12, 2024When a man is a terrible person who self-sabotages constantly because he's hampered by his insane misogyny...and a woman inexplicably falls in love with him anyway...that's romance baby!
Many deeply questionable things about this story, but I had fun.
Many deeply questionable things about this story, but I had fun.
September 4, 2020
Curious story, she holds her own, but my god, this guy needs a muzzle—shut up, listen and stop slut shaming the virgin.
June 4, 2022
just the right dose of toxicity I needed! this was so bad it was good and that’s exactly why i read these.
April 29, 2013
I read another book, by Penny Jordan
, that seems eons more believable. That was a hard phrase to say where these two authors are concerned.
, that seems eons more believable. That was a hard phrase to say where these two authors are concerned.
November 28, 2012
Read this one years ago and I still remember it. I didn't like it then and I don't really like it now. If anything I think the heroine was an idiot and the hero wasn't far behind.
August 30, 2021
Wow! Once this one started, it wouldn’t quit. The hero and heroine generated some intense heat(unfortunately their coming together wasn’t until the end and off page!) If you are in the mood for an ott hero who knows how to grovel for a few pages and look haggard in the end, then you will not be disappointed by this story.
Here is my short checklist overview, then following will be spoilers. I think reading this without spoilers may be more fun!
Obsessed hero✅
Wrongly accused heroine✅
May-December(17 years!!!)✅
Step sibling that caused issues, but actually isn’t bad✅
Minimal OW but heroine manages to put her nose out of joint✅
Bad guy om who reappears in all his badness ✅
Secondary romance✅
Heroine with a spine✅
Elderly Aunt(62🤦♀️) who supports the romance✅
Absentee mommy who shows up in the end like a boss✅
Lots of shaking, white lines, and tremblings ✅
Cute as can be gf for the stepbrother✅
Heroine is a virgin although previously married🤔✅
Frustrating lead ups to sex only to be doused(how the hell did the H drive a car, feel up the h, and not wake up the aunt in the backseat???)✅
Some humorous dialogue/situations✅
An intense hero who gets teary eyed when he realizes how wrong he was and yet the h still loves him✅
🛑🛑🛑SPOILERS ARE COMING…….🛑🛑🛑 ……..SPOILERS START NOW!!!!!
Our heroine Leonie got mixed up with a married ne’er do well om Jeremy. She thought she was in love. Her stepbrother, looking to make a quick buck and expose the married doctor tried to blackmail him. That didn’t work out so well, as the Dr and his wife are in an open marriage so affairs are the soup du jour! Unfortunately, the h also gets accused of being part of the scam, and everything goes to trial. This is where our hero John “Giles” the barrister comes into play. He defends his good pal Jeremy and prosecutes the h. Jeremy tells the H all about the 18 year old h’s bedroom antics(there weren’t any) and also believes she is not only in cahoots with the Stepbrother, but shares his bed as well. Giles goes after the h with a vengeance, but alas she is found innocent and the stepbrother goes to prison for 4 years.
In the 4 years that the brother is in prison his guilt prevents him from wanting to talk to the h. The h having no other family meets Tom, a father like figure and marries him. He was kind to her and she was able to be a good companion. Due to his health issues they were never able to consummate the marriage before he died.
Present day: The h is working for an elderly (62 is not elderly to this 52 year old 😬) woman who is a children’s author. The h does the illustrations and lives with Emily. Emily is excited that her nephew, the prestigious barrister, is coming to visit.(Yep you guessed right!) Giles doesn’t sound like Emily’s cup of tea, not to mention he is a lawyer 🤢. Plus, her brother has been released and she is going to visit him despite his protestations. So she leaves for London while the H makes his way to the aunts house.
When the h visits the brother, he is entertaining a lady friend. They go to a local cafe and hash out the past events, with the h insisting that he is her brother and that despite what happened years ago, she loves him and forgives him. Then she heads back to her home the next day only to find that the nephew Gile’s car is still there. Emily tells her to go get acquainted with the nephew while she makes some tea.
There is instant recognition which no one seems happy about. Before they get much farther the aunt enters the room. The H and h pretend that this is their first meeting, however, our H likes to make some passive aggressive remarks that only the h will understand. When the aunt leaves the room again, he wastes no time in getting more information from the h while insulting her. Then they all retire for the night and he goes to her bedroom. He makes the moves on her and tells her he knows that 4 years ago they had an attraction. He offers the job of mistress and she is like you make me sick. Then he kisses her and she goes into shock. He thinks it is because she must be disgusted, but actually she is shocked that the kiss felt so good! The next morning she takes off on a walk and tells her to get in the car. He is pretty sure that she is sleeping with the step brother and that they are planning their next victim(him) that is why he was hitting on her last night. He figures they would want revenge, she tells him she thought of it once upon a time. A couple of weeks go by and she has not seen the hero. The aunt takes a nasty fall, and she tries to get a hold of him but he is “out”. The message gets to him though and he shows up with a beautiful vermicious knid in tow. The H decides to stay the night and the h asks if he will be sharing the room with the knid. He tells her not in his aunt’s house although it’s obvious the knid and the H are pillow buddies. While the ow is languishing downstair, the h brings the H to the aunt. Shortly, after he is pawing at the h again accusing her of bewitching him. The h is torn up with the “feels” at this point. Thank goodness the ow got anxious and started calling out for Giles. But instead of rushing to the ow, Giles tells Leonie that he wants to sleep with her that night, the h is like no.
.
Brave words,’ he snorted. ‘But I’ll break you. You’ll become mine, Leonie, and on my terms, if only so that I can have the satisfaction of getting you out of my system.’
Mentally you broke me four years ago/ she said dully.
And now I intend breaking you physically. And that’s a promise.’
The next morning the ow comes to the h looking for some clothing(she picks a dress the h has yet to wear). She is also there to issue a warning. However, the h is like whatever, I don’t want him, so please please go away with your bad self. Later, after the H gets the ow in the car he runs back to the house to tell the h he will be back next weekend to continue their lively “discussions” then grabs and kisses her….again.
The next weekend it doesn’t take long and they are making out on the couch. But our opens his mouth and ruins it. The h determined not to be used by a man again, boldly tells him he will need to marry her if he wants her that bad. She figures this will douse any lingering desire. The h plays this part to the hilt. I’m pretty sure the H was panting when she left him to go to bed where she locked the door. Our H rattled the handle, but the h knew she was safe. Emily heads to London the next morning under the pretense that her brother had tickets to a show.
We finally meet the brother’s girlfriend, Wanda. Wanda is a fun addition to the book. She is slightly younger than the h and head over heals in love with the brother. She has perused the brother even during his prison term, but here is the real shocker…. The h lets Wanda and the brother know all about the thing going on with Giles. They are shocked she asked him to marry her. Wanda and the brother have some cute interplay here and that is when she lets Leonie in on her secret.
Here’s the point where I realize I need to wrap this up…..The book isn’t even 1/2 way done. Basically the story continues with the H pursuing the h. The om from 4 years ago rears his ugly head at the dinner party, but acts as though he doesn’t remember the h. The H thinking the h is going to marry the step brother, because he was eaves dropping on a phone call, makes the bold move at his dinner party and tells everyone that the h is going to marry him. She can’t believe her ears and tells him he needs to sweeten the deal with 100,000(again she figures he will drop out) but he agrees then tells her she is not to see her brother again. As the party wraps up, the om tells the h he knows who she is and she better meet him for lunch so they can talk. She doesn’t tell the H, because she knows he will not want to marry her if the om has remembered her. At this point she finds out that he has been with Sonja the ow for a whole year, and he remembers all of his conquests. That’s why he is surprised the om doesn’t remember her.
So she meets the om while an attractive older lady seems to be listening in to their conversation. The om lets the h know that he was actually going to divorce his wife for her. He also won’t allow herself to marry the H because he is a sore loser and expects to still have her.
She loves the H and is even willing to forgo seeing her brother. He goes with her to her brother’s and writes out a check…he also notices Wanda and he knows who she is.
The H starts telling the h all the reasons he likes her and then tells her they will be dining at the OM’s house next week. She is adamantly opposed to this. Then the aunt comes in to tell the H that she has invited Dawn to stay. The H becomes very upset and is downright vicious on the topic of Dawn. The h realizes that this much emotion for the woman who betrayed him must mean he still loves her. So our h decides to pull the plug on the engagement by playing the femme fatale he believed her to be. She leads him to believe that all the false things from the trial are true. He slaps her, calls her a bitch, and tells her to leave. She keeps at him until there is no way in hell he would want her. She just can’t live with the man she loves when he so obviously loves another. She goes to hotel instead of her brother’s for the night.
Our H, despite the h’s convincing kiss off speech, is not willing to let her go. So he looks for her.
He goes to the brother’s apartment and the om’s apartment. The h finds this out when she finally makes an appearance at her brother’s place. Wanda informs her that the om was sporting a very noticeable black eye. The h keeps a low profile until her brother’s wedding to Wanda on Wednesday. The om shows up intent on stopping the wedding, and the H shows up as well. It seems the H and the brother have buried the hatchet while he was out looking for the h. He disposes of the om…again. It’s a lovely little justice of the peace wedding and the H takes the h back to his place. She finds out that he is having Dawn stay with him and is just about to lose it again, only to find out that Dawn is his errant mother. The mother adds a little fun to the end of the story and the declaring of love for each other. Our H’s declaration of love was ott wonderful. Some other heroes really need to take notes. When he tells her he has loved her since the courtroom, she gets angry. She goes to leave again, because he is obviously lying. He was so vicious back then, so he must be playing games with her.
..
No, you can’t go, Leonie!’ He spun her round, deep grooves of tension beside his nose and mouth. ‘I won’t let you,’ he choked, pulling her close against him. ‘Don’t leave me, Leonie. For God’s sake don’t go.’ He trembled against her, his face buried in her throat.
Now for most h’s that would be it, but she wants every little detail about how he fell in love with her. He gives it to her with even more emotional devotional text. She makes him go a few pages before she lets him off the hook with her own ILY. (I guess he came looking for her after the trial, once he thought she might have cooled down, but because she married he couldn’t locate her). However, before she gets to the ILY he believes that she is going to go to the om. He tells her he hopes she will be happy. She is like, Do you mean that. He is like, hell no, that guy isn’t getting you. So after pages and pages of his ILY she gives him a paragraph or 2.
The end has them married. They are in Paris after what is obviously their wedding night. The H is standing by the window. The h gets worried and goes to him to find that he has tears in his eyes. He is overwhelmed and “confused” that she was still a virgin. She tells him about her husband. He tells her he doesn’t deserve her, and they go back to bed.
I really like the simplicity of how CM handled their wedding night. All through the book I wanted to see the heat they would generate between the sheets, but in the end the H being so emotional by the experience we didn’t get to read about was somehow more powerful.
The only thing that put me off in the book was the fact that the ow was so recently in his life. I know she was just a pillow friend, and I didn’t expect him to be mooning over the h for 4 years, I just guess I wished he hadn’t been so recently involved.
I really liked the addition of Wanda. I would still read a story with her and the brother, because that girl wasn’t taking no for an answer. Most of the love story would take place while he was in prison, so it is doubtful that it would be an HP approved book. She was just the right amount of sass. The mother of the H was a little comical too. I can so hear the H with his exasperation, “MOTHER”. She may have been an absentee mom, but I have a feeling she is going to be one of those bad influence grandmothers where you have to retrain the kids after a weekend at grandmas.
Here is my short checklist overview, then following will be spoilers. I think reading this without spoilers may be more fun!
Obsessed hero✅
Wrongly accused heroine✅
May-December(17 years!!!)✅
Step sibling that caused issues, but actually isn’t bad✅
Minimal OW but heroine manages to put her nose out of joint✅
Bad guy om who reappears in all his badness ✅
Secondary romance✅
Heroine with a spine✅
Elderly Aunt(62🤦♀️) who supports the romance✅
Absentee mommy who shows up in the end like a boss✅
Lots of shaking, white lines, and tremblings ✅
Cute as can be gf for the stepbrother✅
Heroine is a virgin although previously married🤔✅
Frustrating lead ups to sex only to be doused(how the hell did the H drive a car, feel up the h, and not wake up the aunt in the backseat???)✅
Some humorous dialogue/situations✅
An intense hero who gets teary eyed when he realizes how wrong he was and yet the h still loves him✅
🛑🛑🛑SPOILERS ARE COMING…….🛑🛑🛑 ……..SPOILERS START NOW!!!!!
Our heroine Leonie got mixed up with a married ne’er do well om Jeremy. She thought she was in love. Her stepbrother, looking to make a quick buck and expose the married doctor tried to blackmail him. That didn’t work out so well, as the Dr and his wife are in an open marriage so affairs are the soup du jour! Unfortunately, the h also gets accused of being part of the scam, and everything goes to trial. This is where our hero John “Giles” the barrister comes into play. He defends his good pal Jeremy and prosecutes the h. Jeremy tells the H all about the 18 year old h’s bedroom antics(there weren’t any) and also believes she is not only in cahoots with the Stepbrother, but shares his bed as well. Giles goes after the h with a vengeance, but alas she is found innocent and the stepbrother goes to prison for 4 years.
In the 4 years that the brother is in prison his guilt prevents him from wanting to talk to the h. The h having no other family meets Tom, a father like figure and marries him. He was kind to her and she was able to be a good companion. Due to his health issues they were never able to consummate the marriage before he died.
