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Sinclair Territory
When her brief marriage ended in tragedy Delia was only too thankful to accept her Aunt Lucy's invitation. Australia would be just the place for her. She soon found that Aunt Lucy was unusually dependent on the forceful Dane Sinclair. But he needn't think that Delia was going to follow her aunt's example!
- GenresHarlequin Romance
157 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 26, 2024
In the same vein of this author's infamous The Impossible Boss although the hero in this one is slightly less horrible. If "English Rose moves to Australia to get tortured by Big Aussie Boss" is your cuppa, then this is for you. I was less bothered by his horrible behavior hounding her out of town and dangling the OW than I was by the fact that he never trusts the heroine, not to the bitter end. There always have to be 3rd parties around (her aunt, her cousin-in-law) to set him straight, he is INSANELY JEALOUS and does not believe a word she says despite his LOVE. His default attitude seems to be that she is a lying, two-timing floozie. She better watch out in the future that she will always have witnesses handy to reset his brain. In a way, it's kind of comical :~}
August 15, 2018
Jane Corrie special, folks. He's an alpha jerk who draws a series of false conclusions about the h and then is a total jerk to her, but ultimately becomes increasingly obsessed with her. There's a troublemaking OW, and
In this book, it helps to know that the H has the emotional coping skills, and the possessiveness of a toddler, and he is clearly so besotted with her that he's making himself crazy with all of his wild and inaccurate conjectures about even her smallest actions (OMG, he's an h in H's clothing!). I imagine in their HEA she periodically has to trick him into taking naps or having a glass of warm milk when he can't sleep. I doubt she ever teaches him to share, though.
As with many other Jane Corrie books,
In this book, it helps to know that the H has the emotional coping skills, and the possessiveness of a toddler, and he is clearly so besotted with her that he's making himself crazy with all of his wild and inaccurate conjectures about even her smallest actions (OMG, he's an h in H's clothing!). I imagine in their HEA she periodically has to trick him into taking naps or having a glass of warm milk when he can't sleep. I doubt she ever teaches him to share, though.
As with many other Jane Corrie books,
May 12, 2021
I found this little gem at a local antique store. It was in great shape and cost a couple of bucks. First off this gets a one just for the vintage alone. The book is 45 years old, so it is dated however there were no cigarettes!!? I have been reading a lot of modern books lately, and although I have enjoyed them I really needed a book with some misunderstandings and evil ow’s. This book delivered.
Basically heroine is widowed after a brief marriage that she didn’t even tell her beloved aunt in Australia about. She goes down under to be with aunt who is ill, and meets the ginger haired hero who is a confirmed bachelor. They rub each other the wrong way which basically means his bachelor days are numbered. But before we reach the HEA, our hero has to constantly jump to conclusions about the h and put her down. The h also fell for the ow’s vicious whisperings in her ear.
Much of the angst comes from the hero who makes assumptions and insults...but our heroine who is still grieving doesn’t play the simpering girl who goes all agog at the hero...he is used to being chased and she isn’t chasing(our heroes won’t stand for that, challenge accepted)
***Unaware that she was married, (as she still blushes like a virgin) he basically tells her to loosen up or she will end up being a spinster. If she tries being less stern someone might fancy her.
***she gets ready to visit her aunt in hospital, and he pretty much tells her if she doesn’t let him drive her he will manhandle her in front of everyone...I think spanking was mentioned...once in town he disappears but miraculously shows up about the time she plans to head back and manhandles her again
****he invites her to the local shindigs (she never goes) so what does the confirmed bachelor do? He goes to her place...where he gives punishing kisses and then feeling miffed, tells her thanks for warming him up for the others(of course this is a kiss like no other for her)
***she plans to leave this town and get a job, but he basically guilts her into getting a job working for him to lessen her aunts load(by no means is he interested in her🙄🙄)
****after some evil machinations from the ow, he accuses her of chasing him and that he isn’t interested(this does hurt our h this time, because after punishing kisses she is 3/4 of the way in love, BUT she doesn’t chase)
***evil ow sets up a bogus phone call to out the h as a married woman (still not knowing she is widowed) and the H accuses her of stuff and tells her to go back to her husband and make babies( hello wound let’s pour some salt)
Our h just wants to get away...she tells aunt about her widow status and aunt sends her to a friends farm for some respite...the farm has young bachelor sons that the mom wants to marry off...Aunt lets it drop to the hero that heroine was widowed ...oh and she is at a farm...with bachelors ...
