The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

by Annabel Murray

Life was different in this exotic land...

Cinnabar's latest assignment for her fashion-designer boss meant traveling to Japan to photograph the new line of Oriental-inspired clothes.

It was a fascinating informative trip, ruined by two related factors. One was that she would have to work with the spoiled catty model, Magda Llewellyn, with whom she shared a hearty mutual dislike.

The other was the infuriating Marlowe Hirakawa, who seemed determined to interfere with everything--including her emotions!

188 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1983

About the author

Annabel Murray was born Marie Bush in Bishop’s Stortford, in Hertfordshire and educated at St Mary’s Convent. She is married to Tom Murray and now lives in Southport, Lancashire. In 1979 she joined the local Writers’ Circle and is also a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. Her first Mills & Boon romance was published in 1982 and currently she has thirty novels to her credit. She has two daughters and two grandchildren, two cats and a passion for patchwork and quilting.

ANNABEL MURRAY has pursued many hobbies. She helped found an arts group in Liverpool, England, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She loves drama: she appeared in many stage productions and went onto write an award-winning historical play. She uses all her experiences — holidays being no exception — to flesh out her characters’ backgrounds and create believable settings for her romance novels.

Reviews

[Annarose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinnabar devoted all her time for her photography career in Lamonde and was enthusaised every time she was given an assignment, but she was not thrilled to work with Magda Llewellyn, the best model in the agency, for weeks to end in Japan in her latest assignment. Nor was she thrilled to know that a Japanese man called Malowe Hirakawa is to control her itinerary! Nobody controled her and she would let him know in no uncertain terms that he could never control anything in her! However, she didn't bargain for Malowe's strong well nor his stong potent attraction towards her. She didn't understand him trying to seduce her when he had Magda fluenting herself on him in every possible opportunety and when he had the beautiful Chirkio in his life! And when there is Gary - her boyfriend - around!

They story is beautifully written and I loved the writing style. So refrushing. The two main characters are too strong welled they made the story drag, in my opinion. Cannibar was not confident enough to believe Marlowe was genuinely interested in her with the existance of other more beautiful women around him, and he was too proud to correct her many assumptions about him when he had the chance to, which caused the endless misundersandings. I would have liked a more elaborate ending, but the auther chose a very short one.