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Come Lie with Me

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Blake Remington lives life to the fullest. So when a terrible accident robs him of his ability to walk, it also takes away all of his desire to live.

Dione Kelly, a physical therapist, takes on his case and begins to heal this broken man and help him realize there is so much more to gain from living. While forcing Blake to face his inner demons, Dione begins to face her own fears.

Together, the two of them gain a new respect for life—and a love that could last a lifetime!

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1984

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1074 people want to read

About the author

Linda Howard

222 books7,164 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.

Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.

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5 stars
830 (22%)
4 stars
1,254 (34%)
3 stars
1,145 (31%)
2 stars
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1 star
94 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
Profile Image for Vintage.
2,714 reviews716 followers
September 26, 2018
Big fat yuck.

Ruh roh moment when I had to check the publication date when Dione the heroine describes herself as an exotic babe voguing in a sexy white jumpsuit, hoop earrings and her golden cat eyes as mysterious as time. The hero’s lack of reaction to her exotic feminine awesomeness brings home his not wanting to live so much more clearly than him being cadaverous and parapalegic. Yep, it’s 1984 again where Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, and Hotel were in the top 12 shows. That’s a lot of hair spray and shoulder pads.



It gets worse. I lived through the 80s once, and this stupid book made me do it again.

Dione is the equivalent of an Olympic Gold quality physical therapist and has taken on the H who has lost his will to live. Not under her watch. She bullies, angers and intrigues him just to engage in the necessary therapy and actually sees him make progress. She is dedicated to her patients. Ah hem. Really dedicated.

Lost my mind and started skimming when after the hero confesses he is afraid he will be impotent, she goes on a humongous shopping spree with his sister to buy clothing to entice him: see through blouses, bikinis, etc. Gee, that’s taking dedication to an extreme. Eventually they succumb to the mighty passion that has been lurking between the parallel bars and…issues!

Linda Howard must have hated the heroine because she gave her not one, but two MAJOR backstory issues.

Side story with the H’s idiotic and smothering sister and her husband, and the heroine ups the ante on TSTL. Oh yeah, the kicker was when the hero admitted he had been lying about his fear of impotence because he was sooooo attracted to her. lol

I really like Linda Howard, but I would give this a miss. It’s something like the fourth book she wrote, and she definitely improved over the years.
Profile Image for *TANYA*.
1,002 reviews427 followers
May 17, 2018
Loved it!! These older Linda Howard books are freaking fantastic. This book reminded me of Adam’s Fall by Sandra Brown. Just sayin’.
Profile Image for Naksed.
2,220 reviews
June 21, 2016
Sweet, humorous romance pitting an irascible patient with the no-nonsense therapist who is going to make sure he walks again, come hell or highwater. The first half of the novel was wonderful. Linda Howard injects her humorous banter and some truly comical scenes as these two strong and stubborn individuals lock horns to the bemusement of the people surrounding them.

Second half of the novel was a bit of a let down. Why can't we have a strong, confident female character without necessarily saddling her with a martyr back story? What was all the OW-OM nonsense for?

I wouldn't say that it completely fizzled out at the end. It was still very sweet and romantic, thanks to one of the better Linda Howard heroes I have come across (his obligatory big fat jerk moment was so tepid and short-lived that it felt just artificially inserted for the sake of creating some drama, otherwise he really was stellar). I just wished the heroine stayed feisty and strong til the end, minus all the waterworks and feelz.
Profile Image for Mo.
1,404 reviews2 followers
September 28, 2017
Typical LH I suppose. Tortured hero, who is a bit of an ass. Although she was well able for him and she gave as good as she got but, overall, it was just some light reading in between work today.

The book is 33 years old. You can tell. LOL. Cannot be arsed even looking for a picture for my review.
Profile Image for Kitzya.
104 reviews93 followers
June 14, 2016
ellos dos hacen una pareja perfecta, me he reido mucho y he tenido un nudo en el estomago con la historia de ella.
El final me ha gustado pero tanta desconfiaza de él hacia ella me cansaba. Al final me gusto Selena aunque al principio pense que no la soportaria.
343 reviews84 followers
October 13, 2020
Early one from LH (1984, and her fourth book) that shows a talented writer who hasn't quite found her signature style yet. High soapy drama, with an paraplegic former-daredevil hero who's lost the will to live and the determined physical-therapist heroine who's going to get him on his feet again. She does whatever it takes to get him going--making him angry, getting his mojo working with sexy outfits, challenging his ego. The heroine is also damaged, with a backstory that's kept her celibate since she was 18 (she's 30). The whole "healing each other" theme here is simplistic and maybe even a little offensive in the ease with which they overcome their mutual traumas, but overall it's a decent read with some good chemistry between the MCs and a precursor of LH's patented alphas and fiesty heroines who will come to be such a hallmark of her books. I liked it but didn't love it.
Profile Image for Alba Turunen.
834 reviews268 followers
February 23, 2024
3'5 Estrellitas. No ha estado mal, teniendo en cuenta los años que tiene, es bastante viejillo y no sé si de los primeros de Linda Howard. Ha tenido algunos altibajos, pero las cosas buenas han superado las malas, por eso me ha gustado.

"Amanecer contigo" es un libro de Linda Howard publicado por Harlequin. Eso mismo quiere decir que es una novela cortita, pero muy consistente y que ha quedado muy bien. Además lo acompaña un buen argumento.

Blake Remmington es un empresario de Phoenix que ha perdido las ganas de vivir. Siempre fue un tipo alegre y aventurero, capaz de cualquier cosa. Pero un accidente lo ha dejado postrado en silla de ruedas y poco a poco ha ido consumiendo su existencia.

Dione Kelley es fisioterapeuta, pero al contrario que Blake, sus lesiones son internas. Dione es una mujer herida y muy hermética. Traicionada por las personas que más debían haberla amado y protegido, no sabe lo que es el amor, ni amar. Y entre sus normas siempre está el no enamorarse de un paciente, para ella fácil, que casi siempre trata con niños.

Dione también es una mujer nómada, no tiene vivienda propia y se mueve de un lado para otro del país, trabajando a destajo para un único paciente, hasta que la contrata otro.

Cuando el libro empieza, Dione está disfrutando de unas vacaciones y no tiene prisa por volver al trabajo, pero un atractivo hombre trajeado se le acerca un día para contratarla en la rehabilitación de su cuñado. Este le presenta el informe médico de Blake, un informe que la deja intrigada, porque pese a la gravedad del accidente y las lesiones, estas no son completas, y con una buena terapia, Dione sabe que Blake volverá a andar.

Blake se había encargado de despedir a todos los fisioterapeutas que le había llevado su familia para recibir terapia. Pero basta que Dione llegue a su casa y la ponga patas arriba para hacer que éste cambie de opinión. Desde el principio, Dione establece unas reglas muy estrictas; dormirá al lado de la habitación de su paciente, elaborará un calendario de ejercicios muy completo que incluye gimnasio, piscina y bañera de hidromasaje, y sobre todo, un horario para recibir las visitas de su hermana y su cuñado, que le agobian bastante.

Al principio, el trabajo y la relación entre ellos no es fácil. Blake es un hombre que está marcado por su minusvalía y que no quiere vivir si no puede recuperar la vida que tenía antes, de modo que lo hará todo complicado y a regañadientes, y Dione aprenderá a sacar lo mejor de él enfadándole y convirtiendo cada actividad que hagan en un reto.

La rehabilitación transcurrirá durante varios meses, y poco a poco el lector verá como empiezan a cambiar las cosas entre ellos en el momento en que Blake pueda mover los dedos de los pies y sentir calambres en las piernas. Cuando Blake empiece a recuperar su vida, algo más despertará en él, y es la atracción que siente por su fisioterapeuta, una mujer valiente que no se ha rendido en ningún momento con él y se ha armado de paciencia durante todo el proceso.

Por su parte, Dione se repite que no se enamorará de su paciente, pero Blake se lo pondrá muy fácil. El problema con Dione, es que su trauma es interior, y no se cree digna de merecer el amor que Blake le ofrece.

Pese a ello, tenemos un libro muy hermoso y pasional, donde las escenas íntimas son las justas, y el romance convence con su desarrollo tan pausado.

Lo malo que ha tenido el libro han sido ciertos giros algo desagradables, pues cuando los protagonistas se encuentran en lo mejor de su historia, los celos y las discusiones amargan lo que han construido. Personalmente, ese conflicto no me ha gustado, admito que hoy día es algo desfasado en las novelas mas modernas, pero se puede perdonar precisamente por los tiempos en que se escribió la novela, y también porque las partes bonitas superan las malas.

En el fondo ha sido una historia muy bonita y tierna, donde descubrimos a dos personas heridas a las que la vida les da una segunda oportunidad. A mí me ha convencido, le he cogido cierto cariño, a él y a sus personajes, y sobre todo porque me lo regaló mi pareja y ha acertado con él.
Profile Image for Bridget.
112 reviews
November 12, 2012
I was disappointed with this Linda Howard book. I've enjoyed most of her books so far but this one was so tepid, so bland, so average. I disliked Blake's use of the word 'Lady' when addressing Dione. It was OK before he got to know Dione, but when they've established a relationship, using the impersonal 'lady' when addressing her, was annoying.
Profile Image for JG.
426 reviews
February 10, 2013
"Think of it as therapy," he encouraged. "A sort of repayment for your own therapeutic knowledge. You gave me a reason to live, and I'll show you how to live."

This is my 2nd Linda Howard book this day! YUP! Two books in a day and i am NOT disappointed! Linda Howard creates a plot that are straight from every woman's romantic fantasy.

You want to spend a romantic weekend alone? By all means, grab her books and enjoy yourself! Her plots are always interesting, her writing fetching, her heroines are not annoying and heroes are guaranted sexy!

Come lie with is about a physical therapist; our heroine is beautiful, great at her job, and have dark secrets of her own, a reason why she keeps men at bay.

Our hero attacks life, he is a very physical person which ended when he falls into an accident and crippled he's legs. He has given up all hope and that is when our heroine comes in.

Our hero is depressed, mad at the world, and doesn't want her help. It's really amusing to see how our heroine, with her wit and smart, makes our hero obey. Of course they have their own up and down, it's not easy working with a very stubborn man who always want to have it he's way; but our hero never gave up...

They learn to respect each other, and the attraction pulls them like two magnet.

Our heroine tries to fight it. Our hero does everything to push it. SIGH!


This is a really ROMANTIC read.

"I'll be on another case soon. You won't need me anymore. You'll be walking, though I think you should wait a while before climbing another mountain."

"You're my therapist," Blake snapped.#

Dione gave a little laugh. "For months you've depended on me more than any other person in your life. Your perspective is distorted now.
Believe me, by the time I've been gone a month, you won't even think about me."

'Do you mean you'd just turn your back on me and walk away?" he asked disbelievingly.
Profile Image for Aarann.
981 reviews82 followers
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June 22, 2016
I have to make this short because I'm typing this on a phone. The evil overlords at work have finally blocked Goodreads from our computers. How dare they expect me to be productive?

Anyway, overall, I liked this one but it is far from my favorite LH. It's basically the same story as Adam's Fall by Sandra Brown, one of my very favorites, only this time the FMC was emotionally damaged by a horrific and violent marriage. So of course when she realizes that Adam Blake needs to feel that he can "be a man" (wink wink nudge nudge) again once his therapy is complete she decides to seduce him -- only, you know, not because she can't stand to be touched romantically. So she's going to parade around in skimpy clothes, show him he can still get it up, and, no, she doesn't seem to have an endgame if he should decide to act on his impulses, but I'm sure it'll work out just fine. And of course this is a romance novel so it does.

Not a bad book, but not my favorite, and the audio performance was good, with my only complaint being the narrator's weird, sort of Christian-Bale-as-Batman voice for Blake.
Profile Image for Anita.
2,632 reviews217 followers
May 15, 2013
Bad, just really bad. I love Linda Howard, but this book is just plain bad. Dione is a private duty physical therapist who has taken on the case of Blake, a sports enthusiast, test pilot, engineer, who has suffered a devastating accident and can't walk. The doctors have repaired him, but he refuses to rehabilitate or cooperate. Dione brings him back to life and falls in love with him. The last 10% of the book was pretty good.
Profile Image for Joanna.
467 reviews
July 13, 2019
Me ha gustado mucho la historia, el único pero que le pongo es el final, me hubiera encantado leer un epílogo. Ya había leído Shades of Twilight de esta autora y tampoco escribió epílogo en este, supongo que Linda Howard simplemente jamás los escribe y tengo que hacerme a la idea cada que lea algo más de ella.

La relación entre Blake y Dione me gustó muchísimo, leí el libro muy rápido y nunca me aburrió. Me alegro que ambos hayan sanado, los dos tenían algo por lo que recuperarse y con ayuda mutua lo lograron. Ambos personajes fueron tan tenaces, todos sus propósitos los cumplen y eso los hace merecedores el uno del otro.

Me encantó leer acerca de la Fisioterapia, ya había leído un libro con una fisioterapeuta como protagonista pero no me canso de leer acerca de esta profesión, de verdad me parece un campo de la medicina muy difícil y de aplaudir.


4.5⭐️
Profile Image for Audrey Dry.
Author 5 books351 followers
Read
August 11, 2023
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FACEPALM!!!!!!!

¡Señor! No sé ni por dónde empezar…

Estoy pensando… Supongo que por el principio sería lo correcto. Lamentablemente tengo que poner spoilers, los marcaré así que no habrá problema.

Introducción: Dione, fisioterapeuta, guapa y con un cuerpo de infarto, acepta el caso de rehabilitar a Blake, el cual está en silla de ruedas y con terapia podría volver a caminar.

Juro por Dios que esperaba una historia tierna, cariñosa y humilde. Romántica y pasional, también. Pero sobre todo entrañable. Me he encontrado con unas barbaries que daban miedo, y también risa. Básicamente porque no me quedaba otra cosa que hacer que no fuera reírme.

Nudo: Di conoce a Blake. Ya había visto una foto de él antes del accidente y le pareció guapo. Algo evidente dado que se trata de un libro romántico. A medida que lo rehabilita… ufff, ¡¡cómo se pone!! Se pone cañón. Musculoso y fuerte. Nunca pensé que la rehabilitación fuera un entrenamiento militar (sarcasmo).

Hasta aquí me pareció una historia rápida. Demasiado rápida. Su relación avanza a la velocidad de la luz. Al principio no se pueden ver porque él no acepta que vaya a caminar, y después se gastan bromas amigables. Los saltos en el tiempo se hacen tan rápidos y tan persistentes que pierdes la noción del tiempo. Y claro, al hacer el salto en el tiempo, la autora se ve obligada a hacer el salto en la relación. Lo cual deja al lector desconcertado.

Aquí viene lo bueno (Clara, toma nota. Te diría que leyeras los spoilers, pero como tienes el libro en to-read quizá sea mejor leerlo. Pero te vas a llevar una sorpresa XD).

1) Blake está en silla de ruedas por lo que no puede… ya sabéis. Total, que se siente mal.
2) Di decide vestirse con ropa provocativa para excitarlo y que se le empine. Tal cual.
3)

Llegados a este punto voy a decir que el comportamiento de Blake me pareció asqueroso. Vale, ella cometió la estupidez de vestirse así, pero Blake… me resultó repugnante.

A partir de este punto ya me picaba la nariz…

Desenlace: A continuación GRAN SPOILER:



Opinión personal: No sé si este fue uno de los primeros libros que Linda Howard escribió, pero OMG… Di es una insensata. Blake es un manipulador asqueroso. Es un f*cking psicópata. Este libro es para tirárselo a la autora a la cabeza. Es vergonzoso.

Resumiendo: no voy a calificar este libro porque no puedo. En mi opinión no se merece ni una triste star. Lo cual es una pena porque Linda Howard me gusta mucho, pero con este libro se lleva la palma.
Profile Image for The Bibliophile Doctor.
829 reviews282 followers
June 30, 2021
Another typical hero being an ass and heroine persuing hero story but atleast here the heroine had a purpose to pursue him.

Him being paraplegic and she being a therapist. It made more sense to me than the movie/ book "me before you". Now that I have thought of that, it seems like that book might be copy of this one. The bad part is this one isn't famous but me before you is. Unfair, I know.

It was a good read but I have read better books by LH.
Profile Image for Katherine 黄爱芬.
2,413 reviews290 followers
April 16, 2019
Blake Remington boleh saja memiliki banyak uang, tetapi kecelakaan pendakian gunung membuatnya patah semangat hidupnya. Selama 2 tahun ini dia membiarkan kemuraman hatinya menggerogoti fisiknya. Hingga iparnya, Richard mendatangkan terapis cantik bernama Dionne.

Dionne bukan sekedar terapis, dia istimewa. Dionne tidak gentar dgn serangan verbal dan permusuhan yg acap dilontarkan Blake. Dionne membantu penyembuhan Blake melampaui jiwa dan raganya. Saat Blake menyatakan dirinya impoten, Dionne tahu dirinya melewati batasan hubungan pasien dan terapisnya, dia berusaha menolong Blake terlalu sepenuh hatinya.

Saat Dionne menyadari dirinya "ditipu" oleh Blake ttg impotensinya, Dionne malah seperti membuka luka hatinya yg sudah membusuk yg selama ini dia simpan rapat-rapat. Pernikahannya di usia sangat muda mengajarkannya utk tidak mudah percaya pada pria. Dan ketika Blake melamar dirinya utk menikah, Dionne sangat meyakini bhw Blake tidak sungguh-sungguh mencintainya, mereka hanya saling tertarik krn kedekatan fisik belaka. Dionne takut dirinya akan terluka kembali seperti pernikahannya yg pertama. Dapatkah Blake meyakinkan Dionne bhw dirinya sungguh mencintai si terapis cantik ini?

Setelah sekian lama selalu "anjlok" membaca buku tante LH, baru buku ini meningkatkan mood baca saya juga. Saya suka karakter Blake dan Dionne. Dionne adalah wanita tangguh yg dibesarkan tanpa kasih sayang, tetapi bisa mencintai dan menyayangi Blake dgn luar biasa, walaupun kebimbangan dan kegalauan masa lalunya selalu "berhembus" menghalanginya utk percaya pd kekukuhan cinta Blake. Sedangkan Blake adalah tipikal hero yg "sulit", acap kali cenderung kasar di awal-awal, tapi sangat relevan mengingat 2 tahun hidupnya hanya berkutat dan terpenjara oleh tubuhnya sendiri, hanya ditemani oleh adiknya dan beberapa pembantu setianya. Dan saya sangat suka cara author mendeskripsikan proses perjuangan Blake utk mencapai kesembuhannya, tidak ada yg instan baik penyembuhan fisik maupun cinta mereka. Dan saya juga suka cara Blake menangani kegalauan Dionne, memberi waktu memang penting utk mengetes cinta sejati mereka.

Sidekick dlm novel ini, Serena dan Richard lumayan menarik walaupun tidak mendetail, bhw cinta tulus satu sama lain, karakter yg klop tidak menjamin keutuhan rumah tangga kalau satu sama lain saling egois, tidak menyirami perhatian pada satu sama lainnya. Gak heran pada zaman skrg perceraian mudah terjadi walaupun tanpa pihak ketiga yg terlibat. Dan karakter Dionne makin punya nilai tambah dlm hubungan Serena dan Richard, bhw sbg perempuan cantik tidak akan pernah "mengail dalam air keruh" dlm biduk rumah tangga yg sedang terancam karam itu. Utk menghadapi pria spt Richard, yg tertarik pd perempuan lain yg bukan pasangannya KUDU PAKAI KACAMATA KUDA alias gak peduli seberapa pun menariknya si pria, HARUS SANGAT SADAR PRIA TSB ADALAH MILIK ORANG LAIN.
Profile Image for D.G..
1,439 reviews334 followers
March 27, 2017
**3.5 stars**

For a book written in 1984, this romance didn't feel at all outdated - that is, if you don't count the "Dynasty" style name of the hero, Blake Remington.

Dione is a very talented physical therapist who's hired to help Blake walk again. Two years ago he suffered a terrible accident and even though his surgery was successful, he has pretty much given up. Dione first task is to get him to do the physical therapy and they way she does it was so unexpected! She's terribly good at what she does, with a lot of energy and no-nonsense attitude.

As Blake improves, an attraction develops between them. Even though Dione is a very strong and confident woman in her profession, the reality is that she's emotionally crippled because of the circumstances of her childhood/first relationship. This is one of the things I liked about the book, that each of them helped the other overcome a terrible ordeal. I also liked having a heroine that was very athletic and physical - as you can imagine, PT is not a cakewalk.

Totally recommended!

Profile Image for Cruth.
1,656 reviews146 followers
January 7, 2016
Author: Linda Howard
First published: 1984
Length: 3071 locations (kindle)
Setting: Contemporary, Phoenix.
Sex: Explicit. Frequent but not until the end.
Hero: Businessman who enjoys extreme sports.
Heroine: Physical Therapist.
Triggers:

Written completely from the heroine’s pov, it’s pretty typical of what I’ve seen in Howard’s work. An interesting, intriguing story line with strong female character and slightly uncomfortable sex. Plus a lack of trust/respect between hero and heroine that continues throughout the book without (IMO) sufficient grovel.

And it’s the uncomfortable sex and lack of trust that makes me question the HEA. If I don’t believe the HEA then the romance fails.


References:
Author on w'pedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_H...

(ISBN 9781743697726)

-CR-
Profile Image for Lesli.
1,882 reviews8 followers
July 15, 2010
Good, good, good book! This is the kind of book that makes me want to find a wounded man and make him whole. Ok, I REALLY didn't just type that did I? LOL Anyhow, this is a great read. Meet two people with emotional scars (not to mention a few physical ones, too) that heal each other and fall in love. A similar read is Adam's Fall by Sandra Brown (which I read years ago).
Profile Image for Alexis-Morgan Roark.
Author 3 books455 followers
January 22, 2012
I can sum this book up in one line: "An engagement heart." OMG It was funny, sexy, and heartbreakingly tender. Ok. It was a tad cliche at times, but, hey, if I want to read something deep, I wouldn't be reading books like these. I want sexy fun without having too use too many brain cells to get through intricate plots and stuff.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,679 reviews377 followers
August 9, 2015
Don't know if I just wasn't in the mood to read this or what but I struggled getting through. I wasn't in love with any of the characters. It had a bit of the love-hate thing going. But I could understand where Blake was coming from. I can't imagine how I'd feel in his situation. I'm sure I wouldn't be Sally Sunshine that is for sure.
Profile Image for Vicki.
2,705 reviews111 followers
January 31, 2019
Dione Kelly and Blake Remington are the MC’s in this story about Blake whose body is dwindling away because he’s given up hope. He

Dione is a private therapist and she is determined to “make” him walk again. He’s resistant, however, because he’s impatient and he has lost muscle, 50 pounds, and confidence. Dione comes at him like a drill sergeant! The question is: will her style work? Will Blake walk again?

A quick, but good read.
Profile Image for Veronika.
356 reviews110 followers
May 1, 2016
My 5-Facts Review ('Cuz I'm lazy busy reading)

COME LIE WITH ME BY LINDA HOWARD
★★☆☆☆ (2 stars)
________________________________

❌ I love Linda Howard's books, but this one simply did not work for me. Surprisingly, the reason of my dislike was the romance, which is usually the best thing in a Linda Howard book.

The chemistry between the main characters was nonexistent, and this made the romance extremely uncomfortable! The lack of trust between them killed the romance part for me.

I did not like the heroine in the second half of the book at all! She was too insecure and her mood swings got on my nerve.

❌ I didn't really get it why the hero referred to the heroine as "lady" even when they were in a relationship. It honestly didn't fit and made me cringe!

✔ Thumbs up for the writing!

The first half of the book was pretty amazing!!! I loved the story, and the heroine's strength. Without the romance part this book would have been a solid 5-star read!
_________________________________

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Romance
HEA:

Profile Image for Eve.
776 reviews51 followers
May 7, 2017
Come Lie with Me (Paperback)
by Linda Howard


description

Physiotherapist, Dione Kelley, is hired to help a handsome entrepreneur, Blake Remingtone, who's been unable to walk after an accident. He has not been cooperative with his previous therapists and has become bitter, frustrated and angry. He has essentially "given up" on life.
When Dione and Blake first meet, he's very rude and obnoxious to her, so Dione has to break throug through the walls he’s put up.

This story does have a lot of similarities to Adam's Fall by Sandra Brown (or should I say that Adam's Fall has a lot of similarities to this story as Linda Howard's book was published earlier?) but they are still different stories. Both of them quick and easy read.
Profile Image for Thenia.
4,405 reviews180 followers
May 14, 2019
The story of a physical therapist and her uncooperative patient.

Blake suffered an accident that left him mostly paralyzed and after his hopes were dashed one too many times, he no longer cares to even try to get better. In a desperate attempt to get him to rejoin life, his loved ones track down Dione, a physical therapist with unconventional methods and a very high success rate.

Dione was reluctant to take Blake's case, but found that she couldn't resist the challenge. She moves in with Blake and slowly but surely starts changing his life for the better. Blake isn't the only one with issues, however, and despite her resistance, while she is healing his body, he manages to get under her skin and help her work through some of her own problems.

I really enjoyed reading their story and their evolving relationship, from that of therapist and uncooperative/hostile patient, to friends and eventually to lovers.
Profile Image for Amanda Grooms.
705 reviews6 followers
February 7, 2013
One of my favorite re-reads.... I love this story of rehabilitation and a couple growing toward a true love. Great story!
Profile Image for Linda.
1,128 reviews53 followers
November 1, 2016
This character-driven story is funny, sexy and emotional!

He was different from every other man she knew. He was capable of loving; he was at once a laughing daredevil and a hard-hitting businessman. But most of all, he needed her. Other patients had needed her, but only as a therapist. Blake needed her, the woman she was, because only her personal strengths had enabled her to help him with her trained skills and knowledge. She couldn’t remember anyone ever needing her before.

I listened to the audio of COME LIE WITH ME by Linda Howard and read by Lesa Lockford. I’ve recently discovered Linda Howard’s books and am very glad that I have! You should know that this particular character-driven story was originally published in the early 1980s and has only become available in audio this year. Parts of the story feel dated, but it is still quite relevant and entertaining. As an example, it occurs when phones were all landlines. To fully relish the tale, you will also need to accept some old-fashioned aspects of relationships a few decades ago. We’ve come a long way! I had no issue with doing so, though I admit to thinking more than once that I’m glad that times have changed.

COME LIE WITH ME is the story of Blake Remington, a successful businessman who became paralyzed after a mountain climbing accident, and Dione Kelly, a physical therapist hired by the family as a last-ditch effort to save Blake.

It has been two years since Blake’s accident when Dione is hired to work with him. Blake is bitter, frustrated and angry at everyone and everything. He has given up his will to live and to say he is very unhappy when Dione walks into his life is a major understatement.

On the other hand, Dione is determined to bring Blake back from the brink of death come hell or high water. Their story renders a lot of insight into both characters. Suffice to say, Blake is physically impaired; Dione is emotionally impaired from both childhood and marital abuse. Each is critical to the other’s healing journey. Their interactions are powerful, passionate, priceless and provocative.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from COME LIE WITH ME:

“No!” he roared. “I’ve had enough for today! A little of you goes a long way, lady!”
“Please, call me Dione,” she murmured.
“I don’t want to call you anything! My God, would you just leave me alone!”
“Of course I will, when my job is finished. I can’t let you ruin my record of successful cases, can I?”
---
Blake filled her world. The sweaty male scent of him was in her nostrils, the slippery texture of his hot skin under her hands; the unbearably erotic taste of his mouth lay sweetly on her tongue. At some unknown point his kisses had slipped past celebration and become intensely male, demanding, giving, thrilling. Perhaps they’d never been celebration kisses at all, she thought fuzzily.
Suddenly he removed his mouth from hers and buried his face in the curve of her neck. When he spoke his voice was shaky, but husky with an undertone of laughter. “Have you noticed how much time we spend rolling around on the floor?”
---
He sat with his arm still around her, watching her face and smiling as she fumbled with the elegant gold wrapping, her agile fingers suddenly clumsy. She lifted the lid off and stared speechlessly at the simple pendant that lay on satin lining like a cobweb of gold. A dark red heart, chiseled and planed, was attached to the chain.
“That’s a ruby,” she stammered.
“No,” he corrected gently, lifting it from the box and placing it around her neck. “That’s my heart.” The chain was long, and the ruby heart slid down her chest to nestle between her breasts, gleaming with dark fire as it lay against her honeyed skin.
“Wear that forever,” he murmured his eyes on the lush curves that his gift used as a pillow.
“And my heart will always be touching yours.”

COME LIE WITH ME is performed by Lesa Lockford. This is the third audio I’ve picked up pairing Lesa with Linda Howard and their combo is a good one. Lesa’s voice is clear and her characters’ voices sound genuine. She differentiates between the characters to where I can easily discern who is speaking from Lesa’s voice alone. The end product is polished and well-done. I look forward to hearing more of Lesa’s productions in the future.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It’s funny, sexy, and emotional. There were plenty of substantial obstacles to these two finding their happy-ever-after – and, at times, their future appeared to be bleak indeed. COME LIE WITH ME is the story of their journey to wholeness and happiness. It’s well-worth delving into.

My full review is published at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there: http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbook...
Profile Image for Lyndi W..
2,042 reviews210 followers
February 11, 2015
2.5 stars Dione really bothered me. Her behavior was kinda ridiculous. I was enjoying the book quite a bit until about half way through when she decided to seduce her patient. Also, I absolutely hate it when a woman tells a man that he can't possibly love her. It is rude, unfair, and I've never read a story where it was actually true. The guy has never said "You're so right, thank you for saving me from wasting my life by your side!"

So yeah, about halfway through I started to hate Dione. Would have given this another star if she didn't make mistake after mistake, compounded by rudeness and immaturity.
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