Present day: The h is working for an elderly (62 is not elderly to this 52 year old 😬) woman who is a children’s author. The h does the illustrations and lives with Emily. Emily is excited that her nephew, the prestigious barrister, is coming to visit.(Yep you guessed right!) Giles doesn’t sound like Emily’s cup of tea, not to mention he is a lawyer 🤢. Plus, her brother has been released and she is going to visit him despite his protestations. So she leaves for London while the H makes his way to the aunts house.
When the h visits the brother, he is entertaining a lady friend. They go to a local cafe and hash out the past events, with the h insisting that he is her brother and that despite what happened years ago, she loves him and forgives him. Then she heads back to her home the next day only to find that the nephew Gile’s car is still there. Emily tells her to go get acquainted with the nephew while she makes some tea.
There is instant recognition which no one seems happy about. Before they get much farther the aunt enters the room. The H and h pretend that this is their first meeting, however, our H likes to make some passive aggressive remarks that only the h will understand. When the aunt leaves the room again, he wastes no time in getting more information from the h while insulting her. Then they all retire for the night and he goes to her bedroom. He makes the moves on her and tells her he knows that 4 years ago they had an attraction. He offers the job of mistress and she is like you make me sick. Then he kisses her and she goes into shock. He thinks it is because she must be disgusted, but actually she is shocked that the kiss felt so good! The next morning she takes off on a walk and tells her to get in the car. He is pretty sure that she is sleeping with the step brother and that they are planning their next victim(him) that is why he was hitting on her last night. He figures they would want revenge, she tells him she thought of it once upon a time. A couple of weeks go by and she has not seen the hero. The aunt takes a nasty fall, and she tries to get a hold of him but he is “out”. The message gets to him though and he shows up with a beautiful vermicious knid in tow. The H decides to stay the night and the h asks if he will be sharing the room with the knid. He tells her not in his aunt’s house although it’s obvious the knid and the H are pillow buddies. While the ow is languishing downstair, the h brings the H to the aunt. Shortly, after he is pawing at the h again accusing her of bewitching him. The h is torn up with the “feels” at this point. Thank goodness the ow got anxious and started calling out for Giles. But instead of rushing to the ow, Giles tells Leonie that he wants to sleep with her that night, the h is like no.
.
Brave words,’ he snorted. ‘But I’ll break you. You’ll become mine, Leonie, and on my terms, if only so that I can have the satisfaction of getting you out of my system.’
Mentally you broke me four years ago/ she said dully.
And now I intend breaking you physically. And that’s a promise.’
The next morning the ow comes to the h looking for some clothing(she picks a dress the h has yet to wear). She is also there to issue a warning. However, the h is like whatever, I don’t want him, so please please go away with your bad self. Later, after the H gets the ow in the car he runs back to the house to tell the h he will be back next weekend to continue their lively “discussions” then grabs and kisses her….again.
The next weekend it doesn’t take long and they are making out on the couch. But our opens his mouth and ruins it. The h determined not to be used by a man again, boldly tells him he will need to marry her if he wants her that bad. She figures this will douse any lingering desire. The h plays this part to the hilt. I’m pretty sure the H was panting when she left him to go to bed where she locked the door. Our H rattled the handle, but the h knew she was safe. Emily heads to London the next morning under the pretense that her brother had tickets to a show.
We finally meet the brother’s girlfriend, Wanda. Wanda is a fun addition to the book. She is slightly younger than the h and head over heals in love with the brother. She has perused the brother even during his prison term, but here is the real shocker…. The h lets Wanda and the brother know all about the thing going on with Giles. They are shocked she asked him to marry her. Wanda and the brother have some cute interplay here and that is when she lets Leonie in on her secret.
Here’s the point where I realize I need to wrap this up…..The book isn’t even 1/2 way done. Basically the story continues with the H pursuing the h. The om from 4 years ago rears his ugly head at the dinner party, but acts as though he doesn’t remember the h. The H thinking the h is going to marry the step brother, because he was eaves dropping on a phone call, makes the bold move at his dinner party and tells everyone that the h is going to marry him. She can’t believe her ears and tells him he needs to sweeten the deal with 100,000(again she figures he will drop out) but he agrees then tells her she is not to see her brother again. As the party wraps up, the om tells the h he knows who she is and she better meet him for lunch so they can talk. She doesn’t tell the H, because she knows he will not want to marry her if the om has remembered her. At this point she finds out that he has been with Sonja the ow for a whole year, and he remembers all of his conquests. That’s why he is surprised the om doesn’t remember her.
So she meets the om while an attractive older lady seems to be listening in to their conversation. The om lets the h know that he was actually going to divorce his wife for her. He also won’t allow herself to marry the H because he is a sore loser and expects to still have her.
She loves the H and is even willing to forgo seeing her brother. He goes with her to her brother’s and writes out a check…he also notices Wanda and he knows who she is.
The H starts telling the h all the reasons he likes her and then tells her they will be dining at the OM’s house next week. She is adamantly opposed to this. Then the aunt comes in to tell the H that she has invited Dawn to stay. The H becomes very upset and is downright vicious on the topic of Dawn. The h realizes that this much emotion for the woman who betrayed him must mean he still loves her. So our h decides to pull the plug on the engagement by playing the femme fatale he believed her to be. She leads him to believe that all the false things from the trial are true. He slaps her, calls her a bitch, and tells her to leave. She keeps at him until there is no way in hell he would want her. She just can’t live with the man she loves when he so obviously loves another. She goes to hotel instead of her brother’s for the night.
Our H, despite the h’s convincing kiss off speech, is not willing to let her go. So he looks for her.
He goes to the brother’s apartment and the om’s apartment. The h finds this out when she finally makes an appearance at her brother’s place. Wanda informs her that the om was sporting a very noticeable black eye. The h keeps a low profile until her brother’s wedding to Wanda on Wednesday. The om shows up intent on stopping the wedding, and the H shows up as well. It seems the H and the brother have buried the hatchet while he was out looking for the h. He disposes of the om…again. It’s a lovely little justice of the peace wedding and the H takes the h back to his place. She finds out that he is having Dawn stay with him and is just about to lose it again, only to find out that Dawn is his errant mother. The mother adds a little fun to the end of the story and the declaring of love for each other. Our H’s declaration of love was ott wonderful. Some other heroes really need to take notes. When he tells her he has loved her since the courtroom, she gets angry. She goes to leave again, because he is obviously lying. He was so vicious back then, so he must be playing games with her.
..
No, you can’t go, Leonie!’ He spun her round, deep grooves of tension beside his nose and mouth. ‘I won’t let you,’ he choked, pulling her close against him. ‘Don’t leave me, Leonie. For God’s sake don’t go.’ He trembled against her, his face buried in her throat.
Now for most h’s that would be it, but she wants every little detail about how he fell in love with her. He gives it to her with even more emotional devotional text. She makes him go a few pages before she lets him off the hook with her own ILY. (I guess he came looking for her after the trial, once he thought she might have cooled down, but because she married he couldn’t locate her). However, before she gets to the ILY he believes that she is going to go to the om. He tells her he hopes she will be happy. She is like, Do you mean that. He is like, hell no, that guy isn’t getting you. So after pages and pages of his ILY she gives him a paragraph or 2.
The end has them married. They are in Paris after what is obviously their wedding night. The H is standing by the window. The h gets worried and goes to him to find that he has tears in his eyes. He is overwhelmed and “confused” that she was still a virgin. She tells him about her husband. He tells her he doesn’t deserve her, and they go back to bed.
I really like the simplicity of how CM handled their wedding night. All through the book I wanted to see the heat they would generate between the sheets, but in the end the H being so emotional by the experience we didn’t get to read about was somehow more powerful.
The only thing that put me off in the book was the fact that the ow was so recently in his life. I know she was just a pillow friend, and I didn’t expect him to be mooning over the h for 4 years, I just guess I wished he hadn’t been so recently involved.
I really liked the addition of Wanda. I would still read a story with her and the brother, because that girl wasn’t taking no for an answer. Most of the love story would take place while he was in prison, so it is doubtful that it would be an HP approved book. She was just the right amount of sass. The mother of the H was a little comical too. I can so hear the H with his exasperation, “MOTHER”. She may have been an absentee mom, but I have a feeling she is going to be one of those bad influence grandmothers where you have to retrain the kids after a weekend at grandmas.
March 29, 2018
Not bad at all. I just couldn't believe his "love at first sight" with all the intentions of getting married to her from the beginning. How come he trashed her so bad and tried to send her to prison with no hard evidence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2009
I was just passing by a Bendigo op shop and bought this battered book for 20 cents, since I thought it'd be worth adding to my vintage collection. It's hard to be objective and remember the time when it was the norm for the hero to be aggressive and misogynistic towards the heroine, and the stories were incredibly melodramatic. However, the heroine, Leonie, in this particular book is feisty indeed and gives the hero, Giles, a bloody good run for his money, although the premise for their "love/hate" relationship is laughable (he, being a hot-shot lawyer, publicly condemning her for having an illicit affair with a married man, hoo-hah).
December 1, 2010
She'd barely survived the terrible scandal
Leonie knew the nightmare was behind her now, yet she couldn't help feeling bitter. Four years earlier her name had been splashed across the country on a charge of blackmail--a crime she'd been completely innocent of.
But Giles Noble, the powerful prosecuting attorney, hadn't been convinced. Leonie still burned at the memory. How she longed to set the record straight!
Her chance came when fate threw Giles and her together for a weekend--a weekend that brought changes to last a lifetime!
Leonie knew the nightmare was behind her now, yet she couldn't help feeling bitter. Four years earlier her name had been splashed across the country on a charge of blackmail--a crime she'd been completely innocent of.
But Giles Noble, the powerful prosecuting attorney, hadn't been convinced. Leonie still burned at the memory. How she longed to set the record straight!
Her chance came when fate threw Giles and her together for a weekend--a weekend that brought changes to last a lifetime!
April 22, 2012
This book was convaluted, ridiculous and full of alphabrute suspicion and anger. Classic Carole Mortimer. I enjoyed reading it particularly with the underlying moral message of those wicked people in open marriages.
January 22, 2021
Hero is a stalker, slut-shames h and treats her like a prostitute, h is a doormat and is in love with H because she likes that he treats her like s**t. He even slaps her in the end because she says she’s gone with another man... not at all. He needs treatment in an asylum.
January 30, 2023
2.5.
It really deserved 2 stars but I liked the story in some parts.
TW: PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMAN.
But a lot didn’t make sense and the characters were abhorrent.
h was a doormat. She tried to be strong but it was barely there spine that broke when H kissed her. Also how do you fall in love in someone who called you b*tch and then defend that person? How do you still love someone when they slap you?
The slap was just brushed over like it never happened. NO GROVEL FROM OR EVEN SORRY FROM HERO!!! Why was the slap necessary in the first place?
And after the slap, the H just made me beyond mad. I would have given this a full 4 stars if H didn’t slap h. People tried justifying it as a slip of the moment , jealous reaction. BUT IT WASN’T NECESSARY.
And anyone whose reaction is to slap someone, someone they claim to love, you shouldn’t be with them.
Also, since we are talking about groveling, it was just half a page, the lasts page! And she forgave him even before he realized he was a dick. Like girl, have some self-respect? When H asks the h, “how could you still want me?” —I had the same question as reader because yes, how could anyone want this man????
Now on to the most confusing part:
H said he loved h from the first sight. That he wanted to “life with her. Marry her”. But why did he sleep with OW if it was love at first sight. Okay, HPlanda, it’s hard to find a an Hero who is celibate.
BUT, why did he get all defensive and resistant when she proposed marriage? Shouldn’t HE be happy since he WANTED to marry her FIRST??
No explanation given for that either!
Overall, it was an engaging read but too many red flags. H was stupid, abusive, disrespectful, and stupid again. Heroin was a doormat, also stupid, brave at some, very few, points but did say a doormat?
It really deserved 2 stars but I liked the story in some parts.
TW: PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMAN.
But a lot didn’t make sense and the characters were abhorrent.
h was a doormat. She tried to be strong but it was barely there spine that broke when H kissed her. Also how do you fall in love in someone who called you b*tch and then defend that person? How do you still love someone when they slap you?
The slap was just brushed over like it never happened. NO GROVEL FROM OR EVEN SORRY FROM HERO!!! Why was the slap necessary in the first place?
And after the slap, the H just made me beyond mad. I would have given this a full 4 stars if H didn’t slap h. People tried justifying it as a slip of the moment , jealous reaction. BUT IT WASN’T NECESSARY.
And anyone whose reaction is to slap someone, someone they claim to love, you shouldn’t be with them.
Also, since we are talking about groveling, it was just half a page, the lasts page! And she forgave him even before he realized he was a dick. Like girl, have some self-respect? When H asks the h, “how could you still want me?” —I had the same question as reader because yes, how could anyone want this man????
Now on to the most confusing part:
H said he loved h from the first sight. That he wanted to “life with her. Marry her”. But why did he sleep with OW if it was love at first sight. Okay, HPlanda, it’s hard to find a an Hero who is celibate.
BUT, why did he get all defensive and resistant when she proposed marriage? Shouldn’t HE be happy since he WANTED to marry her FIRST??
No explanation given for that either!
Overall, it was an engaging read but too many red flags. H was stupid, abusive, disrespectful, and stupid again. Heroin was a doormat, also stupid, brave at some, very few, points but did say a doormat?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
Rating: 4starts
Wow what a ride. I have read this trope twice before but this one has been the most engaging and entertaining so far. If you want loads of ott drama and angst this one is surely recommended.
The ML was put across as a highly intelligent and powerful attorney but the man was quite dense when it came to the FL, he was always ready to jump to the wrong conclusions and paint her out to be a promiscuous woman who used her vile behavior to blackmail men and
Even with facts glaring in his face he was not ready to open his eyes till the very end.
The FL was shown as a honeypot and all the males around her as bees they just couldn't help themselves and drown in her. She was not ready to acknowledge the brain in her skull could work and went on taking the wrong decisions and above all that the most amazing excuse in wanting to marry the ML
The leads kept on taking irrational decisions and participating in deranged behavior till the end and blaming it on LOVE in the end
It was a crazy plot with more crazy sub-plots but all in all a thoroughly enjoyable and frustrating read.
Wow what a ride. I have read this trope twice before but this one has been the most engaging and entertaining so far. If you want loads of ott drama and angst this one is surely recommended.
The ML was put across as a highly intelligent and powerful attorney but the man was quite dense when it came to the FL, he was always ready to jump to the wrong conclusions and paint her out to be a promiscuous woman who used her vile behavior to blackmail men and
Even with facts glaring in his face he was not ready to open his eyes till the very end.
The FL was shown as a honeypot and all the males around her as bees they just couldn't help themselves and drown in her. She was not ready to acknowledge the brain in her skull could work and went on taking the wrong decisions and above all that the most amazing excuse in wanting to marry the ML
The leads kept on taking irrational decisions and participating in deranged behavior till the end and blaming it on LOVE in the end
It was a crazy plot with more crazy sub-plots but all in all a thoroughly enjoyable and frustrating read.
July 18, 2023
This book was so ridiculous it made me laugh! It could have been a good story, but it kept getting more and more over-the-top and convoluted, i can only think Ms. Mortimer must have either drunk too much, smoked too much or snorted too much (or all three) when she wrote it.
Serious daddy issues for the h, otherwise why was she always falling for older men? Serious mommy issues for the H, who judged all, other women by her (especially the h), and was so sure he was right, even when he was wrong! He treats the h crappy, is convinced she's a lying, deceiving, blackmailing slut, then actually claims he never believed it and has been crazy in love with her from the moment he first saw her in court, where he did his best to have her declared guilty! (A giant WTF!!! here!)
And her ex-con stepbrother (that the H thinks is her lover) falls for the daughter of the married man she dated (not knowing about his wife) who the H also thinks was her lover, who had an open marriage he didn't really want, as he really wanted to marry the h, since she wouldn't sleep with him all the time they dated, and if that's the only way he could jump her bones...
And the H said the same thing! And the married man she was supposed to have blackmailed now tries blackmailing her, while she wants to keep her boss, who just happens to be the H's aunt, from finding out about her crazy past, and meanwhile...
Get the idea? Don't waste your time with his bat-crap!
Serious daddy issues for the h, otherwise why was she always falling for older men? Serious mommy issues for the H, who judged all, other women by her (especially the h), and was so sure he was right, even when he was wrong! He treats the h crappy, is convinced she's a lying, deceiving, blackmailing slut, then actually claims he never believed it and has been crazy in love with her from the moment he first saw her in court, where he did his best to have her declared guilty! (A giant WTF!!! here!)
And her ex-con stepbrother (that the H thinks is her lover) falls for the daughter of the married man she dated (not knowing about his wife) who the H also thinks was her lover, who had an open marriage he didn't really want, as he really wanted to marry the h, since she wouldn't sleep with him all the time they dated, and if that's the only way he could jump her bones...
And the H said the same thing! And the married man she was supposed to have blackmailed now tries blackmailing her, while she wants to keep her boss, who just happens to be the H's aunt, from finding out about her crazy past, and meanwhile...
Get the idea? Don't waste your time with his bat-crap!
June 5, 2022
Old school HP. It is what it is. Roll up for the name calling, shaking and slapping.
"My God!"Phil gasped."You can't marry him, Leonie. The man's insane!" The h's stepbrother there, speaking for us all. Possessive nutjob barrister H who once prosecuted the h for alleged blackmail. Absolutely batshit sexual attraction and quite the age gap. I mean, it floats any number of boats but please don't anyone take it as a template for actual IRL love.
At one point she muses on what a wonderful father he'll make, right around the time he calls her 'a wanton little bitch' and just before he threatens that she'll be "beaten within an inch of [her] life". Ah yes. The kind of father any child will remember with joy. By all means fill your life with fecked up psychodrama but please, please don't drag innocent kids into this dynamic.
And when he kisses her more gently: 'Moments like this made marrying Giles worth any amount of insults and suffering.' Girl, no. It really, really, REALLY won't.
There's all the usual grovelling at the end so that's alright then. (Until the next time ofc).
Anyway. Go along for the ride. Enjoy the minutes of vicarious passion and breathe a huge sigh of relief that you can walk away from a lifetime of tiptoeing on eggshells.
Here endeth the lesson on what not to take away from HP fantasyland.
"My God!"Phil gasped."You can't marry him, Leonie. The man's insane!" The h's stepbrother there, speaking for us all. Possessive nutjob barrister H who once prosecuted the h for alleged blackmail. Absolutely batshit sexual attraction and quite the age gap. I mean, it floats any number of boats but please don't anyone take it as a template for actual IRL love.
At one point she muses on what a wonderful father he'll make, right around the time he calls her 'a wanton little bitch' and just before he threatens that she'll be "beaten within an inch of [her] life". Ah yes. The kind of father any child will remember with joy. By all means fill your life with fecked up psychodrama but please, please don't drag innocent kids into this dynamic.
And when he kisses her more gently: 'Moments like this made marrying Giles worth any amount of insults and suffering.' Girl, no. It really, really, REALLY won't.
There's all the usual grovelling at the end so that's alright then. (Until the next time ofc).
Anyway. Go along for the ride. Enjoy the minutes of vicarious passion and breathe a huge sigh of relief that you can walk away from a lifetime of tiptoeing on eggshells.
Here endeth the lesson on what not to take away from HP fantasyland.
February 23, 2021
2.75 stars (usually I round up but I need this 2 to reflect how I rate the book as in 2=would not re-read)
Can you call it love if he tried his damnedest to get her a life sentence for being part of a blackmail scheme? The punishment was too harsh considering the crime and doesn't make much sense but this man really tried to do that. His 40+ year old friend seduced a teenager and he went after the teenager and tried to slut-shame her into prison. She was found innocent but left the courtroom traumatized by what he did to her as a prosecutor.
When they reunite later, there's lots of angst, anger, and more slut-shaming. He wants her but she's a whore. Yada yada. Near the end, he slaps her and that was it for me. There was no reason for these two to be in love. They don't know each other at all . They don't have conversations. They just make out/he forces lip-busting kisses on her and accuses her of being a whore. He also maintains his friendship with the 40+year old who tried to seduce the h when she was a minor and he believes everything the smarmy friend tells him. He's a barrister so he's supposed to be smart but he shows no signs of intelligence or discernment.
Can you call it love if he tried his damnedest to get her a life sentence for being part of a blackmail scheme? The punishment was too harsh considering the crime and doesn't make much sense but this man really tried to do that. His 40+ year old friend seduced a teenager and he went after the teenager and tried to slut-shame her into prison. She was found innocent but left the courtroom traumatized by what he did to her as a prosecutor.
When they reunite later, there's lots of angst, anger, and more slut-shaming. He wants her but she's a whore. Yada yada. Near the end, he slaps her and that was it for me. There was no reason for these two to be in love. They don't know each other at all . They don't have conversations. They just make out/he forces lip-busting kisses on her and accuses her of being a whore. He also maintains his friendship with the 40+year old who tried to seduce the h when she was a minor and he believes everything the smarmy friend tells him. He's a barrister so he's supposed to be smart but he shows no signs of intelligence or discernment.
October 5, 2024
I hated it. MMC was very mean and kept forcing FMC to kiss him and would threaten to force her to sleep with him.
FMC legitimately wasn't attracted to him for a few chapters and did indeed despise him. Yet he kept telling her how much she wanted him and kiss her against her will.
With how he treated her I don't understand how she fell for him.
He told hero that if she cheated on him he would beat her. He often used force against her by shaking her, twisting her arm behind back and even slapped her.
He constantly thought the worst of her so it was very unbelievable when MMC told FMC at the end that he fell in love with her 4 years before and yet he was still seeing another woman and sleeping with her after he met FMC again after not being able to find her and pursue her. Np.
FMC legitimately wasn't attracted to him for a few chapters and did indeed despise him. Yet he kept telling her how much she wanted him and kiss her against her will.
With how he treated her I don't understand how she fell for him.
He told hero that if she cheated on him he would beat her. He often used force against her by shaking her, twisting her arm behind back and even slapped her.
He constantly thought the worst of her so it was very unbelievable when MMC told FMC at the end that he fell in love with her 4 years before and yet he was still seeing another woman and sleeping with her after he met FMC again after not being able to find her and pursue her. Np.
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