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فتاة الزنبق
قال دانيال بخشونة: "يا إلهي، لاين، هذه ليلة زفافنا. هل تريدين أن أركع على ركبتي وأتوسل إليك؟".
ردت بنبرة عنيفة: أنت لا تصغي إلى ما أقوله. يجب أن تفهم أنني لا أستطيع تحمل البقاء بقربك. أنا أفضل الموت على البقاء معك، لأن كل شيء انتهى.. انتهى، هل تسمعني؟ ما كان يجب أن أكون هنا، وما كان علي القبول بالقيام بهذا الأمر المخيف".
ارتفع صوتها بشكل عاصف: "عليك أن تتركني وشأني" راقبت وجهه يمتلئ غضباً وكرهاً. سمعت صوته يصلها عبر أجواء مليئة بالمرارة: لا تقلقي أيتها الكاذبة، المخادعة. سأدعك وشأنك، لن ألوّث يديّ بك حتى لو أتيت زاحفة على الزجاج المكسور".
بعدئذ رحل دانيال، فارتمت لاين على سرير زواجها البافرغ. شعرت بالألم في حلقها يكاد يخنقها، إلى درجة جعلتها عاجزة عن البكاء.
ردت بنبرة عنيفة: أنت لا تصغي إلى ما أقوله. يجب أن تفهم أنني لا أستطيع تحمل البقاء بقربك. أنا أفضل الموت على البقاء معك، لأن كل شيء انتهى.. انتهى، هل تسمعني؟ ما كان يجب أن أكون هنا، وما كان علي القبول بالقيام بهذا الأمر المخيف".
ارتفع صوتها بشكل عاصف: "عليك أن تتركني وشأني" راقبت وجهه يمتلئ غضباً وكرهاً. سمعت صوته يصلها عبر أجواء مليئة بالمرارة: لا تقلقي أيتها الكاذبة، المخادعة. سأدعك وشأنك، لن ألوّث يديّ بك حتى لو أتيت زاحفة على الزجاج المكسور".
بعدئذ رحل دانيال، فارتمت لاين على سرير زواجها البافرغ. شعرت بالألم في حلقها يكاد يخنقها، إلى درجة جعلتها عاجزة عن البكاء.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
65 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Sara Craven
493 books266 followersAnne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 13, 2016
Laine Sinclair has had a crush on Daniel Flynn, her brother Simon's friend, for years. Laine first met him when she was six years old, when her brother brought Daniel to the family home, Abbotsbrook, over the summer holidays. Daniel has been her friend, and protector, ever since. Years later, when she's seventeen, her brother dies in a climbing accident. Laine's selfish mother takes her out of the school she loves so she can stay at home, at Abbotsbrook, and take care of the household chores (since the maid got dismissed). The family is supposedly low on money now that brother Simon isn't there to help out anymore. When Daniel visits, he is surprised to find that Laine has suddenly left school, and is now doing the chores. After he realizes what's going on he eventually proposes to her. They marry, but the evil "other woman" tells Laine that Daniel married her only because of a promise he made to her brother before he died. Believing the other woman, Laine tells Daniel the marriage was a mistake, and they get an annulment. But, two years later, they meet again. Will the truth finally come out?
I really liked Daniel, I thought he was wonderful! I liked how he was kind to Laine when she was young. He recommended a school she would like, and visited her there, (to the envy of the other female students!) He always seemed to be there for her. Laine was a bit foolish for believing the other woman--she should've talked to Daniel and heard what he had to say. This wasn't a light romance, it sometimes had a sad, melancholy feel to it, and a lot of it was told in flashbacks. But I was always curious to see what was going to happen. This was an enjoyable and good read by Sara Craven.
I really liked Daniel, I thought he was wonderful! I liked how he was kind to Laine when she was young. He recommended a school she would like, and visited her there, (to the envy of the other female students!) He always seemed to be there for her. Laine was a bit foolish for believing the other woman--she should've talked to Daniel and heard what he had to say. This wasn't a light romance, it sometimes had a sad, melancholy feel to it, and a lot of it was told in flashbacks. But I was always curious to see what was going to happen. This was an enjoyable and good read by Sara Craven.
