What do you think?
Rate this book
The Treacherous Heart
First published as Never Love a Stranger, and originally under a pseudonym, this is a new edition with a new introduction from the author.
Anne Symons is content living with her widowed father in a sleepy Dorset town.
She has a good job in a solicitor’s office and a kind, reliable, good-looking boyfriend Joe. But when enigmatic, sophisticated Michael Conrad appears on the scene, she suddenly feels something was missing from her life.
But should she really risk a safe future with loyal, adoring Joe for the dangerous allure and excitement of this fascinating stranger?
Anne Symons is content living with her widowed father in a sleepy Dorset town.
She has a good job in a solicitor’s office and a kind, reliable, good-looking boyfriend Joe. But when enigmatic, sophisticated Michael Conrad appears on the scene, she suddenly feels something was missing from her life.
But should she really risk a safe future with loyal, adoring Joe for the dangerous allure and excitement of this fascinating stranger?
192 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2018
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
168 books492 followersCynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 8, 2018
This rural tale follows a young woman who works as receptionist in a country solicitor's office and allows a pig farmer lad to pay attention to her, but finds a London secondhand car dealer rather more flash and fun. A sub-plot deals with her railway worker's father's right, or lack or, to live in a railway cottage.
The period is the 1970s, when phones lived on a desk or in the hall, and middle class folks had just started eating out, and nobody had a computer. Dialogue and manners are to the fore. People, especially women, lead very boring lives with minimal ambition nor expectation of success. I don't want to go back to that time, and this book does tend to explain why. The author wrote this as a romance under a pseudonym at the time, and has reissued it - goodness, after forty years. Anyone interested in the writing evolution of the lady author should have a look.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Ficion. This is an unbiased review.
The period is the 1970s, when phones lived on a desk or in the hall, and middle class folks had just started eating out, and nobody had a computer. Dialogue and manners are to the fore. People, especially women, lead very boring lives with minimal ambition nor expectation of success. I don't want to go back to that time, and this book does tend to explain why. The author wrote this as a romance under a pseudonym at the time, and has reissued it - goodness, after forty years. Anyone interested in the writing evolution of the lady author should have a look.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Ficion. This is an unbiased review.
March 9, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the eARC.
It pains me to criticize this book, because I adore the Slider series by CH-E. They are all a solid 5-star read for me.
When I started The Treacherous Heart, it felt good to get away from the usual noir mysteries I read, but as I progressed I realized it was more of a romance and the ending had me totally stumped. It didn't answer my most urgent question - did he or didn't he? As it was published under a pseudonym in, I believe, the 1970's, it may be I would have enjoyed it then, but somehow I doubt it. Hope there will be a new Bill Slider soon, those books are gems in my world!
It pains me to criticize this book, because I adore the Slider series by CH-E. They are all a solid 5-star read for me.
When I started The Treacherous Heart, it felt good to get away from the usual noir mysteries I read, but as I progressed I realized it was more of a romance and the ending had me totally stumped. It didn't answer my most urgent question - did he or didn't he? As it was published under a pseudonym in, I believe, the 1970's, it may be I would have enjoyed it then, but somehow I doubt it. Hope there will be a new Bill Slider soon, those books are gems in my world!
September 14, 2018
Not enough action for me!
‘The Treacherous Heart’ by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was an easy page turner, but it didn’t have enough action for me. It was originally published under a pseudonym, entitled ‘Never Love A Stranger.’
It features Anne Symons who is perfectly happy living in a somewhat isolated, small Dorset town with her widowed father. Anne has a very decent ordinary job, working with extremely ‘old school’ solicitors. She has a very caring, loyal, boring, predictable, unromantic boyfriend. Anne also has a good friend who tries to update her in matters of the heart and suggests that there is much more to life than having one’s life mapped out for her!
Well, Anne suddenly meets a rather enigmatic newcomer, who completely sweeps her off her feet. So predictably Anne is left with an insurmountable problem... who should she choose? Sorry, but I’m not giving the reader any hints.
If you enjoy more of a romantic novel, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. I tend to look for rather more action, hence my three stars verdict.
Galadriel.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
‘The Treacherous Heart’ by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was an easy page turner, but it didn’t have enough action for me. It was originally published under a pseudonym, entitled ‘Never Love A Stranger.’
It features Anne Symons who is perfectly happy living in a somewhat isolated, small Dorset town with her widowed father. Anne has a very decent ordinary job, working with extremely ‘old school’ solicitors. She has a very caring, loyal, boring, predictable, unromantic boyfriend. Anne also has a good friend who tries to update her in matters of the heart and suggests that there is much more to life than having one’s life mapped out for her!
Well, Anne suddenly meets a rather enigmatic newcomer, who completely sweeps her off her feet. So predictably Anne is left with an insurmountable problem... who should she choose? Sorry, but I’m not giving the reader any hints.
If you enjoy more of a romantic novel, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. I tend to look for rather more action, hence my three stars verdict.
Galadriel.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews