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Double Standards
"Judith McNaught not only spins dreams, but she makes them come true.... She makes you laugh, cry, and fall in love again" (RT Book Reviews), especially in this romance that takes place in the glittering world of the business elite. Nick Sinclair, the ruggedly handsome president of Global Industries, handles his business the way he handles his with charm, daring, and complete self-control. When he hires Lauren Danner, he assumes the whip-smart beauty will be another easy conquest but much to his surprise, her wit and rare spirit dazzles him and he slowly finds himself falling in love. Yet he has no idea that Lauren is living a lie, one that is becoming more dangerous with every passing moment. Trapped in a web of deceit, she fights her growing love for Nick and the promise of life with the most compelling man she has ever met."
310 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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About the author
Judith McNaught
89 books7,824 followersYou can find Judith McNaught in facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjudith...
Judith McNaught is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, with more than forty million copies of her novels in print, in over eighty countries and more than thirty languages. She was also the first female executive producer at a CBS radio station. McNaught is credited with inventing the modern Regency Historical romance subgenre.
Judith McNaught is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, with more than forty million copies of her novels in print, in over eighty countries and more than thirty languages. She was also the first female executive producer at a CBS radio station. McNaught is credited with inventing the modern Regency Historical romance subgenre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 602 reviews
July 19, 2018
Dropped from 4 to 3 on a re-read. Very cheesy. He was an ass and she was a drip.
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Really liked this one.
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Really liked this one.
January 7, 2026
Reread number....okay lost count. A lot!!!
And for clarification from other posts, I believe he DOES NOT CHEAT.
I do not think Nick cheats on Lauren. I was on alert as I reread and came to the same conclusion this reviewer did.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I liked the jerk Nick, oops I mean the hero Nick. He does redeem himself.
I adored Lauren. She was somewhat naive at the beginning but that's part of her evolving and becoming stronger in the relationship and as a woman in love. Because she sure had her moments of letting Nick have it and standing up to him.
Hated, absolutely hated Nick's mother. Forgot how much, but am reminded very quickly rereading the book.
Reformed rake, modern version, Nick becomes smitten in the end and a lost and humbled man without his Lauren.
Miss her romance books. 😩
And for clarification from other posts, I believe he DOES NOT CHEAT.
I do not think Nick cheats on Lauren. I was on alert as I reread and came to the same conclusion this reviewer did.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I liked the jerk Nick, oops I mean the hero Nick. He does redeem himself.
I adored Lauren. She was somewhat naive at the beginning but that's part of her evolving and becoming stronger in the relationship and as a woman in love. Because she sure had her moments of letting Nick have it and standing up to him.
Hated, absolutely hated Nick's mother. Forgot how much, but am reminded very quickly rereading the book.
Reformed rake, modern version, Nick becomes smitten in the end and a lost and humbled man without his Lauren.
Miss her romance books. 😩
April 24, 2017
BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE AS THE HERO IS A BIG CHEATER
He sees nothing wrong with having multiple sex partner and he was with another after the heroine. So this book is now a big NOOOO FOR ME.
I read this book when it first came out and thought it was AMAZING.
IT'S REALLY NOT!
However, the only good part of the whole book is when she talks down to him after he slept with somebody else after having sex with her.
He tells her it's no big deal that it was her first time.
Then, She tells him that he was great and hence would send her daughter to him for deflowing when she was old enough cause she knew he was useless as a mate in any real respect.
He had the emotional growth of a flee and was the biggest jerk ever.
It's only when he thinks she has moved on (cause that what he told her to do and that's what he was done) he lost it.
Hence the name double standards.
:
He can but she can't.
He didn't deserve her and he should grovel more. (like Clayton did in Whitney my love).
Just saying.
I enjoyed it somewhat!
He sees nothing wrong with having multiple sex partner and he was with another after the heroine. So this book is now a big NOOOO FOR ME.
I read this book when it first came out and thought it was AMAZING.
IT'S REALLY NOT!
However, the only good part of the whole book is when she talks down to him after he slept with somebody else after having sex with her.
He tells her it's no big deal that it was her first time.
Then, She tells him that he was great and hence would send her daughter to him for deflowing when she was old enough cause she knew he was useless as a mate in any real respect.
He had the emotional growth of a flee and was the biggest jerk ever.
It's only when he thinks she has moved on (cause that what he told her to do and that's what he was done) he lost it.
Hence the name double standards.
:
He can but she can't.
He didn't deserve her and he should grovel more. (like Clayton did in Whitney my love).
Just saying.
I enjoyed it somewhat!
July 14, 2010
I really enjoyed this one. I know that Paradise rates so much higher and is considered best of Judith McNaught contemporary romance but I have to disagree. I liked this one better. May be its because there wasn’t so much “work” talk since this contemporary romance is old, no cell phones, people are using typewriters and women are wearing bolero, which is a clothing item most young people may not even recognize.
Nick Sinclair is a modern rake, successful, very sexy and with a trail of admiring women. I liked Nick but he is not a typical McNaught character where he meets heroine and pursues her right away. No, he wants to have some fun but nothing beyond that. For the first part of the book we draw conclusions only from dialogue, McNaught never writes from his point of view or describes his feelings, which is what she does in all other books I have read.
Lauren is beautiful, charming, witty and adorable. I read reviews where people did not like her but I did like her a lot. In my world her reaction to a beautiful guy who pays her attention is very realistic, she thinks she loves him from the start and I have to tell you I have felt like that as well so I don’t think her being smitten, moreover when she hasn’t met many guys is surprising. When she realizes that Nick is just having fun with her and had no intention of a real relationship she grows fast and this is when the book gets fun. Nick and Lauren’s witty dialogue and their meetings at work were fantastic. I laughed and I was saying to her “You go girl”. I like it when heroines stir jealousy in the hero and prove him he is not all that. She turned into my favorite character – spitfire hellcat:)
Also this book is not like your usual McNaught, I finished it in 5hrs, its not so large in volume as the rest but for me it was a good book, I would not compare it to her historicals because I think those will always be her best works but this book deserves attention too.
Nick Sinclair is a modern rake, successful, very sexy and with a trail of admiring women. I liked Nick but he is not a typical McNaught character where he meets heroine and pursues her right away. No, he wants to have some fun but nothing beyond that. For the first part of the book we draw conclusions only from dialogue, McNaught never writes from his point of view or describes his feelings, which is what she does in all other books I have read.
Lauren is beautiful, charming, witty and adorable. I read reviews where people did not like her but I did like her a lot. In my world her reaction to a beautiful guy who pays her attention is very realistic, she thinks she loves him from the start and I have to tell you I have felt like that as well so I don’t think her being smitten, moreover when she hasn’t met many guys is surprising. When she realizes that Nick is just having fun with her and had no intention of a real relationship she grows fast and this is when the book gets fun. Nick and Lauren’s witty dialogue and their meetings at work were fantastic. I laughed and I was saying to her “You go girl”. I like it when heroines stir jealousy in the hero and prove him he is not all that. She turned into my favorite character – spitfire hellcat:)
Also this book is not like your usual McNaught, I finished it in 5hrs, its not so large in volume as the rest but for me it was a good book, I would not compare it to her historicals because I think those will always be her best works but this book deserves attention too.
January 30, 2021
Oh dear, the heroine is so stupid, but she's real life stupid as in recent ex-virgin in 1984 stupid. The phrase He's just not into you is ringing in my ears.
She's knitting him a sweater as she waits by the phone! 😰
Review
Okay, three stars if only for the smart, savvy and funny 5 star heroine who gives it to the hero with more than both barrels once she realizes that she gave her virginity to a cad and is merely one in a long, long line of sexual partners and nothing special. Her resistance to his Rico Suave moves was stellar and her putdowns were priceless. Unlike most romance heroines, she didn’t succumb to her quivering lust until the H stepped up to the plate and told he loved her.
Unfortunately, her resistance and spine of steel only made her that much more attractive to the hero as he never met a woman he couldn’t get so he wants her. It was amusing to read his shock and horror when he doesn’t immediately get what he wants.
There is a company espionage issue going on which I usually hate, but McNaught does a nice turn of the tables with it although it leads to a misunderstanding.
The hero fails the heroine once again and lives to regret it.
My issues besides the hero being a nasty player that seems to be redeemed is the off page retribution of the evil relatives.
She's knitting him a sweater as she waits by the phone! 😰
Review
Okay, three stars if only for the smart, savvy and funny 5 star heroine who gives it to the hero with more than both barrels once she realizes that she gave her virginity to a cad and is merely one in a long, long line of sexual partners and nothing special. Her resistance to his Rico Suave moves was stellar and her putdowns were priceless. Unlike most romance heroines, she didn’t succumb to her quivering lust until the H stepped up to the plate and told he loved her.
Unfortunately, her resistance and spine of steel only made her that much more attractive to the hero as he never met a woman he couldn’t get so he wants her. It was amusing to read his shock and horror when he doesn’t immediately get what he wants.
There is a company espionage issue going on which I usually hate, but McNaught does a nice turn of the tables with it although it leads to a misunderstanding.
The hero fails the heroine once again and lives to regret it.
My issues besides the hero being a nasty player that seems to be redeemed is the off page retribution of the evil relatives.
May 14, 2011
This book did it for me. I know it was outdated and definitely showed its age with some political incorrectness in sexual harassment in the office place, but I loved the story. I thought Nick was arrogant and a user and pulled one over on Lauren. He lead her to believe he was really into her and more than a one night stand. Since she was so innocent she didn't realize what a rake he was, but once she did she was strong and lead him on a merry chase. I liked how he'd try to make her jealous, yet she didn't cave until he fell hard. I love these kind of stories!!
August 15, 2022
Does this book deserve four stars? No! It doesn’t! But, dang it, some how it’s still freaking getting four stars from me because it *was* good even if it shouldn’t be good.
Nick Sinclair freaking sucks. He suuuuuucks. He’s a womanizing, cheating, walking sexual harassment lawsuit. The word consent or decency isn’t in his vocabulary. In the words of Lauren Danner, he is an arrogant conceited lecher.
But somehow in my convoluted twisted brain he and Lauren worked for me 🙈
Lauren is sent by an extended relative to do some light spy work on a competing business. Young, blushing, naive Lauren doesn’t want to do it but in a series of events ends up working for the competition anyway and vows to just stick around to make some money.
Annnnnd to stay close to the man who seduces her over a ritzy getaway weekend!
Except, surprise and ugh and 😞, Nick, her mystery man, isn’t interested in anything to do with Lauren past their weekend. And when Lauren realizes what a douche he is and that the weekend meant absolutely nothing to him, she’s PISSED. I think I enjoyed this book so much simply because of how mad Lauren is and how she yells at Nick. It’s seriously some A+ yelling and name calling 👌🏻
And, fun times now, Lauren is out on a special project and has to work directly for Nick.
There’s a happy little note at the beginning of my ebook from Judith McNaught that is like, “Hey! I wrote this in the 80s! Please ignore all of the blatant sexual harassment in the workplace and just let the fantasy flow.” Because holy mother, is there a lot of sexual harassment in this book. But holy mother, I didn’t care. Call me a sucker for a possessive bossy alpha hero, but as much as I hated Nick, I didn’t hate how he continued to try to seduce Lauren, and Gah! Did I love Lauren for continually putting him off and making that man suffer!
The drama at the end was so tense and horrible and I was nearly in tears for my poor heroine’s heart. But the freaking ending 😭 I don’t want to admit that I liked Nick in the end but he had me convinced enough that his shabby heart *might* beat eternally for Lauren. Okay fine, by the end I liked him marginally.
Like most Judith McNaught’s, this book isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s for the shameless, shabby at heart readers like me who are like, “Yeah…she said no, but just kiss her a little longer anyway.” 😅🤷🏻♀️
This book gets four stars because Lauren freaking deserves a high rating for all the men who push her around in this book and all the fighting she had to do to get her life in order! Great job bringing Nick to his knees, Lauren ✨✨✨✨
Nick Sinclair freaking sucks. He suuuuuucks. He’s a womanizing, cheating, walking sexual harassment lawsuit. The word consent or decency isn’t in his vocabulary. In the words of Lauren Danner, he is an arrogant conceited lecher.
But somehow in my convoluted twisted brain he and Lauren worked for me 🙈
Lauren is sent by an extended relative to do some light spy work on a competing business. Young, blushing, naive Lauren doesn’t want to do it but in a series of events ends up working for the competition anyway and vows to just stick around to make some money.
Annnnnd to stay close to the man who seduces her over a ritzy getaway weekend!
Except, surprise and ugh and 😞, Nick, her mystery man, isn’t interested in anything to do with Lauren past their weekend. And when Lauren realizes what a douche he is and that the weekend meant absolutely nothing to him, she’s PISSED. I think I enjoyed this book so much simply because of how mad Lauren is and how she yells at Nick. It’s seriously some A+ yelling and name calling 👌🏻
And, fun times now, Lauren is out on a special project and has to work directly for Nick.
There’s a happy little note at the beginning of my ebook from Judith McNaught that is like, “Hey! I wrote this in the 80s! Please ignore all of the blatant sexual harassment in the workplace and just let the fantasy flow.” Because holy mother, is there a lot of sexual harassment in this book. But holy mother, I didn’t care. Call me a sucker for a possessive bossy alpha hero, but as much as I hated Nick, I didn’t hate how he continued to try to seduce Lauren, and Gah! Did I love Lauren for continually putting him off and making that man suffer!
The drama at the end was so tense and horrible and I was nearly in tears for my poor heroine’s heart. But the freaking ending 😭 I don’t want to admit that I liked Nick in the end but he had me convinced enough that his shabby heart *might* beat eternally for Lauren. Okay fine, by the end I liked him marginally.
Like most Judith McNaught’s, this book isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s for the shameless, shabby at heart readers like me who are like, “Yeah…she said no, but just kiss her a little longer anyway.” 😅🤷🏻♀️
This book gets four stars because Lauren freaking deserves a high rating for all the men who push her around in this book and all the fighting she had to do to get her life in order! Great job bringing Nick to his knees, Lauren ✨✨✨✨
February 21, 2019
No se que ha tenido esta historia que a mi me ha molado, es verdad que es un telefín de Domingo por la tarde,pero en dos días me lo he ventilado.
Me gusta como escribe esta autora,ya había leído una de sus series y me encantó..
Así que ha seguir leyendo libros de ella.
Me gusta como escribe esta autora,ya había leído una de sus series y me encantó..
Así que ha seguir leyendo libros de ella.
March 15, 2014
The main guy was a...
I don't know about you but bad boys are bad for the heart. They are also not good for the consumption. Totally a big no no for certified evil man pretending to be a hero at the end. Nick was such a completely ugly illustration of a man. He was selfish, self-centered and egoistic. He had no redeeming point whatsoever. Perhaps, Ms. Judith Macnaught was trying to portray him as someone with a bad past because his mother abandoned him at a young age and as a result he treats women like trash. It was a pain to read how the main girl "tried" to resist Nick but said yes to him over and over again. The cycle never ends. It just gets more annoying and repetitive.
My verdict is...
I don't know about you but bad boys are bad for the heart. They are also not good for the consumption. Totally a big no no for certified evil man pretending to be a hero at the end. Nick was such a completely ugly illustration of a man. He was selfish, self-centered and egoistic. He had no redeeming point whatsoever. Perhaps, Ms. Judith Macnaught was trying to portray him as someone with a bad past because his mother abandoned him at a young age and as a result he treats women like trash. It was a pain to read how the main girl "tried" to resist Nick but said yes to him over and over again. The cycle never ends. It just gets more annoying and repetitive.
My verdict is...
February 27, 2018
I read it and while I didn't love it, I didn't totally hate it. H was a pig and seduced the h cold bloodedly. He then dumped her and went back to his manwhore ways. I gave it two stars simply because the h made me laugh. When she said she would let him deflower her daughter when she came of age his reaction was priceless. I laughed so hard. He was a jerk and I wish he would have grovelled more. What really pissed me off is that he already had Made plans for three weeks off with another woman already. The heroines corpse was barely cold. So much for his true love. Glad I read it but its not a keeper. I would have liked it better if he got hit by a train at the end while the h ran off with her boss Jim while he was wearing the grey sweater she knitted for the H. Oh and lots of blood everywhere. The heroes of course.
February 1, 2022
If h didn’t forgive him without decent grovel, I’d have given 5 shining stars for the love of angst, alas she didn’t hold up even 5 minutes. 🤦🏻♀️
October 2, 2021
Anlık bir güncelleme ile kitabın notunu 4'ten 3'e indirip yorumu mu da değiştirmek istedim. Yorumum aşırı kısa ve sade:
Şerefsiz Nick.
Şerefsiz Nick.
September 27, 2021
Not gonna lie... I was pretty nervous at first, but the author really turned this ship around.
This book has all the good stuff:
- manwhore H / virgin h
- mistaken identity
- one-night-stand (at least from his perspective)
- arrogant jackass, resisting love, who thinks he's in control (hehehe) 🤡
- a man who is gonna eat his words 💅🏻
- jealousy
- drama
- assumed (workplace) betrayal met with ACTUAL betrayal (emotional, not cheating)
- groveling 😈
I mean, I didn't hate it. 👀🤷🏼♀️😅
But here's the stuff I wasn't as excited about:
- the H doesn't use a condom, and YES I KNOW THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN 1984, but dang it, he didn't wrap it up, like that's just his norm, and he expected the h to take care of birth control... but he's sleeping around all over the place... so does that mean he always just raw dogs with all his casual gals??? 👀 That's nasty.
- you know what's even nastier? The h, who acts as his secretary, sees the line of women going in and out of his office, and she NEVER asks him where his peen has been, when they finally get back together... 👀😬 I mean... that seems like an important conversation to have, given the circumstances... 👀🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? I really enjoyed this book. The angst and drama and j/p goodness (when we finally got there) was TOP NOTCH. I cried at the end. I tried to cut them some dirty 1980's peen slack, but I still found it odd that she didn't ask ANY questions. 😐
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- cheating - I honestly don't have a definitive answer for you. The H and h have a one-night-stand, then the H seems to continue to date around after, at first. The h assumes he is sleeping with at least 2 people, but we find out at least of those was a misunderstanding, but she never confirms on the other... They aren't in a relationship at the time of this *possible* sex with OP, but they have been intimate.... so maybe? maybe not? depends on your definition and if you think he really did it.
- no sharing
- OW drama - the h assumes the H has girlfriends and sees him leave for dates with them, and takes their messages, as his secretary
- OM drama - the H assumes the h sleeps around with other people after their night together. He's not happy
- no dubcon
- h is a virgin and only sleeps with the H
This book has all the good stuff:
- manwhore H / virgin h
- mistaken identity
- one-night-stand (at least from his perspective)
- arrogant jackass, resisting love, who thinks he's in control (hehehe) 🤡
- a man who is gonna eat his words 💅🏻
- jealousy
- drama
- assumed (workplace) betrayal met with ACTUAL betrayal (emotional, not cheating)
- groveling 😈
I mean, I didn't hate it. 👀🤷🏼♀️😅
But here's the stuff I wasn't as excited about:
- the H doesn't use a condom, and YES I KNOW THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN 1984, but dang it, he didn't wrap it up, like that's just his norm, and he expected the h to take care of birth control... but he's sleeping around all over the place... so does that mean he always just raw dogs with all his casual gals??? 👀 That's nasty.
- you know what's even nastier? The h, who acts as his secretary, sees the line of women going in and out of his office, and she NEVER asks him where his peen has been, when they finally get back together... 👀😬 I mean... that seems like an important conversation to have, given the circumstances... 👀🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? I really enjoyed this book. The angst and drama and j/p goodness (when we finally got there) was TOP NOTCH. I cried at the end. I tried to cut them some dirty 1980's peen slack, but I still found it odd that she didn't ask ANY questions. 😐
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- cheating - I honestly don't have a definitive answer for you. The H and h have a one-night-stand, then the H seems to continue to date around after, at first. The h assumes he is sleeping with at least 2 people, but we find out at least of those was a misunderstanding, but she never confirms on the other... They aren't in a relationship at the time of this *possible* sex with OP, but they have been intimate.... so maybe? maybe not? depends on your definition and if you think he really did it.
- no sharing
- OW drama - the h assumes the H has girlfriends and sees him leave for dates with them, and takes their messages, as his secretary
- OM drama - the H assumes the h sleeps around with other people after their night together. He's not happy
- no dubcon
- h is a virgin and only sleeps with the H
April 29, 2016
This is my first Judith McNaught book and though I have a problem with the story there's no denying that the author knows how to weave her words and pull a reader's attention. Her lyrical prose is stunning. I am in love with it however I am not in love with the story's ending or the Main Character's love interest.
Like I said, I love alpha males but I just really can't put up with guys manhandling women. There's just no excuse unless it's use for pleasure. I understand how couples are into kinky stuff like that but this guy in the story is the worst; a guy who claims he loves the woman and then suddenly drops her, ruin her value just because he was hurt or felt betrayed. Can't a woman explain herself first? Can't she at least deserved that?
I would have rated this higher if I find justice for the ending but no can do.
Like I said, I love alpha males but I just really can't put up with guys manhandling women. There's just no excuse unless it's use for pleasure. I understand how couples are into kinky stuff like that but this guy in the story is the worst; a guy who claims he loves the woman and then suddenly drops her, ruin her value just because he was hurt or felt betrayed. Can't a woman explain herself first? Can't she at least deserved that?
I would have rated this higher if I find justice for the ending but no can do.
February 6, 2017
Well the story was intriguing, but unfortunately the characters were lacking. The book was a bit dated, as it was published in 1984, but that really didn't bother me. What did was the lack of connection I felt towards the characters. The story did kind of pick up near the end when the heroine finally developed a little backbone. But the hero never really did much for me which is rare for me among JM's books. All in all, I think I may have been expecting just a bit more from her. I suppose everyone is entitled to a slip from perfection every now and again.
December 8, 2025
O fim de semana deu-me limões, mas eu peguei neles e li uma limonada.
Estava a precisar de aconchegar o coração e nada como um refresco assim, não esperava nada e refrescumpriu 🍹✔️
O par masculino tinha tiradas condescendentes, mas como foi publicado em 1984, ao revirar os olhos, não é que fechei um olho e lá me fugiu para as 4 estrelas, há cá com cada uma 😆
Estava a precisar de aconchegar o coração e nada como um refresco assim, não esperava nada e refrescumpriu 🍹✔️
O par masculino tinha tiradas condescendentes, mas como foi publicado em 1984, ao revirar os olhos, não é que fechei um olho e lá me fugiu para as 4 estrelas, há cá com cada uma 😆
March 14, 2019
Ωραία πλοκή, αλλά οι πρωταγωνιστές μου έσπασαν τα νεύρα πολλές φορές. Διαβάζεται εύκολα και κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον, παρά τις αστοχίες στη συμπεριφορά των ηρώων.
December 14, 2021
Ramiems vakarams - kai norisi pakankamai lengvos knygos apie gražius žmones ir laimingą pabaigą.☺️
October 14, 2010
Another reviewer pointed out that this was definitely an 80's book, as an employer who treated an employee this way would have made the girl very wealthy.
His treatment of her from the beginning was terrible. She was very naive. I was glad to see that she stood up to him for the majority of the book. There were some of her comments that I wanted to stand up and cheer.
The end was too abrupt. I know this is JM's earlier writing, but I know that some of her newer offerings don't always give enough time at the end to show evidence of reconciliation. Other than a few sentences. It almost comes off as shallow.
'I'm sorry...I thought....Oh, you did...well your wrong..Oh, okay. Wedding.'
I am left wondering if the two have learned to communicate to avoid future 'big misunderstandings'.
If JM didn't do such a good job of providing the background to show where the H/H was predisposed to think as they did, I wouldn't insist on the 'closure' at the end.
When they (the writer) can completely sell you on the disfunction, as to why the characters can blow it so bad in their mistreatment of each other, they should be able to then show that the characters can now make healthy future decisions (HEA) and really deal with what caused the 'BIG misunderstanding'.
A wedding night does not a HEA prove after so much turmoil.
His treatment of her from the beginning was terrible. She was very naive. I was glad to see that she stood up to him for the majority of the book. There were some of her comments that I wanted to stand up and cheer.
The end was too abrupt. I know this is JM's earlier writing, but I know that some of her newer offerings don't always give enough time at the end to show evidence of reconciliation. Other than a few sentences. It almost comes off as shallow.
'I'm sorry...I thought....Oh, you did...well your wrong..Oh, okay. Wedding.'
I am left wondering if the two have learned to communicate to avoid future 'big misunderstandings'.
If JM didn't do such a good job of providing the background to show where the H/H was predisposed to think as they did, I wouldn't insist on the 'closure' at the end.
When they (the writer) can completely sell you on the disfunction, as to why the characters can blow it so bad in their mistreatment of each other, they should be able to then show that the characters can now make healthy future decisions (HEA) and really deal with what caused the 'BIG misunderstanding'.
A wedding night does not a HEA prove after so much turmoil.
July 4, 2012
This book was originally published in 1984. It was a hoot to read chick lit from more than 20 years ago:
* Lauren is a secretary with stenographic skills and uses a typewriter ... not a computer in sight!
* Lauren wears velour shorts with a matching top ... I remember that fashion!
* Lauren drives a six month old Trans Am.
* Nick is an experienced 37-year-old; he's intense and carrying the hurt of the abandonment of his mother ... our typical hero from that time.
* Lauren is a 23-year-old virgin (our typical heroine from that time) who falls in love with Nick the second she meets him and gives herself to him within four days.
* Lauren is shocked when Nick doesn't want to marry after their experience together.
* Nick humiliates Lauren when he thinks he has discovered her betrayal and takes a month or so to discover the truth (he is, BTW, tortured by thoughts of her). He comes to her at her sick dad's house in a small town and wins her over (even though she yells at him to leave). They marry within three days. I bet there was a baby within the year cuz marriage and babies completed women back then.
Back in the 80s, I read McNaught's books and enjoyed them. It was a simpler, more innocent time, I guess.
I don't know if I could go back in time again anytime soon.
* Lauren is a secretary with stenographic skills and uses a typewriter ... not a computer in sight!
* Lauren wears velour shorts with a matching top ... I remember that fashion!
* Lauren drives a six month old Trans Am.
* Nick is an experienced 37-year-old; he's intense and carrying the hurt of the abandonment of his mother ... our typical hero from that time.
* Lauren is a 23-year-old virgin (our typical heroine from that time) who falls in love with Nick the second she meets him and gives herself to him within four days.
* Lauren is shocked when Nick doesn't want to marry after their experience together.
* Nick humiliates Lauren when he thinks he has discovered her betrayal and takes a month or so to discover the truth (he is, BTW, tortured by thoughts of her). He comes to her at her sick dad's house in a small town and wins her over (even though she yells at him to leave). They marry within three days. I bet there was a baby within the year cuz marriage and babies completed women back then.
Back in the 80s, I read McNaught's books and enjoyed them. It was a simpler, more innocent time, I guess.
I don't know if I could go back in time again anytime soon.
October 12, 2017
Kitap boyunca Nick’e sinirlenmekten başka bir şey yapamadım. Nick’ten ne kadar nefret ettiysem, Lauren’ı da o kadar sevdim. Son bölümde resmen bir yandan gözlerim doldu, bir yandan sinirden köpürdüm. 😰😔
Son kısmı biraz aceleye gelmiş gibi oldu, araştırmanın yapılması, özür dilemesi ve affetmesi 15-20 sayfaya sıkıştırılmıştı. Oysa Lauren’a gibi bir karaktere yakışan biraz daha kapısında süründürmekti.
Onun dışında yazarın kalemi çok hoşuma gitti. Kitabın en güzel yerleri Nick ve Lauren arasında geçen diyaloglardı. 🙃 Tabi sadece Lauren’ı yazdığı kısmı beğendim, Nick kısmında bana göre epey sorun vardı. Hayatımda bu kadar kendini beğenmiş, ukala, pislik, hödük bir karakter daha okumadım. Bütün yaptıklarından sonra, özellikle kovması ve yalvartması, yakışıklığı da zenginliği de olmaz olsun dedirtti. Sürüm sürüm sürünsün istedim. 😏😒
Son kısmı biraz aceleye gelmiş gibi oldu, araştırmanın yapılması, özür dilemesi ve affetmesi 15-20 sayfaya sıkıştırılmıştı. Oysa Lauren’a gibi bir karaktere yakışan biraz daha kapısında süründürmekti.
Onun dışında yazarın kalemi çok hoşuma gitti. Kitabın en güzel yerleri Nick ve Lauren arasında geçen diyaloglardı. 🙃 Tabi sadece Lauren’ı yazdığı kısmı beğendim, Nick kısmında bana göre epey sorun vardı. Hayatımda bu kadar kendini beğenmiş, ukala, pislik, hödük bir karakter daha okumadım. Bütün yaptıklarından sonra, özellikle kovması ve yalvartması, yakışıklığı da zenginliği de olmaz olsun dedirtti. Sürüm sürüm sürünsün istedim. 😏😒
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2023
I do understand why people don't like it, but damn I like and adore it.🤣🤣 I like jerks, assholes and alpha heros the exact opposite of my hubby.
11/18/2023
Still four star
11/18/2023
Still four star
February 4, 2026
Angst dose delivered, subject revitalized
McNaught and Harlequin are a match made in heaven~~~
All the angsty she's known for with the page restrictions of harlequin novelettes~
It's true that the characters feel less fleshed out and the plot simpler, but
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
McNaught and Harlequin are a match made in heaven~~~
All the angsty she's known for with the page restrictions of harlequin novelettes~
It's true that the characters feel less fleshed out and the plot simpler, but
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
May 21, 2022
3,5 ❤️ 😤 ❤️🌟s
Το γουρουνι!!!!
Το γουρουνι!!!!
March 27, 2013
“He interrupted her with a boyish grin. "I promise I'll never wear your clothes, and I won't steal your allowances or your boyfriends either." Lauren couldn't help starting to smile as he finished, "And if you swear never to call me Nicky again, I won't bite you."
She stepped aside and let him in, then took his jacket and hung it in the closet. When she turned, Nick was leaning against the closed front door, his arms crossed over his chest. "On second thought," he grinned, "I take part of that back. I'd love to bite you.”
This book started out very slow for me. The first one third of this book seemed to just be the story of 'How Lauren Danner got everything a girl could possibly want' which didn't exactly provoke much empathy for her even when things started going wrong. Call it jealousy if you want, but I just thought Lauren was too perfect a heroine. She was confident, witty, stunningingly gorgeous and intelligent AND she got the man... I certainly didn't connect with her much.
Another criticism I would have of this book is that it is the most abrupt book I've read. Although the beginning was a bit slow and not particularly interesting, things started happening out of nowhere. Like *bam* two days after meeting Lauren decides she's in love with Nick. Then *bam* they have sex. *Bam* Lauren's virginity goes out the window (and apparantly it doesn't even hurt). *Bam* he leaves her. *Bam* they get back together and now... they're getting married? I could go on but I'm sure you get the gist. There is a little bit of suspense at the end but its solved very quickly.
Despite the book's shortcomings I did like the witty banter between the two and some of the things Lauren said to Nick were quite funny and I found myself reluctantly thinking "You go girl!" I'm sort of glad the book wrapped up quickly because I think I wouldn't have enjoyed reading more. I wouldn't say this book was the kind of quality you'd expect from Judith McNaught but then again I didn't read it with very high expectations. It was definitely better than Someone to Watch Over Me but it doesn't even begin to compare to Paradise and her historicals.
Rate: 3.5 - 4 stars
She stepped aside and let him in, then took his jacket and hung it in the closet. When she turned, Nick was leaning against the closed front door, his arms crossed over his chest. "On second thought," he grinned, "I take part of that back. I'd love to bite you.”
This book started out very slow for me. The first one third of this book seemed to just be the story of 'How Lauren Danner got everything a girl could possibly want' which didn't exactly provoke much empathy for her even when things started going wrong. Call it jealousy if you want, but I just thought Lauren was too perfect a heroine. She was confident, witty, stunningingly gorgeous and intelligent AND she got the man... I certainly didn't connect with her much.
Another criticism I would have of this book is that it is the most abrupt book I've read. Although the beginning was a bit slow and not particularly interesting, things started happening out of nowhere. Like *bam* two days after meeting Lauren decides she's in love with Nick. Then *bam* they have sex. *Bam* Lauren's virginity goes out the window (and apparantly it doesn't even hurt). *Bam* he leaves her. *Bam* they get back together and now... they're getting married? I could go on but I'm sure you get the gist. There is a little bit of suspense at the end but its solved very quickly.
Despite the book's shortcomings I did like the witty banter between the two and some of the things Lauren said to Nick were quite funny and I found myself reluctantly thinking "You go girl!" I'm sort of glad the book wrapped up quickly because I think I wouldn't have enjoyed reading more. I wouldn't say this book was the kind of quality you'd expect from Judith McNaught but then again I didn't read it with very high expectations. It was definitely better than Someone to Watch Over Me but it doesn't even begin to compare to Paradise and her historicals.
Rate: 3.5 - 4 stars
March 4, 2024
I’ve always got a lot of nostalgia for Judith McNaught romance books and that combined with her engaging writing and storytelling meant I still enjoyed this one a lot despite its obvious flaws.
The story was pretty fun. Lauren Danner is forced to beg a favour from a distant relative in order to get a good paying job in the big city so she can help pay her sick father’s medical bills. Unfortunately she lets that relative talk her into a bit of corporate espionage. Which gets even more complicated when she falls in love with her boss!
Both the story and the romance were enjoyable in their own ways. I always find McNaught has the talent to hook me on he story and suck me into all the melodrama and engage me emotionally in the happenings.
I’m not sure I’d be comfortable recommending these tales to the modern reader as the McNaught heroes can be real fonts of toxic masculinity. Nick was not as bad as some of the worst McNaught male leads in that regard but he could still be pretty awful at times.
On the whole McNaught just has some old school conservative values when it comes to beliefs and gender dynamics and I can definitely see that turning a lot of modern day readers off the story. I’m surprisingly tolerant which I put down to a combination of the good elements of the story and the writing along with my own prudish and conservative upbringing. This book was published in the early 80s and McNaught was born in the 40s so its not surprising the story has a lot of 50s and 60s beliefs mixed in with some of the more liberal (for the time) 70s and 80s beliefs.
I still loved this tale despite the flaws. McNaught is the author that hooked me on romance books in my teen years and I’m happy to say that her stuff still works for me today even if I see a lot more flaws than I did back in my teen years!
Rating: 4 stars. I’ll chop a star off my old 5 stat nostalgia rating due to some of the old school beliefs prompting a fair bit of eye rolling in the modern day ultra liberal version of me but no more than that as this was still a story that hooked me from start to finish and as I grow older I realise that is a feat that is becoming increasingly rare!
The story was pretty fun. Lauren Danner is forced to beg a favour from a distant relative in order to get a good paying job in the big city so she can help pay her sick father’s medical bills. Unfortunately she lets that relative talk her into a bit of corporate espionage. Which gets even more complicated when she falls in love with her boss!
Both the story and the romance were enjoyable in their own ways. I always find McNaught has the talent to hook me on he story and suck me into all the melodrama and engage me emotionally in the happenings.
I’m not sure I’d be comfortable recommending these tales to the modern reader as the McNaught heroes can be real fonts of toxic masculinity. Nick was not as bad as some of the worst McNaught male leads in that regard but he could still be pretty awful at times.
On the whole McNaught just has some old school conservative values when it comes to beliefs and gender dynamics and I can definitely see that turning a lot of modern day readers off the story. I’m surprisingly tolerant which I put down to a combination of the good elements of the story and the writing along with my own prudish and conservative upbringing. This book was published in the early 80s and McNaught was born in the 40s so its not surprising the story has a lot of 50s and 60s beliefs mixed in with some of the more liberal (for the time) 70s and 80s beliefs.
I still loved this tale despite the flaws. McNaught is the author that hooked me on romance books in my teen years and I’m happy to say that her stuff still works for me today even if I see a lot more flaws than I did back in my teen years!
Rating: 4 stars. I’ll chop a star off my old 5 stat nostalgia rating due to some of the old school beliefs prompting a fair bit of eye rolling in the modern day ultra liberal version of me but no more than that as this was still a story that hooked me from start to finish and as I grow older I realise that is a feat that is becoming increasingly rare!
May 13, 2022
“Nem sempre o que se quer é o melhor para nós.”
Lauren acha que Nick é “fascinante, enigmático, ardente e ela estava a apaixonar-se por ele.”
Nick acha que Lauren “tem os olhos de um anjo, um corpo que intoxica mas… o vocabulário de um professor de inglês e uma língua como um bisturi.”
Mas ele não a consegue esquecer e vice-versa. Só que ao contrário dela ele não está interessado numa relação séria.
Uma teia de enganos, mentiras e drama familiar que vai levar a um romance conturbado e com muitos altos e baixos.
Ao contrário das opiniões que tenho lido, eu ADORO esta história. O Nick é péssimo e a Lauren Ingénua, sim. Mas acho que está explicada a razão de ser assim e consigo sentir uma química entre os personagens que torna a história viciante e incrível.
O Nick teve um trauma familiar que o fez pensar a vida e comportar-se da maneira que faz e, embora não o desculpe, acho que se compreende.
Quanto à Lauren acho que é mais fácil para ela aceitar as ações do Nick porque a conhecer o seu passado, as circunstâncias em que tudo aconteceu, e as pessoas envolvidas. Ela própria tem um passado não muito agradável com essas mesmas pessoas.
As coisas poderiam ser diferentes se não estivessem em foco as pessoas em causa. “Complicado de Entender”? Não posso revelar mais sem estragar a leitura a quem a quiser fazer.
Não deixem de dar uma oportunidade a esta leitura, quem sabe pertencem à minha equipa e gostam muito.
Quem for ler tenha em conta que este foi um livro escrito em 1984, numa realidade completamente diferente, antes da internet, redes sociais e telemóveis. Noutro século, literalmente. E que todos erramos e merecemos novas oportunidades.
Se eu gostava que fosse maior, claro que sim. Seria mais desenvolvido e ficaria melhor ainda. Mas adoro as personagens, a história e tudo o que a envolve. Em especial o desfecho.
Os livros são assim despertam sensações e emoções diferentes a cada um.
Lauren acha que Nick é “fascinante, enigmático, ardente e ela estava a apaixonar-se por ele.”
Nick acha que Lauren “tem os olhos de um anjo, um corpo que intoxica mas… o vocabulário de um professor de inglês e uma língua como um bisturi.”
Mas ele não a consegue esquecer e vice-versa. Só que ao contrário dela ele não está interessado numa relação séria.
Uma teia de enganos, mentiras e drama familiar que vai levar a um romance conturbado e com muitos altos e baixos.
Ao contrário das opiniões que tenho lido, eu ADORO esta história. O Nick é péssimo e a Lauren Ingénua, sim. Mas acho que está explicada a razão de ser assim e consigo sentir uma química entre os personagens que torna a história viciante e incrível.
O Nick teve um trauma familiar que o fez pensar a vida e comportar-se da maneira que faz e, embora não o desculpe, acho que se compreende.
Quanto à Lauren acho que é mais fácil para ela aceitar as ações do Nick porque a conhecer o seu passado, as circunstâncias em que tudo aconteceu, e as pessoas envolvidas. Ela própria tem um passado não muito agradável com essas mesmas pessoas.
As coisas poderiam ser diferentes se não estivessem em foco as pessoas em causa. “Complicado de Entender”? Não posso revelar mais sem estragar a leitura a quem a quiser fazer.
Não deixem de dar uma oportunidade a esta leitura, quem sabe pertencem à minha equipa e gostam muito.
Quem for ler tenha em conta que este foi um livro escrito em 1984, numa realidade completamente diferente, antes da internet, redes sociais e telemóveis. Noutro século, literalmente. E que todos erramos e merecemos novas oportunidades.
Se eu gostava que fosse maior, claro que sim. Seria mais desenvolvido e ficaria melhor ainda. Mas adoro as personagens, a história e tudo o que a envolve. Em especial o desfecho.
Os livros são assim despertam sensações e emoções diferentes a cada um.
May 3, 2013
I was about to start reading this but it seems I have read it a few years ago and I wasn't impressed. Not sure why but I remember I didn't like the main characters.
misc-romance
May 8, 2024Chips recommended this. I started it because I was bored in the 45 minute Frozen ride queue at Epcot.
This is a Judith McNaught harlequin. Heroine moves to Chicago to try and make money to help pay for her sick father’s bills. She meets the hero who is pretending to be just a regular engineer.
I loved her in the first 90% but hated her decision making after that.
This is a Judith McNaught harlequin. Heroine moves to Chicago to try and make money to help pay for her sick father’s bills. She meets the hero who is pretending to be just a regular engineer.
I loved her in the first 90% but hated her decision making after that.
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