Hero continues to pursue, continues to be jealous and continues to assume things because of said jealousy up until HEA. I left out several details including the h’s close friendship with her dead husband’s cousin...he shows up near end of the book to give the hero one last jolt of idiocy(she actually calls the hero an idiot)
What I liked:
I was in the mood for an alpa jerk male who is so unknowingly besotted with the heroine that he misconstrues everything....
I like that the heroine was hard to get for most of the book, even after she developed feelings...
I like that our Hero was a confirmed bachelor and our h was responsible for un confirming him(same as first husband)
I like that the aunt is doing her own secret machinations to put these two together.
This is vintage at it’s innocent best..yet manages to give a few butterflies in the stomach.
Basically heroine is widowed after a brief marriage that she didn’t even tell her beloved aunt in Australia about. She goes down under to be with aunt who is ill, and meets the ginger haired hero who is a confirmed bachelor. They rub each other the wrong way which basically means his bachelor days are numbered. But before we reach the HEA, our hero has to constantly jump to conclusions about the h and put her down. The h also fell for the ow’s vicious whisperings in her ear.
Much of the angst comes from the hero who makes assumptions and insults...but our heroine who is still grieving doesn’t play the simpering girl who goes all agog at the hero...he is used to being chased and she isn’t chasing(our heroes won’t stand for that, challenge accepted)
***Unaware that she was married, (as she still blushes like a virgin) he basically tells her to loosen up or she will end up being a spinster. If she tries being less stern someone might fancy her.
***she gets ready to visit her aunt in hospital, and he pretty much tells her if she doesn’t let him drive her he will manhandle her in front of everyone...I think spanking was mentioned...once in town he disappears but miraculously shows up about the time she plans to head back and manhandles her again
****he invites her to the local shindigs (she never goes) so what does the confirmed bachelor do? He goes to her place...where he gives punishing kisses and then feeling miffed, tells her thanks for warming him up for the others(of course this is a kiss like no other for her)
***she plans to leave this town and get a job, but he basically guilts her into getting a job working for him to lessen her aunts load(by no means is he interested in her🙄🙄)
****after some evil machinations from the ow, he accuses her of chasing him and that he isn’t interested(this does hurt our h this time, because after punishing kisses she is 3/4 of the way in love, BUT she doesn’t chase)
***evil ow sets up a bogus phone call to out the h as a married woman (still not knowing she is widowed) and the H accuses her of stuff and tells her to go back to her husband and make babies( hello wound let’s pour some salt)
Our h just wants to get away...she tells aunt about her widow status and aunt sends her to a friends farm for some respite...the farm has young bachelor sons that the mom wants to marry off...Aunt lets it drop to the hero that heroine was widowed ...oh and she is at a farm...with bachelors ...
Hero continues to pursue, continues to be jealous and continues to assume things because of said jealousy up until HEA. I left out several details including the h’s close friendship with her dead husband’s cousin...he shows up near end of the book to give the hero one last jolt of idiocy(she actually calls the hero an idiot)
What I liked:
I was in the mood for an alpa jerk male who is so unknowingly besotted with the heroine that he misconstrues everything....
I like that the heroine was hard to get for most of the book, even after she developed feelings...
I like that our Hero was a confirmed bachelor and our h was responsible for un confirming him(same as first husband)
I like that the aunt is doing her own secret machinations to put these two together.
This is vintage at it’s innocent best..yet manages to give a few butterflies in the stomach.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2026
5 stars
I absolutely loved Sinclair Territory. I zipped through it in one sitting and couldn't bear to put it down, even though I should have gone to sleep hours earlier. The romantic tension and conflict barely let up, and Jane Corrie pushed two of my favourite tropes extremely hard: the misunderstood heroine and a hero fighting his feelings so fiercely that he mistakes them for anger.