October 16, 2016
A second chance story with a clueless, *young* heroine (18 when they married - now 20) and a hero who should have known better than to let her go on their wedding night. Because their break up hinges on a misunderstanding , this plot got old fast. But it was interesting to read just how cruel the people in the heroine's backstory could be and how Cinderella-like her present circumstances could descend. There is a last minute misunderstanding with an OW who is pregnant and chatty just to keep the H/h in agony a little longer.
There's lots of drama and cruel moments and a heroine who can't eat or sleep. If you're looking for intensity you'll find it here. If you're looking for characters who think and act with logic or curiosity, this one is not for you.
There's lots of drama and cruel moments and a heroine who can't eat or sleep. If you're looking for intensity you'll find it here. If you're looking for characters who think and act with logic or curiosity, this one is not for you.
November 22, 2015
What an emotionally draining read. Anyone who thinks that Harlequin always means brainless read, should think again. However, that said, Innocent On Her Wedding Night was a hard book to get through and an even harder book to review.
Here are the reasons:
Sara Craven has the writing of angst, torment, guilt, betrayal and passion down to an art, but let me tell you, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish it. Not since reading Whitney, My Love have I read a book that was so frustratingly full of life altering misunderstandings and lack of communication. I’m not saying that Innocent On Her Wedding Night is in the same league as Whitney, My Love, just that it was easily that frustrating.
I persevered, however, secure in my belief that after all the pain we endured reliving the events of their tortured past, that their happily ever after would be amazing. But honestly, at one point, I wasn’t sure there was even going to be one because of how badly the hero, Daniel, and the heroine, Laine, treated each other. Even though I kept reminding myself that this is a Harlequin and I needed to keep the faith because surely the happily ever after was coming, with only 20 or so pages to go, I had to skip to the end to make sure that they were actually going to end up together. And of course they did, but that in and of itself was really quite disappointing. I just didn’t buy the way things were resolved, the emotions, and especially not the dialog. The angst was totally believable, but the joy of their reunion … no so much. In fact, I almost felt like I was reading the writing of two different authors, one writing the suffering, the other writing the joy with the joy not terribly convincing. The words were there, but I didn’t feel it.
Another issue I have is with the author’s writing style. This book takes place in the past and the present. There are many flashbacks in which we are actually seeing events unfold, many times when the heroine was merely in the present thinking of the past, and then of course, in the present thinking of the present. The problem I have is that there was absolutely no indication which time period we were in. No paragraph break, no italics, no “Laine thought back to the time…” Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I had to go back and forth too many times to try and figure out where we were and what was happening. This was just plain poor writing/editing/style and unless someone tells me she no longer writes that way, I’ll not go out of my way to get anything else by this author.
I really wasn’t in the mood for this kind of emotional turmoil. I grabbed this book thinking… Harlequin = easy, happy read but wow, was I wrong. However, I’m still giving this book a generous 3/5 stars because of how well said emotional turmoil was written. For making the story flow well and easy to follow, it gets 0 stars.
March 4, 2021
Poor communication and misunderstandings are standard in romance novels, but, oh my God, I wanted to knock some sense into both Laine and Daniel! Why didn't they talk to each other? Okay, so they allowed their fears to affect their decisions which caused the disintegration of their marriage. It was frustrating to read about, but I honestly can't complain too much because their problems created plenty of angst which in turn increased my reading pleasure. Hehe
To be fair, Laine was very young (18-20) when she and Daniel first got together so I couldn't completely hate her for her actions. She still had a lot of maturing to do with learning how to confront and communicate at the forefront. Daniel shares half the blame for never reassuring the inexperienced Laine. He also exasperated me by treating Laine so coldly in the present day. It seemed so counterproductive considering the nature of his true motivations.
Their declarations of love felt rather tame because neither Laine nor Daniel expressed much passion or excitement at the end, but this was a decent romance overall.
P.S. Reader beware. Sara Craven, Queen of the Flashback, uses this device again in this book but the execution seemed more clumsy than usual.
To be fair, Laine was very young (18-20) when she and Daniel first got together so I couldn't completely hate her for her actions. She still had a lot of maturing to do with learning how to confront and communicate at the forefront. Daniel shares half the blame for never reassuring the inexperienced Laine. He also exasperated me by treating Laine so coldly in the present day. It seemed so counterproductive considering the nature of his true motivations.
Their declarations of love felt rather tame because neither Laine nor Daniel expressed much passion or excitement at the end, but this was a decent romance overall.
P.S. Reader beware. Sara Craven, Queen of the Flashback, uses this device again in this book but the execution seemed more clumsy than usual.
May 2, 2013
Thought I had while reading this… could the reason so many category romance heroines are depicted as unbelievably pure and good and self-sacrificing be an attempt to cover up the fact that they're incredibly self-absorbed? I mean, it would be obvious to a three year old child that Laine kicked Daniel in the teeth in this story -- not once, but several times -- but does she ever notice? No, she's too busy trying to protect her own heart to realize she's stomping all over his. Great heroine-pov-only story, with angst that goes up to eleven.
July 31, 2017
Why the four stars when it could have been solved "two years ago" with a simple I love you from either part and the tons of flashbacks throughout the story (I'm not fan of it, I prefer to have the facts first)? BECAUSE I only stopped a couple of times to go to the bathroom so it means I was entertained and a couple of tears fell along the way. But I needed an epilogue.
More info with KC
More info with KC
July 2, 2013
5 stars for intensity and absolute crazy passion. Minus 1 star for the heroine's self absorption and lack of brains.
Seriously, she takes the word of an evil OW rather than the man that has alway been there for her. She walks away from a marriage that most women would die for, rather than sit and talk things out. She runs off with a loser who portrays her as a slut and basically sells her to another man.
But the hero is awesome and more than makes up for her stupidity. I highly highly recommend.
Seriously, she takes the word of an evil OW rather than the man that has alway been there for her. She walks away from a marriage that most women would die for, rather than sit and talk things out. She runs off with a loser who portrays her as a slut and basically sells her to another man.
But the hero is awesome and more than makes up for her stupidity. I highly highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2013
Laine-Cinderella is in love with Daniel her brother's best friend ever since she was a little girl. Daniel is her friend, her protector and guardian. When her brother dies in a tragic accident Daniel afraid of losing the girl he loves and trying to protect her from her bitchy mother proposes marriage to Laine and she accepts. After the wedding evil OW makes the heroine believe Daniel doesn't love her he is just fulfilling a promise he'd made to her dead brother. The heroine flees but two years later Daniel is back in her life.
Amazing read but kind of heartbreaking. The hero was smitten with the heroine since forever and her stupidity and naivety ruined everything. It made me sad watching her reject him again and again. She said some very harsh words to him and poor guy was deeply hurt. He didn't deserve that.
That being said the book was full of nonstop angst, super emotional and so intense! But the HEA was weak. After what they've been through these characters deserved a sweeter better HEA!
Amazing read but kind of heartbreaking. The hero was smitten with the heroine since forever and her stupidity and naivety ruined everything. It made me sad watching her reject him again and again. She said some very harsh words to him and poor guy was deeply hurt. He didn't deserve that.
That being said the book was full of nonstop angst, super emotional and so intense! But the HEA was weak. After what they've been through these characters deserved a sweeter better HEA!
March 25, 2012
What can I say?
Read this one because it came up in the discussion about the author's book Ruthless Awakening. The discussion centred on her use of flashbacks to tell the story, a device most people find onerous (personally, I like a good flashback story). So, I read it. But, don't let the four stars fool you, I found her use of the technique in this book not as subtly done and well-placed as is the aforementioned title. Most of them were what bad flashbacks can be, superfluous and an annoying distraction from the main story happening in the present (I didn't need a blow-by-blow about what happened in America with that South-African creep)!
All said, I did enjoy the story though. I liked the angst (pretty intense) and tolerated the H's meanness because I could obviously see from the get-go that he was motivated by love for her. Her stupidity (pride) was a bit harder to swallow, but her pain was fairly palpable and so I still wound up liking and rooting for her.
There were some other parallels between this book and the other I mentioned though, but, because Ruthless Awakening is of a slightly higher standard and I gave it four stars, I feel comfortable dropping this down to a 3 1/2.
Read this one because it came up in the discussion about the author's book Ruthless Awakening. The discussion centred on her use of flashbacks to tell the story, a device most people find onerous (personally, I like a good flashback story). So, I read it. But, don't let the four stars fool you, I found her use of the technique in this book not as subtly done and well-placed as is the aforementioned title. Most of them were what bad flashbacks can be, superfluous and an annoying distraction from the main story happening in the present (I didn't need a blow-by-blow about what happened in America with that South-African creep)!
All said, I did enjoy the story though. I liked the angst (pretty intense) and tolerated the H's meanness because I could obviously see from the get-go that he was motivated by love for her. Her stupidity (pride) was a bit harder to swallow, but her pain was fairly palpable and so I still wound up liking and rooting for her.
There were some other parallels between this book and the other I mentioned though, but, because Ruthless Awakening is of a slightly higher standard and I gave it four stars, I feel comfortable dropping this down to a 3 1/2.
May 25, 2016
nice one. could have done without so much back story though.
July 10, 2014
What an angstfest! Told. In. Flashbacks. It was so tedious to read! The heroine was so silly and totally oblivious to the damage she was causing. I felt like pushing her down a flight of stairs. Definitely not for me!
July 30, 2022
Way too many flashbacks. It disturbed a nice and fluent reading because she kept thinking about the past and then suddenly she was back in the present only to go back to the past a few pages later.
She was cruel to him again and again. Not telling him what really had happened, but just lying to him and humiliating him. The H is a saint to give her so many chances.
I’ve read reviews complaining that he wasn’t faithful to her after their divorce. That’s just ridiculous because why would he have to stay faithful for the rest of his life to his ex after she has humiliated him and she has told him out of the blue, a few hours after the marriage ceremony, that she wants a divorce.
She was cruel to him again and again. Not telling him what really had happened, but just lying to him and humiliating him. The H is a saint to give her so many chances.
I’ve read reviews complaining that he wasn’t faithful to her after their divorce. That’s just ridiculous because why would he have to stay faithful for the rest of his life to his ex after she has humiliated him and she has told him out of the blue, a few hours after the marriage ceremony, that she wants a divorce.
May 25, 2016
I was worried about reading this book because to be honest, Sara Craven writes great tragedies which conveniently culminate into a happy ending in about 3 pages to the end. This one is no exception. Five years ago I had read a Sara Craven book which I had hated so much I had avoided the author like the plague.
However, I was trying to find OW books and this one was on the list (though it's not clear why). First of all the plot given here does not match the book because there was no blackmail and the h had made it a matter of pride to never ask the H for money.
Daniel is Simon's best friend. Simon is the h's brother. After Simon's death, Daniel asks the h to marry him. She is overjoyed because she has always loved him. But after the wedding, just as she was about to set off for the honeymoon, she gets a note from the supposed OW Claudia which is from Daniel to Simon where he speaks about a promise Simon made him keep and how he views that and the h as a burden. Mortified, the h gets the marriage annulled and runs off to Florida with Andy (a con) to avoid the H who she keeps seeing with different women after the wedding.
Strangely, 2 years later when she returns, Daniel is at her flat and is going to stay there. This is where the story actually starts. In true Sara Craven style, the main story is revealed in flash backs from the heroines POV. Though even in that I could tell the hero really loved her through the author's descriptions.
This book is tremendously sad because the h has suffered so much throughout the book. Her life just seems to be one miserable event after another. One more thing is the way the h dumps the hero twice in the book. She absolutely tears him out. And while she thinks he doesn't love her, the reader can understand and appreciate that what the hero is hearing is damn tragic and his heart must be breaking. I felt so bad for him but I couldn't hate the h who also had suffered a lot.
However, read it if you want to feel that angst and sorrow because the plot is ridiculously see through. There are no Aha moments. Everything is obvious 20 pages before it happens even the fact that the OW was dumped before Simon's death.
The real reason for the hero moving in doesn't make sense because he simply avoids the h all the time, is barely there, speaks to her twice only though her instigation, brushes away and indeed stomps on anything she does which is counter productive considering his end goal. Even though I had suspected the reason, even I got confused by his behaviour because that's not the way to go about the plan he had in mind. That part of the plot just seemed like silly background noise to the main story which was spoken between flashbacks. It was only after all was revealed in the flashbacks that we got to see some moments where the H and h spent together talking. Before that they had barely seen each other which is not very romance novely!
However, I was trying to find OW books and this one was on the list (though it's not clear why). First of all the plot given here does not match the book because there was no blackmail and the h had made it a matter of pride to never ask the H for money.
Daniel is Simon's best friend. Simon is the h's brother. After Simon's death, Daniel asks the h to marry him. She is overjoyed because she has always loved him. But after the wedding, just as she was about to set off for the honeymoon, she gets a note from the supposed OW Claudia which is from Daniel to Simon where he speaks about a promise Simon made him keep and how he views that and the h as a burden. Mortified, the h gets the marriage annulled and runs off to Florida with Andy (a con) to avoid the H who she keeps seeing with different women after the wedding.
Strangely, 2 years later when she returns, Daniel is at her flat and is going to stay there. This is where the story actually starts. In true Sara Craven style, the main story is revealed in flash backs from the heroines POV. Though even in that I could tell the hero really loved her through the author's descriptions.
This book is tremendously sad because the h has suffered so much throughout the book. Her life just seems to be one miserable event after another. One more thing is the way the h dumps the hero twice in the book. She absolutely tears him out. And while she thinks he doesn't love her, the reader can understand and appreciate that what the hero is hearing is damn tragic and his heart must be breaking. I felt so bad for him but I couldn't hate the h who also had suffered a lot.
However, read it if you want to feel that angst and sorrow because the plot is ridiculously see through. There are no Aha moments. Everything is obvious 20 pages before it happens even the fact that the OW was dumped before Simon's death.
The real reason for the hero moving in doesn't make sense because he simply avoids the h all the time, is barely there, speaks to her twice only though her instigation, brushes away and indeed stomps on anything she does which is counter productive considering his end goal. Even though I had suspected the reason, even I got confused by his behaviour because that's not the way to go about the plan he had in mind. That part of the plot just seemed like silly background noise to the main story which was spoken between flashbacks. It was only after all was revealed in the flashbacks that we got to see some moments where the H and h spent together talking. Before that they had barely seen each other which is not very romance novely!
January 30, 2016
Reread this - still as fab as my first reading in 2012.
Sara Craven seems to specialise in female protagonists in their late teens who are compelled to marry the older man who has known them since childhood. At once uncomfortable yet compelling. I enjoyed reading this book. Quite the cinderella story filled with misunderstandings and a lack of communication resulting in intense, unrequited love tension. Even the appearance of what I initially perceived as the "other woman" was a beautifully orchestrated plot device that was needed to deliver the impact of Laine's teenaged immature reactions on hero Dan's life. This book is a Craven gem.
Sara Craven seems to specialise in female protagonists in their late teens who are compelled to marry the older man who has known them since childhood. At once uncomfortable yet compelling. I enjoyed reading this book. Quite the cinderella story filled with misunderstandings and a lack of communication resulting in intense, unrequited love tension. Even the appearance of what I initially perceived as the "other woman" was a beautifully orchestrated plot device that was needed to deliver the impact of Laine's teenaged immature reactions on hero Dan's life. This book is a Craven gem.
December 25, 2012
Amazing read! Totally recommended.
January 21, 2016
Y'all. The OW's name is....wait for it.....CANDIDA. Yeah. Candida, or Candy for short (shortened version used once.) And the heroine listens to someone named after a troublesome yeast fungus infestation? I could barely contain my amusement. Loved the angst, hated the misunderstandings, hated the back and forth between present and past story telling. Ugh. But the angst raises its rating one more star.
May 3, 2013
Loved this one -- very angsty, with a very smitten hero. This poor hero was actually treated pretty horribly by the heroine -- not maliciously, but I still felt sorry for him. Of course he forgives her anyway. Nice read.
December 31, 2021
Me encantó la historia, creo que fue muy romántica.
August 28, 2024
I had read it only did not remember.
The hero is the heroine’s brother’s friend. She’s always had a crush on him. He falls for her eventually and gradually but the brother forbids him from declaring himself. He wants the heroine to live a little. Dumb. But there it is. The brother dies in a mountaineering accident.
The heroine’s mother who is a bitch takes her out of boarding school and puts her to work at home.
The hero goes against the promise he made to heroine’s brother and marries her.
The brother’s girlfriend I think puts doubts in the heroine’s mind.
The heroine won’t let the hero come close. Finally they annul the marriage.
She runs away to America where she is with another man and running a boat charter. The man cheats her.
She comes to the brother’s house in London. The hero is living there too because his house is getting redone.
Wait. Why was he living in the same flat? I don’t remember. Or did some other thing happen??
Anyway they finally resolve their differences.
We all heave a sigh of relief.
This book .. the flashbacks are full of beauty. They should have been dealt better .. maybe as initial chapters.
No idea why they were inserted in the middle and we find out bit by bit their back story.
This book has left a lasting place in my psyche. There’s a scene where the hero takes out a leaf from her hair when she’s a young girl.
I wrote it in my own book!! Unknowingly. Literally called the girl by same name.
I had no idea!!
When I reread the book I got a shock. Oh my god. I wrote my hero taking out a leaf from my heroine’s hair.
Anyway.
The hero is the heroine’s brother’s friend. She’s always had a crush on him. He falls for her eventually and gradually but the brother forbids him from declaring himself. He wants the heroine to live a little. Dumb. But there it is. The brother dies in a mountaineering accident.
The heroine’s mother who is a bitch takes her out of boarding school and puts her to work at home.
The hero goes against the promise he made to heroine’s brother and marries her.
The brother’s girlfriend I think puts doubts in the heroine’s mind.
The heroine won’t let the hero come close. Finally they annul the marriage.
She runs away to America where she is with another man and running a boat charter. The man cheats her.
She comes to the brother’s house in London. The hero is living there too because his house is getting redone.
Wait. Why was he living in the same flat? I don’t remember. Or did some other thing happen??
Anyway they finally resolve their differences.
We all heave a sigh of relief.
This book .. the flashbacks are full of beauty. They should have been dealt better .. maybe as initial chapters.
No idea why they were inserted in the middle and we find out bit by bit their back story.
This book has left a lasting place in my psyche. There’s a scene where the hero takes out a leaf from her hair when she’s a young girl.
I wrote it in my own book!! Unknowingly. Literally called the girl by same name.
I had no idea!!
When I reread the book I got a shock. Oh my god. I wrote my hero taking out a leaf from my heroine’s hair.
Anyway.
July 17, 2018
The title was so misleading.
August 10, 2015
3 Angst Filled Stars
“Stay—go—it makes no difference to me. Unless you’re deluding yourself that I still harbour some faint inclination for you. If so, think again.”
Daniel Flynn married Laine Sinclair shortly after her eighteenth birthday to take her away from her uncaring mother. He was the best friend of her brother, Simon, who died in a climbing accident a few weeks earlier. Daniel has always watched over Laine. On their wedding night, Laine told Daniel that she no longer wanted to be married to him and had made a very big mistake by marrying him. Angry and hurt, Daniel had their marriage annulled and went on with his life, seemingly unfazed.
Laine has loved Daniel all her life, but upon learning that he was marrying her out of a duty to her deceased brother, she told him she made a mistake to free him of his obligation. After the annulment, she tried to carry on with her life, but seeing Daniel with other women tore her apart. She got an offer to invest in a deep sea fishing boat venture in Florida with a friend and took it. She was hoping to make a fresh start away from London and Daniel. Unfortunately, six months later, she finds herself cheated out of her money and back in London, where she finds herself sharing an apartment with Daniel.
There is so much angst threaded all through this story that it was quite depressing to read. From their childhoods, to the awful wedding night, to awful fate that had these two sharing an apartment when all they do is hurt each other. I was in a funk all through the book. Laine’s character was a bloody mess. She seemed to make all the wrong decisions in life, leaving Daniel to pick up the pieces for her. And bless his heart, he does, over and over again.
While it is a very well written book with a great plot and well thought out characters, it was a very gloomy story. It is not one that I will readily grab for a afternoon of light reading ever again. So be warned, this is a Read At Your Own Risk book. If you enjoy a good angsty book, then this one is for you. Enjoy!
“Stay—go—it makes no difference to me. Unless you’re deluding yourself that I still harbour some faint inclination for you. If so, think again.”
Daniel Flynn married Laine Sinclair shortly after her eighteenth birthday to take her away from her uncaring mother. He was the best friend of her brother, Simon, who died in a climbing accident a few weeks earlier. Daniel has always watched over Laine. On their wedding night, Laine told Daniel that she no longer wanted to be married to him and had made a very big mistake by marrying him. Angry and hurt, Daniel had their marriage annulled and went on with his life, seemingly unfazed.
Laine has loved Daniel all her life, but upon learning that he was marrying her out of a duty to her deceased brother, she told him she made a mistake to free him of his obligation. After the annulment, she tried to carry on with her life, but seeing Daniel with other women tore her apart. She got an offer to invest in a deep sea fishing boat venture in Florida with a friend and took it. She was hoping to make a fresh start away from London and Daniel. Unfortunately, six months later, she finds herself cheated out of her money and back in London, where she finds herself sharing an apartment with Daniel.
There is so much angst threaded all through this story that it was quite depressing to read. From their childhoods, to the awful wedding night, to awful fate that had these two sharing an apartment when all they do is hurt each other. I was in a funk all through the book. Laine’s character was a bloody mess. She seemed to make all the wrong decisions in life, leaving Daniel to pick up the pieces for her. And bless his heart, he does, over and over again.
While it is a very well written book with a great plot and well thought out characters, it was a very gloomy story. It is not one that I will readily grab for a afternoon of light reading ever again. So be warned, this is a Read At Your Own Risk book. If you enjoy a good angsty book, then this one is for you. Enjoy!
March 1, 2011
Better than some books by Sara craven.
This was somewhat angst filled and much of the story was told in flash back/ reminiscences.
The heroine grows up with a Huge crush on the hero. Her brother dies. Her mum is a pig and takes her out of school For pseudo monetary reasons upon her brother's death, so that she can keep house - this is despite the fact she is in her a level year, at public school, doing well and everyone else in the family to to university. The hero proposes to the heroine and they get married. On her wedding day she is told that he only married her as a favour to her dead brother and that he was most unwilling and felt that the marriage would ruin his life. Accordingly she refuses to Consummate the marriage ( naturally lying about her reasons ) and they get an annulment.
2 years later the heroine returns from the US, broke, to discover the hero installed in the apartment she shares with her brother. There are the usual arguments/ failure to explain between the two.
The heroine returns one day to find a semi naked woman called belinda in the apartment and assumes this is the h's new lover.
The h& h have sex( she is still a virgin) . There is a further misunderstanding. The hero moves out.
The heroine accidentally meets up with belinda and her husband and learns the truth.
Final confrontation between h & h. They declare their love and all live hea.
This was somewhat angst filled and much of the story was told in flash back/ reminiscences.
The heroine grows up with a Huge crush on the hero. Her brother dies. Her mum is a pig and takes her out of school For pseudo monetary reasons upon her brother's death, so that she can keep house - this is despite the fact she is in her a level year, at public school, doing well and everyone else in the family to to university. The hero proposes to the heroine and they get married. On her wedding day she is told that he only married her as a favour to her dead brother and that he was most unwilling and felt that the marriage would ruin his life. Accordingly she refuses to Consummate the marriage ( naturally lying about her reasons ) and they get an annulment.
2 years later the heroine returns from the US, broke, to discover the hero installed in the apartment she shares with her brother. There are the usual arguments/ failure to explain between the two.
The heroine returns one day to find a semi naked woman called belinda in the apartment and assumes this is the h's new lover.
The h& h have sex( she is still a virgin) . There is a further misunderstanding. The hero moves out.
The heroine accidentally meets up with belinda and her husband and learns the truth.
Final confrontation between h & h. They declare their love and all live hea.
February 13, 2017
Leído el 23/05/2010
March 15, 2024
The only problem is, the H confesses his love at the very end, but I almost ... didn't believe him? How can a man so completely in love, and all his friends know about it, accidentally hide his feelings from the object of his affection? It seems unbelievable.
As for the flashbacks, I don't mind. If this was in chronological order, you'd be reading Elaine's entire life story from the age of 6 to the present day. And this story isn't really about that. Flashbacks allow you to get just the most important past events. (I minded that it was never clear when the flashback ended and we were back in the present day.)
As for the flashbacks, I don't mind. If this was in chronological order, you'd be reading Elaine's entire life story from the age of 6 to the present day. And this story isn't really about that. Flashbacks allow you to get just the most important past events. (I minded that it was never clear when the flashback ended and we were back in the present day.)
April 26, 2017
4.5 stars
I liked the book, I was really prepared to hate the heroine but, I couldn't..I dont know why..I loved the hero.Gosh! he was so perfect. All his parts in the past, the way he treated heroine, it was totally clear that he was totally into her since forever. I loved his endearments..How he always used Darling, sweetheart..Aah!! But, my biggest complaint is the author didn't show enough of him in the present & not enough of his feeling, how be felt when she asked for a divorce on their wedding night. I really wish his feelings too were shown to us...
I liked the book, I was really prepared to hate the heroine but, I couldn't..I dont know why..I loved the hero.Gosh! he was so perfect. All his parts in the past, the way he treated heroine, it was totally clear that he was totally into her since forever. I loved his endearments..How he always used Darling, sweetheart..Aah!! But, my biggest complaint is the author didn't show enough of him in the present & not enough of his feeling, how be felt when she asked for a divorce on their wedding night. I really wish his feelings too were shown to us...
February 18, 2021
This book really was not for me. Heroine leaves hero on their wedding night for a stupid misunderstanding. Two years later he tries to win her back. His behavior is appalling: he slept with endless women during their separation and keeps on doing it when he is living with her. But then he declares his love for her that goes back since when she was 17. If he slept with all those women when he loved her we don’t want to know what he would do if he didn’t love her. Not my kind of hero. Not recommended.
June 27, 2017
I started off thinking this was the typical "why don't they communicate?" trope, but as the story unfolded through flashbacks and present events, there was so much more to this than "the usual". , though Daniel really thought he was better at communicating with Laine than he actually was.
December 24, 2018
كالعاده صدام بين حببين ينتهي بالسعاده
December 18, 2020
https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/12/...
3.5 stars -- This was one of those Harlequins that I kept because I enjoyed, and I guess I decided to reread it to see what current Lenore thinks. The thing is, the things I enjoyed are still there and I can see why I was sucked in. There's a guilty pleasure about reading books like this. I reread it in one sitting (I'm sure much to my husband's dismay since it's a paperback, so I had my side light on until 2am).
I enjoyed the slow retelling of what happened in the past -- I forgot that that was what most of the book entailed, not stuff in the present. Again, there's something that hits me about a crush that turns into love, and I can't help but be sucked in to stories where the heroine is treated abominably...what does that say about me? That's weird right?
BUT. But. The problem is that the entire love story is predicated on poor communication and assumptions...which kind of drives me insane. And worse than that, there are occasions where they're each fucking MEAN to the other. Like they say horrible things either to push the other away or reacting out of hurt. And present Lenore just can't abide by that anymore.
The good news is I can now give away this paperback! I totally get why I enjoyed it, hence why I gave it the half star bump. But it's not something I'll want to come back to.
3.5 stars -- This was one of those Harlequins that I kept because I enjoyed, and I guess I decided to reread it to see what current Lenore thinks. The thing is, the things I enjoyed are still there and I can see why I was sucked in. There's a guilty pleasure about reading books like this. I reread it in one sitting (I'm sure much to my husband's dismay since it's a paperback, so I had my side light on until 2am).
I enjoyed the slow retelling of what happened in the past -- I forgot that that was what most of the book entailed, not stuff in the present. Again, there's something that hits me about a crush that turns into love, and I can't help but be sucked in to stories where the heroine is treated abominably...what does that say about me? That's weird right?
BUT. But. The problem is that the entire love story is predicated on poor communication and assumptions...which kind of drives me insane. And worse than that, there are occasions where they're each fucking MEAN to the other. Like they say horrible things either to push the other away or reacting out of hurt. And present Lenore just can't abide by that anymore.
The good news is I can now give away this paperback! I totally get why I enjoyed it, hence why I gave it the half star bump. But it's not something I'll want to come back to.
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