Island Of Escape

by Dorothy Cork

"Do you believe in love?" she asked.

Steve's eyes narrowed. "I believe in love about as much as I believe in Santa Claus. It's a lot of make-believe and so is marriage. It's all a game."

"Then it's a game I don't want to play with you," Ellis countered swiftly. If he thought she was going to accept his marriage proposal without love, he was crazy.

All Steve wanted was an attractive woman to bear his sons--and satisfy his physical desires. Well, she, Ellis Lincoln, would never be that woman!

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Romance

187 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1978

About the author

As an author for Mills and Boon and later for Harlequin Romance, Dorothy Cork wrote 38 romance novels. She was born in 1918 and is still alive. Her first book was published in 1965 and the last in 1985.

Quite a number of her books have been translated into a diversity of languages: Japanese, Greek, Italian, French and so on.

She also wrote a number of short stories - about half of which were published in various Australian magazines.

Reviews

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this one 2.5 stars, but since it is Dorothy Cork, I will round to 3 stars. He was a bit of an asshat, but it was clear that he was "bonkers" for the heroine. So if you love a besotted fool, this one certainly fits the bill.

The heroine always seemed to have that "deer in the headlights look", which was somewhat irritating.

But hey, I love these vintage Harlequins. It's a sickness , passion!

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine was ridiculous. Hero was cranky. Side-characters had nothing much to do. There was no plot to speak of.

The fun was watching the hero tie himself up in knots from sexual frustration. As well as hanging on for dear life to the idea that all women are jezebels.

Heroine is no jezebel - but she's beautiful with no self-esteeem. Just what this hero needs. *rolls eyes*

The setting is Tasmania so that was different. Not one of DC's best.

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's a jerk, she's a drip, the OW is mostly off-site but venomous. Seriously, the h is so bland and earnest and tedious I almost disliked her.

[MissKitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing....

The H was nasty and overbearing and the heroine just seemed depressed the whole time.

Also..she’s the cousin’s sloppy seconds, when everything is said and done.

[Debby · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Unattractive looks are the result of an unattractive character.”

“You’d grow fat and lazy and uninteresting in no time at all if you settled down as his mistress.”

Said by the H.

Fortunately the h is beautiful. 🙄

I would have liked it better if she hadn’t been beautiful and he would have had to eat his words that there is a link between someone’s looks and someone’s character.

Anyway, the h is this wide-eyed innocent beauty who says no to him, but acts yes. He tells her that he doesn’t want her as his housekeeper, that he wants her as his wife to give him sons. He makes no secret of his true intentions and he tells her she can leave if she wants to. But she stays.

[Live2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more romance & the plot was way goofy but I am a fan of DC so I tend to go with the flow. The housekeeping dilemma was plain silly. I’m guessing heroine is too pretty to be housekeeper material & so nobody could take her seriously of the role, meanwhile hero rather marry her than employ her, too. Regardless, hero clearly despise useless women around the farm so why did it matter if she was to be housekeeper or not? Wife or no wife, she would be housekeeping for him anyways…

Side note: DC might be the only vintage/HQ author who writes her hero giving the heroine back hugs. I swear, we need more back hugging hero in Romance novels.

[Tricia Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a teenager, finally found on open library. I still like it. Heroine is a doormat for her family but stands up to the H. H is really into her from the 1st. 17 year age gap, but it's vintage so you accept some stuff.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given that he's already (and recently) had a 'torrid affair' with her beautiful cousin, I did not expect to like this one, but I was gripped. He's rude, crude, and initially only sees her as a body he wants, but Dorothy Cork excelled at showing him falling in love against his will without mentioning a single word about it. The romance is underlying, and there's a lot not to like to get past (mostly the hero's attitude till almost the end and the OW and her comments about her time with the hero), but the encounters between the main characters are interesting and I was somewhat bewitched. The heroine is rather sweet, but not a dishrag, and the ending is almost perfect.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to enjoy one of the Harlequin books it’s best not to look at the cover. The H is always portrayed as a 50-year-old man. This really detracts from the romance. The heroine is bright eyed and dewy and the H has nothing but lines on his face and gray In his hair. On this cover The snarl on his visage adds nothing.

[Tonya Warner]

A nice little story.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those back and forth books. You know:
Hero - “you will merry me!”
Heroin - “No!”
Hero - "oh yes you will!"
Heroin - "make me!"
Luckily for me I like them!