Dane spends most of the book convinced Delia isn't a particularly good sort of woman, while simultaneously falling apart at the seams because he's mad about her. It was a perfect combination for me.
Delia is 25, an English secretary who lost her young husband nine months earlier after only three weeks of marriage. He had been her boss, and they'd fallen madly in love during a whirlwind romance before marrying quickly. Shortly after their honeymoon, he travelled abroad for work and died when his plane crashed into a mountain.
Delia has spent the following nine months grieving. Her husband's wealthy family always considered her a gold digger and don't want her claiming his estate. The exception is his cousin John, a lawyer who has treated her kindly and helped settle matters such as selling the house she shared with her husband so she will have some money of her own.
With no close family left in England, Delia accepts an invitation from her aunt, who has lived in Australia for many years, to come and live with her.
Her aunt doesn't know Delia married. They didn't correspond regularly, the marriage happened very quickly, and after her husband's death Delia was too overwhelmed by grief to explain everything in a letter.
Unfortunately, when Delia arrives in Australia, her aunt immediately introduces her to everyone by her maiden name. Delia doesn't want to announce in front of strangers that she's actually a widow, so she stays quiet and intends to explain privately later.
Before she gets the opportunity, her aunt becomes seriously ill with an ulcer and needs hospital treatment. Delia doesn't want to burden her with distressing news while she's sick.
She is therefore left temporarily running her aunt's rather run-down motel, which houses young women employed in the local Sinclair factories and farms. Almost everything in the area belongs to Dane Sinclair, who effectively rules the town.
Her aunt warns that the girls require firm handling and says someone called Dane will help if they become unruly. One important rule is that on Saturday nights they must return by midnight and aren't supposed to drink.
On Delia's first Saturday in charge, several girls arrive home late and drunk. The man driving them claims they ran out of soft drinks on a hot evening, so the girls drank alcohol instead, then his car broke down on the return journey.
Delia suspects everybody is taking advantage because she's only 25 rather than the formidable older woman they're accustomed to dealing with, so she firmly lays down the law.
The following day Dane returns from an international business trip and storms into the motel demanding to know who she is and why the hell she thinks she has the right to berate his foreman.
Delia, already irritated, gives as good as she gets and asks who the hell he is.
Dane is autocratic, domineering and accustomed to everyone around him respecting his authority. He therefore takes an immediate dislike to this young woman who essentially works within his organisation yet has the nerve to answer him back. Delia is equally unimpressed by a man who behaves as though he's king of the entire district.
They lock horns from the beginning.
And it is wonderful.
The simmering attraction beneath their arguments is extremely strong, but what I particularly loved was how brilliantly Corrie conveys Dane's growing obsession even without giving us his viewpoint.
He constantly needs to know where Delia is. He calls on the flimsiest excuses. He asks other people about her. He repeatedly needles her about attending social events and becomes annoyed when she refuses. He finds endless reasons to provoke, confront or seek her out.
Dane is plainly falling apart at the seams because this woman has got under his skin, yet he seems incapable of recognising what is happening. He interprets his emotional turmoil largely as irritation because he doesn't trust or particularly approve of Delia.
Delia, meanwhile, is still partly numb from grief and has no idea that Dane's constant needling is driven by how intensely interested he has become in her.
SPOILERS
Other people begin noticing before she does.
One is Donna, a wealthy local woman determined to marry Dane, who quickly recognises Delia as a threat. Another is Delia's aunt, who very discreetly starts interfering and matchmaking because Dane is behaving completely out of character. He simply doesn't act this way over women, so his obsession with Delia is becoming obvious.
I loved that we continually received evidence of his feelings without needing him to admit them.
Even better, the book balances his anger and suspicion with small signs that he genuinely cares. However furious he becomes with Delia, he can't bear seeing her hurt or distressed. He notices her, watches over her and finds reasons to do things for her almost despite himself. He steals kisses when he can and continually tries to insert himself into her life.
That balance was exactly what I wanted: plenty of anguish from his harshness, but enough tenderness underneath to reassure me that his feelings were real.
Donna eventually discovers Delia's hidden marriage through a letter from John addressed in Delia's married name.
Naturally, she uses the information to cause trouble.
This happens just when Dane's feelings are repeatedly pushing him towards the point where he might finally have to acknowledge them. Every time he gets close, some new misunderstanding sends him backwards into anger.
Donna allows him to believe that Delia is still married and has run away from her husband.
Dane is furious.
He lashes out and tells Delia that she should return to her husband or leave town altogether. In his anger, he effectively drives her away.
By the following day, when he has apparently cooled down enough to reconsider matters and find out what actually happened, Delia's aunt has already packed her off elsewhere.
And she knows exactly what she's doing.
Delia is sent to a neighbouring farm occupied by three single bachelors, which her aunt knows will drive Dane completely crazy.
It does.
I loved this entire dynamic. Dane's jealousy, possessiveness and inability to keep away from Delia keep escalating, while circumstances and his own temper repeatedly prevent him from simply admitting what he wants.
The book never had a dull stretch for me. The conflict kept changing enough to remain interesting while always feeding the same central romantic tension: Dane wants Delia desperately, doesn't fully understand why and keeps fighting the very feelings that are making him increasingly irrational.
Later John comes to Australia.
Dane again gets completely the wrong end of the stick. He initially believes Delia has lied about her husband being dead and that the man himself has now arrived.
Then he sees Delia and John together and interprets their interaction as evidence that this supposed husband may be abusive.
And something in Dane finally breaks.
Despite all his jealousy, anger and suspicion, his overriding instinct becomes to protect Delia. He comes to her essentially saying that she doesn't have to face anything alone anymore. She's his now, and he won't allow anyone to hurt her.
I loved this moment.
It showed that when Dane genuinely believes Delia is in danger, his pride and resentment cease to matter. His first response is simply to put himself between her and whoever might harm her.
Delia then explains that he has misunderstood again: John has always been good to her.
Dane immediately thinks that he has made yet another humiliating mistake. And because he's so emotionally vulnerable where Delia is concerned, he recoils again.
This time Delia reaches out.
She asks him to come to her, wanting to embrace him, but Dane angrily refuses what he thinks is pity. Delia therefore tells him to go downstairs and speak to John. Let John explain why he's there, and afterwards Dane can decide what he wants.
Dane listens.
Once he finally learns the truth—that Delia really was married, really is widowed and John is simply her late husband's cousin who has been helping her—the relief must be enormous.
He comes straight back to her. And they finally reconcile.
The scene itself is fairly brief, but it worked because the emotional groundwork had been laid throughout the entire book. Dane's declaration didn't come from nowhere. We'd watched him obsess over Delia, follow her movements, seek her out constantly, become irrationally jealous, scare other men away, protect her whenever she needed him and repeatedly lose control whenever he thought another man might have a claim on her.
We already knew he was mad about her.
The ending simply allowed him to stop fighting it.
I also appreciated that the book gives us a little time afterwards to enjoy them actually being together rather than ending almost immediately after the confession.
Delia's aunt and John remain around, and Dane's possessiveness continues in a much sweeter context. When John wants to take Delia to Sydney and introduce her to some of her late husband's friends, Dane refuses to let his newly claimed woman disappear off with a bachelor. He announces that he'll take her himself later.
It was possessive, ridiculous and entirely in character.
Some readers may be frustrated that Dane never gives Delia a major explicit apology. Even after discovering that she hadn't lied about being married but was actually widowed, he doesn't deliver a lengthy verbal reckoning for how badly he treated her.
Normally that might bother me.
Here, it didn't.
Throughout the book, Dane repeatedly shows remorse through actions rather than speeches. When he's done something wrong, flowers and notes or phone calls appear. He creates excuses to bring Delia back because he can't tolerate her absence. His voice and behaviour soften whenever she is genuinely hurt, even when he's too proud to admit directly that he was wrong.
Most importantly, we aren't starved of his affection until the final page.
That's what made this work so well for me. Dane may be harsh and mistrustful, but his secret devotion is constantly visible. We get the heroine's anguish and the reward of watching the hero slowly go stir-crazy over her at the same time.
The misunderstood-heroine trope is pushed beautifully, but so is the hero-fighting-his-feelings trope. Dane believes the worst of Delia repeatedly, yet every part of his behaviour betrays how desperately important she has become to him.
That balance made Sinclair Territory a 5-star read for me.
It was tense, romantic, compulsive and emotionally satisfying, with exactly the kind of aloof, dominant hero whose feelings gradually become impossible for him to control. The conflict remained high almost until the end, but the tenderness underneath it was always present enough to make the eventual reconciliation convincing.
I would absolutely reread this. It was sublime, and I'm very keen to find more Jane Corrie books that deliver this same combination of misunderstood heroine, possessive alpha hero, secret devotion and a man slowly losing his mind because he cannot stay away from the woman he supposedly disapproves of.
I absolutely loved Sinclair Territory. I zipped through it in one sitting and couldn't bear to put it down, even though I should have gone to sleep hours earlier. The romantic tension and conflict barely let up, and Jane Corrie pushed two of my favourite tropes extremely hard: the misunderstood heroine and a hero fighting his feelings so fiercely that he mistakes them for anger.
Dane spends most of the book convinced Delia isn't a particularly good sort of woman, while simultaneously falling apart at the seams because he's mad about her. It was a perfect combination for me.
Delia is 25, an English secretary who lost her young husband nine months earlier after only three weeks of marriage. He had been her boss, and they'd fallen madly in love during a whirlwind romance before marrying quickly. Shortly after their honeymoon, he travelled abroad for work and died when his plane crashed into a mountain.
Delia has spent the following nine months grieving. Her husband's wealthy family always considered her a gold digger and don't want her claiming his estate. The exception is his cousin John, a lawyer who has treated her kindly and helped settle matters such as selling the house she shared with her husband so she will have some money of her own.
With no close family left in England, Delia accepts an invitation from her aunt, who has lived in Australia for many years, to come and live with her.
Her aunt doesn't know Delia married. They didn't correspond regularly, the marriage happened very quickly, and after her husband's death Delia was too overwhelmed by grief to explain everything in a letter.
Unfortunately, when Delia arrives in Australia, her aunt immediately introduces her to everyone by her maiden name. Delia doesn't want to announce in front of strangers that she's actually a widow, so she stays quiet and intends to explain privately later.
Before she gets the opportunity, her aunt becomes seriously ill with an ulcer and needs hospital treatment. Delia doesn't want to burden her with distressing news while she's sick.
She is therefore left temporarily running her aunt's rather run-down motel, which houses young women employed in the local Sinclair factories and farms. Almost everything in the area belongs to Dane Sinclair, who effectively rules the town.
Her aunt warns that the girls require firm handling and says someone called Dane will help if they become unruly. One important rule is that on Saturday nights they must return by midnight and aren't supposed to drink.
On Delia's first Saturday in charge, several girls arrive home late and drunk. The man driving them claims they ran out of soft drinks on a hot evening, so the girls drank alcohol instead, then his car broke down on the return journey.
Delia suspects everybody is taking advantage because she's only 25 rather than the formidable older woman they're accustomed to dealing with, so she firmly lays down the law.
The following day Dane returns from an international business trip and storms into the motel demanding to know who she is and why the hell she thinks she has the right to berate his foreman.
Delia, already irritated, gives as good as she gets and asks who the hell he is.
Dane is autocratic, domineering and accustomed to everyone around him respecting his authority. He therefore takes an immediate dislike to this young woman who essentially works within his organisation yet has the nerve to answer him back. Delia is equally unimpressed by a man who behaves as though he's king of the entire district.
They lock horns from the beginning.
And it is wonderful.
The simmering attraction beneath their arguments is extremely strong, but what I particularly loved was how brilliantly Corrie conveys Dane's growing obsession even without giving us his viewpoint.
He constantly needs to know where Delia is. He calls on the flimsiest excuses. He asks other people about her. He repeatedly needles her about attending social events and becomes annoyed when she refuses. He finds endless reasons to provoke, confront or seek her out.
Dane is plainly falling apart at the seams because this woman has got under his skin, yet he seems incapable of recognising what is happening. He interprets his emotional turmoil largely as irritation because he doesn't trust or particularly approve of Delia.
Delia, meanwhile, is still partly numb from grief and has no idea that Dane's constant needling is driven by how intensely interested he has become in her.
SPOILERS
Other people begin noticing before she does.
One is Donna, a wealthy local woman determined to marry Dane, who quickly recognises Delia as a threat. Another is Delia's aunt, who very discreetly starts interfering and matchmaking because Dane is behaving completely out of character. He simply doesn't act this way over women, so his obsession with Delia is becoming obvious.
I loved that we continually received evidence of his feelings without needing him to admit them.
Even better, the book balances his anger and suspicion with small signs that he genuinely cares. However furious he becomes with Delia, he can't bear seeing her hurt or distressed. He notices her, watches over her and finds reasons to do things for her almost despite himself. He steals kisses when he can and continually tries to insert himself into her life.
That balance was exactly what I wanted: plenty of anguish from his harshness, but enough tenderness underneath to reassure me that his feelings were real.
Donna eventually discovers Delia's hidden marriage through a letter from John addressed in Delia's married name.
Naturally, she uses the information to cause trouble.
This happens just when Dane's feelings are repeatedly pushing him towards the point where he might finally have to acknowledge them. Every time he gets close, some new misunderstanding sends him backwards into anger.
Donna allows him to believe that Delia is still married and has run away from her husband.
Dane is furious.
He lashes out and tells Delia that she should return to her husband or leave town altogether. In his anger, he effectively drives her away.
By the following day, when he has apparently cooled down enough to reconsider matters and find out what actually happened, Delia's aunt has already packed her off elsewhere.
And she knows exactly what she's doing.
Delia is sent to a neighbouring farm occupied by three single bachelors, which her aunt knows will drive Dane completely crazy.
It does.
I loved this entire dynamic. Dane's jealousy, possessiveness and inability to keep away from Delia keep escalating, while circumstances and his own temper repeatedly prevent him from simply admitting what he wants.
The book never had a dull stretch for me. The conflict kept changing enough to remain interesting while always feeding the same central romantic tension: Dane wants Delia desperately, doesn't fully understand why and keeps fighting the very feelings that are making him increasingly irrational.
Later John comes to Australia.
Dane again gets completely the wrong end of the stick. He initially believes Delia has lied about her husband being dead and that the man himself has now arrived.
Then he sees Delia and John together and interprets their interaction as evidence that this supposed husband may be abusive.
And something in Dane finally breaks.
Despite all his jealousy, anger and suspicion, his overriding instinct becomes to protect Delia. He comes to her essentially saying that she doesn't have to face anything alone anymore. She's his now, and he won't allow anyone to hurt her.
I loved this moment.
It showed that when Dane genuinely believes Delia is in danger, his pride and resentment cease to matter. His first response is simply to put himself between her and whoever might harm her.
Delia then explains that he has misunderstood again: John has always been good to her.
Dane immediately thinks that he has made yet another humiliating mistake. And because he's so emotionally vulnerable where Delia is concerned, he recoils again.
This time Delia reaches out.
She asks him to come to her, wanting to embrace him, but Dane angrily refuses what he thinks is pity. Delia therefore tells him to go downstairs and speak to John. Let John explain why he's there, and afterwards Dane can decide what he wants.
Dane listens.
Once he finally learns the truth—that Delia really was married, really is widowed and John is simply her late husband's cousin who has been helping her—the relief must be enormous.
He comes straight back to her. And they finally reconcile.
The scene itself is fairly brief, but it worked because the emotional groundwork had been laid throughout the entire book. Dane's declaration didn't come from nowhere. We'd watched him obsess over Delia, follow her movements, seek her out constantly, become irrationally jealous, scare other men away, protect her whenever she needed him and repeatedly lose control whenever he thought another man might have a claim on her.
We already knew he was mad about her.
The ending simply allowed him to stop fighting it.
I also appreciated that the book gives us a little time afterwards to enjoy them actually being together rather than ending almost immediately after the confession.
Delia's aunt and John remain around, and Dane's possessiveness continues in a much sweeter context. When John wants to take Delia to Sydney and introduce her to some of her late husband's friends, Dane refuses to let his newly claimed woman disappear off with a bachelor. He announces that he'll take her himself later.
It was possessive, ridiculous and entirely in character.
Some readers may be frustrated that Dane never gives Delia a major explicit apology. Even after discovering that she hadn't lied about being married but was actually widowed, he doesn't deliver a lengthy verbal reckoning for how badly he treated her.
Normally that might bother me.
Here, it didn't.
Throughout the book, Dane repeatedly shows remorse through actions rather than speeches. When he's done something wrong, flowers and notes or phone calls appear. He creates excuses to bring Delia back because he can't tolerate her absence. His voice and behaviour soften whenever she is genuinely hurt, even when he's too proud to admit directly that he was wrong.
Most importantly, we aren't starved of his affection until the final page.
That's what made this work so well for me. Dane may be harsh and mistrustful, but his secret devotion is constantly visible. We get the heroine's anguish and the reward of watching the hero slowly go stir-crazy over her at the same time.
The misunderstood-heroine trope is pushed beautifully, but so is the hero-fighting-his-feelings trope. Dane believes the worst of Delia repeatedly, yet every part of his behaviour betrays how desperately important she has become to him.
That balance made Sinclair Territory a 5-star read for me.
It was tense, romantic, compulsive and emotionally satisfying, with exactly the kind of aloof, dominant hero whose feelings gradually become impossible for him to control. The conflict remained high almost until the end, but the tenderness underneath it was always present enough to make the eventual reconciliation convincing.
I would absolutely reread this. It was sublime, and I'm very keen to find more Jane Corrie books that deliver this same combination of misunderstood heroine, possessive alpha hero, secret devotion and a man slowly losing his mind because he cannot stay away from the woman he supposedly disapproves of.
November 8, 2023
I love Jane Corrie for her besotted heroes falling for indifferent heroines.
I love the heroes' frustration and pent-up passion when dealing with clueless heroines.
Naturally the heroines find out much later that they aren't so indiffrent as they earlier thought and that they actually have feelings for the heroes.
I love this plot.
The H is a judgemental prick who is ready to think the worst of the h. He changes his opinion about her at the drop of hat.
The h is a young widdow who's had only 3 weeks of bliss with her late husband. She decides to move closer to her only living relative - an old aunt running a hostel for young girls.
While taking care of the girls in her aunt's absence she meets the town's owner.
I love the heroes' frustration and pent-up passion when dealing with clueless heroines.
Naturally the heroines find out much later that they aren't so indiffrent as they earlier thought and that they actually have feelings for the heroes.
I love this plot.
The H is a judgemental prick who is ready to think the worst of the h. He changes his opinion about her at the drop of hat.
The h is a young widdow who's had only 3 weeks of bliss with her late husband. She decides to move closer to her only living relative - an old aunt running a hostel for young girls.
While taking care of the girls in her aunt's absence she meets the town's owner.
January 13, 2021
Another brief romance in which the man acts like a jerk and is abusive towards the woman until nearly the end of the book, while she intentionally doesn't correct his multiple misunderstandings and puts up with his verbal and physical mishandling -- and then a few pages from the end she decides she's in love with him. Meh. Some of the supporting characters are more interesting and believable than the main couple.
November 3, 2024
3 1/2 stars for being everything Margo put in her review - I think the hero became crazy about her as everyone else just fawns on him. She's 25, recently widowed (9 months ago), and very English. He's Australian, in his 30s, spoiled rotten by everyone, with no sense of equilibrium. But it's a fun read.
June 16, 2024
When I read the romances of past decades, I am always amazed at how awful the heroes are: bossy, controlling, and of course they have wealth and power where the heroine has none. A widow comes to a small town amidst Australian orchards, but keeps her recent marriage a secret.
December 11, 2022
When her brief marriage ended in tragedy Delia was only too thankful to accept her Aunt Lucy's invitation. Australia would be just the place for her. She soon found that Aunt Lucy was unusually dependent on the forceful Dane Sinclair. But he needn't think that Delia was going to follow her aunt's example!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews