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Loving Trap
She was no match for his ruthless ways
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1980
3 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Daphne Clair
122 books64 followersDahpne Clair is one of many pseudonyms of Daphne de Jong, a New Zealand writer who also uses the names Laurie Bright, Claire Lorel and Clarissa Garland. She is the winner of the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award and has been a finalist for the Romance Writers of America Rita Award more than once.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 15, 2016
This was an intense read. The H/h are at odds at first because of a building lease, but the hero pursues the heroine with all he's got. There's some jealousy, etc. . . but that isn't the real problem for this couple.
May 23, 2011
This book packed a punch. The more I read, the more I put a picture together of Kyla, what made her tick. It was clear that she had a resistance to Marc’s charm, and he had to do some work to gain her attention and her regard. Honestly, I wondered why he didn’t catch on sooner that Kyla had more going on than being a very proper, seemingly prudish person. She put out some signs that she had a past trauma that made her untrusting of men. I guess he didn’t want to believe that something so terrible had happened to her.
I wondered why her parents hadn’t encouraged Kyla to seek counseling, and it was pretty sad how people reacted to what Kyla went through. It was like no one ever reassured her that it wasn’t her fault. She internalized it all and assumed blame for what she’d gone through. I couldn’t believe that it made some men have prurient designs towards Kyla, which was another reason why she went to the extreme of being very careful about her clothing and appearance, which Marc read as her being aloof.
I felt bad for them both, not knowing how to bridge the gap of Kyla’s fears of sexual intimacy, and Marc’s need for her. I wanted to get Marc to see that there was a bigger picture going on, and feared for when the reveal would come, and its consequences. Even though I didn’t like all of Marc’s actions, I didn’t dislike him. He was actually a decent guy, but pretty slow on the uptake, in my opinion. I have to admit, that he was a patient man, very patient, considering. What he did wasn't good, but I'm glad he came to his senses in time.
I really liked the end. It was very poignant and emotional. You could see the healing begin and the bond between Kyla and Marc that showed that everything would be alright with them together, that Kyla would be able to move on from the past, and that they would be happy together for the rest of their lives.
This one is definitely a keeper. Good writing, complex characters, and a sensitive, expert hand with some touchy subject matter. I’m glad I was able to read this one.
I wondered why her parents hadn’t encouraged Kyla to seek counseling, and it was pretty sad how people reacted to what Kyla went through. It was like no one ever reassured her that it wasn’t her fault. She internalized it all and assumed blame for what she’d gone through. I couldn’t believe that it made some men have prurient designs towards Kyla, which was another reason why she went to the extreme of being very careful about her clothing and appearance, which Marc read as her being aloof.
I felt bad for them both, not knowing how to bridge the gap of Kyla’s fears of sexual intimacy, and Marc’s need for her. I wanted to get Marc to see that there was a bigger picture going on, and feared for when the reveal would come, and its consequences. Even though I didn’t like all of Marc’s actions, I didn’t dislike him. He was actually a decent guy, but pretty slow on the uptake, in my opinion. I have to admit, that he was a patient man, very patient, considering. What he did wasn't good, but I'm glad he came to his senses in time.
I really liked the end. It was very poignant and emotional. You could see the healing begin and the bond between Kyla and Marc that showed that everything would be alright with them together, that Kyla would be able to move on from the past, and that they would be happy together for the rest of their lives.
This one is definitely a keeper. Good writing, complex characters, and a sensitive, expert hand with some touchy subject matter. I’m glad I was able to read this one.
March 14, 2013
I found the story to be very compelling and unfortunately a somewhat realistic portrayal of what can happen to a woman that doesn't get the help and counseling needed after a brutal assault.
Our heroine was a 17 year old girl, gang raped walking home from work on a rainy night. Innocently, she accepts a ride home from two teenage boys she knows from school. (What do they say in the statistics? The chance of getting raped by someone you know is 100 times more likely than the bogey man jumping out of the bushes) She is forced to stand trial in a small town. She is emotionally wrecked by not only the physical attack, but the public shame she must endure in the trial. Given it's a small town, there is no hiding, behind blanked out faces on a TV set. Everyone knows what happened. To add insult to injury, her family really doesn't help her. They more or less turn a blind eye to the whole thing. She receives no counseling and the young girl moves away to start a new life.
Fast forward a few years later and she has become a successful business woman who rents a shop from a large corporation. Hero owns the corporation and wants to buy her out of her lease so that he can develop the territory.
There were a couple of things that I didn't really like in the story, which is why I dropped two stars.
First, the author writes a very credible portrayal of a woman who was raped. There are all the classic signs, fear of being enclosed in small spaces, fear of men, a reserved shyness, the inability to be intimate, the clenching at his touch, etc. As a reader, I didn't have to get to the "big reveal" to realize she had been raped. So I found it somewhat astounding that a man "about town" such as our hero, missed all the signs. Instead he just assumed she was a nervous virgin. Really?
Second issue, she decides to marry him without telling him of her ordeal. It seems in the past when she shared this with other men, they seemed to walk away from her. Since she loved the hero, she couldn't bring herself to tell him. So instead, she thinks they are going to play "monopoly" on their honeymoon. To me, that just didn't seem plausible or gel with the smart woman that she was. Consequently, the author takes us on a horrific journey on their honeymoon and short marriage that I actually found uncomfortable to read.
The ending was well done, though I thought it ended a little quickly. I kept turning the page, thinking that's it?
This is definitely a book that had I read 30 years ago, I would have loved. It still is a pretty compelling read. However, now that I am a little older, wiser or perhaps jaded, it didn't totally work for me.
Our heroine was a 17 year old girl, gang raped walking home from work on a rainy night. Innocently, she accepts a ride home from two teenage boys she knows from school. (What do they say in the statistics? The chance of getting raped by someone you know is 100 times more likely than the bogey man jumping out of the bushes) She is forced to stand trial in a small town. She is emotionally wrecked by not only the physical attack, but the public shame she must endure in the trial. Given it's a small town, there is no hiding, behind blanked out faces on a TV set. Everyone knows what happened. To add insult to injury, her family really doesn't help her. They more or less turn a blind eye to the whole thing. She receives no counseling and the young girl moves away to start a new life.
Fast forward a few years later and she has become a successful business woman who rents a shop from a large corporation. Hero owns the corporation and wants to buy her out of her lease so that he can develop the territory.
There were a couple of things that I didn't really like in the story, which is why I dropped two stars.
First, the author writes a very credible portrayal of a woman who was raped. There are all the classic signs, fear of being enclosed in small spaces, fear of men, a reserved shyness, the inability to be intimate, the clenching at his touch, etc. As a reader, I didn't have to get to the "big reveal" to realize she had been raped. So I found it somewhat astounding that a man "about town" such as our hero, missed all the signs. Instead he just assumed she was a nervous virgin. Really?
Second issue, she decides to marry him without telling him of her ordeal. It seems in the past when she shared this with other men, they seemed to walk away from her. Since she loved the hero, she couldn't bring herself to tell him. So instead, she thinks they are going to play "monopoly" on their honeymoon. To me, that just didn't seem plausible or gel with the smart woman that she was. Consequently, the author takes us on a horrific journey on their honeymoon and short marriage that I actually found uncomfortable to read.
The ending was well done, though I thought it ended a little quickly. I kept turning the page, thinking that's it?
This is definitely a book that had I read 30 years ago, I would have loved. It still is a pretty compelling read. However, now that I am a little older, wiser or perhaps jaded, it didn't totally work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2017
"The loving trap" is Marc and Kyla's story.
I don't know how to explain, but when you have a heroine that's as frightened as a mouse and a hero who's like a huge lion roaring and coaxing her out, it starts out as an engaging read.
Initially protective and courteous, things get weird when she decides to marry him "hiding her secret".. and what followed may be trigger for some.
The heroine obviously doesn't want his attentions, and despite her actually fighting his amorous behavior- he keeps pushing her until the obvious truth comes out.
I hate hymen-warriors, and they can suck my lady D.
Dear heroine, I wish you had more backbone. It's tragic what happened to you- and you deserved a better hero.
Dear hero, seriously, get a brain. There were SO MANY clues so as to why she behaved the way she did, but did you notice.. NO!!
To be honest, the starting and the end were nice but the middle was just painful.
Safe
2/5
I don't know how to explain, but when you have a heroine that's as frightened as a mouse and a hero who's like a huge lion roaring and coaxing her out, it starts out as an engaging read.
Initially protective and courteous, things get weird when she decides to marry him "hiding her secret".. and what followed may be trigger for some.
The heroine obviously doesn't want his attentions, and despite her actually fighting his amorous behavior- he keeps pushing her until the obvious truth comes out.
I hate hymen-warriors, and they can suck my lady D.
Dear heroine, I wish you had more backbone. It's tragic what happened to you- and you deserved a better hero.
Dear hero, seriously, get a brain. There were SO MANY clues so as to why she behaved the way she did, but did you notice.. NO!!
To be honest, the starting and the end were nice but the middle was just painful.
Safe
2/5
May 20, 2014
Great HP. I'm really enjoying the books I've been reading lately from this author. There is a lot of depth here. This is a woman with a severe sexual trauma in her past. She meets a man who falls head over heels for her and will just not give up when he meets her rather frigid resistance. I liked his patient perseverance. I do wish he had been just a little quicker on the uptake. And I feel like had this book been written today he probably would have been. He did make a reasonable mistake about her though and it colored his approach to her. He did of course do something rather asshatty but it wasn't as bad as it could have been and on the whole he is one of my favorite HP heroes.
The book lost a star for me with the ending. I just didn't find it fully satisfying. On the whole though a great old HP.
The book lost a star for me with the ending. I just didn't find it fully satisfying. On the whole though a great old HP.
dnf
August 9, 2017So let me get this clear.
It ABSOLUTELY fine, QUITE acceptable to rape your wife because she's not giving any but you should only feel the remorse if she has been raped before?
To quote the Guardian from this morning:
"That really gasted my flabber." 🤦♀️
It ABSOLUTELY fine, QUITE acceptable to rape your wife because she's not giving any but you should only feel the remorse if she has been raped before?
To quote the Guardian from this morning:
"That really gasted my flabber." 🤦♀️
April 8, 2012
Can't say I didn't see the H's reaction coming. I can't remember but I'm sure I've read the concept of this book in some other story (maybe even a HP? who knows!) Still, nicely written and I loved the aspect of the h wanting her hair pinned and proper all the time. Showed her vulnerability nicely.
July 7, 2021
I don't know why this romance did not frustrate me like so many visits to Hplandia, but it didn't. Mark is and always has been a take-charge kind of guy. Kyla has a secret and it very much affects her character. I had a hard time believing Mark's denseness when it came to this secret.
Of course, the lack of communication that has Kyla on the run but, I had to follow the two of them for closure.
On the upside, I will most likely read something else by this author.
Of course, the lack of communication that has Kyla on the run but, I had to follow the two of them for closure.
On the upside, I will most likely read something else by this author.
December 8, 2018
3.5 stars
Fairly realistic HP on a dark subject. Not too graphic = enough to get the events and motivations across.
Fairly realistic HP on a dark subject. Not too graphic = enough to get the events and motivations across.
August 16, 2019
She was no match for his ruthless ways
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
November 23, 2020
Upd. 4 stars
***
That was not an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half and barely got through the second. I cannot rate it at the moment, I’m too conflicted.
I must confess that these older romance novels make me see how predictable and repetitive some of the modern ones are.
***
That was not an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half and barely got through the second. I cannot rate it at the moment, I’m too conflicted.
I must confess that these older romance novels make me see how predictable and repetitive some of the modern ones are.
January 5, 2015
It's been many years since I read this book while in hospital. A friend brought me a big bag full of old romances (Harlequin Presents/Boons & Mills/Barbara Cartland) and left them for me to read while I was recovering from a major surgery and receiving the therapies that I needed to help me heal. She wanted me to have a lot of books that didn't require a lot of concentration (so no War & Peace or Anna Karenina included) and instructed me to leave them behind when I finally left the hospital so that they could help others get their minds off of what was happening, which is what I did.
This was well before GR and even the Internet, so I have no idea of the titles of many of the books that I read those 3 weeks, and also very little memory of the books themselves. This book I remembered because of the heroine. She was emotionally damaged as a result of something that had happened to her as a teenager and the response of those around her, especially her parents. Unfortunately, also at that time, what she went through was very common. I had friends that had been through similar events and was impressed by the author's ability to try to show what the results of that event were. The author had the handicap of having to have an HEA for her heroine and hero, so she used a few short-cuts to get it, but that was to be expected from a romance. Still, she did a good job of showing the emotional damage that had been inflicted on the heroine, and that was what I remembered. While the story itself is pretty cookie-cutter, I gave this book the 4 stars simply for the author's efforts to help educated people.
This was well before GR and even the Internet, so I have no idea of the titles of many of the books that I read those 3 weeks, and also very little memory of the books themselves. This book I remembered because of the heroine. She was emotionally damaged as a result of something that had happened to her as a teenager and the response of those around her, especially her parents. Unfortunately, also at that time, what she went through was very common. I had friends that had been through similar events and was impressed by the author's ability to try to show what the results of that event were. The author had the handicap of having to have an HEA for her heroine and hero, so she used a few short-cuts to get it, but that was to be expected from a romance. Still, she did a good job of showing the emotional damage that had been inflicted on the heroine, and that was what I remembered. While the story itself is pretty cookie-cutter, I gave this book the 4 stars simply for the author's efforts to help educated people.
August 31, 2013
I really loved this book. The hero Marc wants Kyla to give up her lease so he can go forward with his plans for the property she is currently running her second hand shop out of. She initially rejects his offers of money until he offers to find her a new location for her business. Marc is instantly attracted to Kyla and pursues her. Kyla was raped so is very wary around men. Marc is extremely patient as he courts her and eventually gets her to accept his marriage proposal. After their marriage, Marc's patience wears thin and one night he pressures her for sex, but does not go through with it. Kyla then spills the beans about how she was raped and that is why she does not want to have sex with him. She suggests ending the marriage and he starts the proceedings. Marc later comes to her and they work out their differences and realize neither one wants to end the marriage. So, it ends with an HEA.
Nicole
Nicole
February 9, 2019
The book is about a woman who owned a shop in a building that the hero wants to own to expand his company. He bought all the shops around, but the heroine refused to sell hers and so the story begins with the heroes clashing over that place. Gradually, we understand the heroine is worry of physical relationships and of any involvement of any kind and the hero doesn't accept that. In my opinion, such a plot should have been handled in a more serious way than a Harlequin novel is capable of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2022
***This review has Spoilers***
I rate this book 3 stars.
The loving trap by Daphne Clair is a romance novel set in New Zealand. The plot revolves around the ‘H’ Marc and the ‘h’ Kyla, both successful business owners. They meet each other in Marc’s office, where he makes a proposition to acquire Kyla’s shop to expand his business. He offers to find another suitable place for her business. But Kyla is reluctant to agree to it. Marc interest in Kyla is piqued because he has never been the one to chase but the one to whom people have kneeled. He flirts with her, tries to capture her interest and get to know her personally. Kyla falls for him too, but she is unable to connect with him at either an emotional or a physical level. A mere kiss would throw her into panic mode and this gives us a hint of her dark past. Kyla keeps Marc in dark and he too turns a blind eye to it thinking she was shy. In spite of this, they get married but then their married life becomes a torturous ride instead of romantic. Marc tries to get intimate with Kyla on many levels (not only physically) but both characters end up fighting all the time, getting frustrated sexually because of their inability to consummate their marriage. At a party, some other guy ‘Duncan’ flirts with Kyla and forcedly kisses her and this triggers a jealous rampage and an attempt at marital rape by Marc. The couple even decide to get divorced. But circumstances bring them back together and since this is a HP book, the reader is guaranteed with HEA.
My views: It’s a complete rant session now, so beware!
The hero, Marc, is a very handsome, well built, confident and a rich businessman who takes a liking to the h. He is a jealous and possessive alpha. He is hot headed enough to be blinded with anger and frustration often.
The heroine Kyla is a beautiful, shy, business woman. She seems to be brave given her abusive past.
The book went from ‘Romantic’ to ‘Traumatic’ for me. Initially it was an engaging story. The scenes did sizzle a lot and my rating soared high to 5 stars as I reached the part where Marc proposes marriage to Kyla but then it just went downhill and it could never be the same. Marc and Kyla were utterly ignorant fools. Lack of honesty on Kyla’s part was the root cause of their troubles.
In the party scene, I don’t understand as to why didn't Kyla fight Duncan just like she fights Marc, her husband, whenever he got forcefully physically intimate. But NO! The icing was when she supports Duncan for his actions and gives a dumb excuse to Marc for her actions OR rather lack of any action at all. This nonsense, at least, she could have spared Marc with. I also don’t understand why didn't she get any medical help...may be her parents weren't financially stable when she was young, but as an adult, self-dependent, earning woman, she could have opted for counselling sessions. Kyla cannot be so innocent as to not know what was it to be married and to have a family of one's own. She must be knowing that sexual intercourse played a vital role in a marriage. If she wasn’t comfortable with the idea, why did she have to agree to Marc’s proposal in the first place. It is not a crime to be unmarried. How could she expect him to be understanding when he didn't know the exact reason behind her panic attacks. Kyla keeping her past from Marc was like ‘cheating’ for me, especially when she had not dealt with it herself and finds it difficult to have a sexual relationship. I mean what is the point in getting married to a person if you are unable to have physical or emotional intimacy with him/her? Kyla shouldn't have subjected Marc to such misery by keeping such important incident of her life from him. If she wasn’t ready to deal with it she should have outright rejected his marriage proposal. What I mean to say is that it would have been easier for him to understand her and the situation. Truth would have saved them of the pain and all the time they lost.
And what kind of fool was Marc to not try to know the reason behind her panic attack. If he cared and loved her, he should have coaxed her to talk about it to him or a doctor, I mean that was the first step he should have taken, right? I loved the story so much when Marc was pursuing Kyla; his teasing smiles, his gentle caresses, his tender kisses, him seducing her slowly, the shyness of h and his concern for her, everything was fantastic. I loved the chase, the slow burn and anticipation. It was drool-worthy. But when such a confident man (or any other person irrespective of the gender) became so nervous while saying wedding vows, while touching his wife and dealing with her emotions, it just gutted me out.
And although I liked Marc, at times I hated him because no matter what, he should not have stooped to low levels of animalistic behavior after marriage due to his sexual frustration and he should not have attempted to rape. Marc doesn’t rape Kyla but even an attempt of rape and violence is a big NO NO for me. Kyla's coldness followed by Marc 's violent attempts of seducing her…. I just couldn't take it anymore.
Considering her reserved attitude while dating, in the honeymoon and post honeymoon, all of a sudden after their temporary separation, Kyla warms up to her husband and even goes forward seducing him. How in the hell did she turn out to be so confident? Was it the distance that acted as a magic to break the dry- spell? That left me feeling weird.
Lastly about the writing… it was really captivating. I felt all the emotions of both the leads and my heart broke into a million pieces. The end however seemed abrupt, unsatisfying and I was pushed into thinking that all is going to be well just like that. But I shouldn’t care because, as much as I wanted their story to be a HEA, I wanted my misery to end quickly.
When the plot summary is given by the author, I personally feel there must be a warning of possible triggers. I couldn't sleep a whole week, the story was very disturbing and exhausting mentally to me; call me a softy! This story has got imprinted in my brain and it is taxing my mind till date. I got so involved in the story that it's consuming all my strength to get it out of my mind. It took me such a long while to contemplate and write a review about the plot. This book is definitely meant for brave hearts. It served me right for not reading the reviews having spoilers. I had read a few and I had got to know the h was a rape survivor, which acted as a catalyst for me to read it, because I felt she was a brave woman. But the scenes of attempts at marital rape, the emotional anguish of both the lead characters, sucked all my energy and left me dehydrated with all the tears pouring out of my eyes throughout the reading session. I know I am a dumbass for jumping into this story without casting a glance at the spoilers. I cannot smack my head enough for this mistake. So much for searching novels with alpha bossy hero. The loving trap was indeed a trap for me!
Triggers:
Heroine is raped when she was young and she hides it from the H.
Marital rape attempt
Lots of forced kisses.
I rate this book 3 stars.
The loving trap by Daphne Clair is a romance novel set in New Zealand. The plot revolves around the ‘H’ Marc and the ‘h’ Kyla, both successful business owners. They meet each other in Marc’s office, where he makes a proposition to acquire Kyla’s shop to expand his business. He offers to find another suitable place for her business. But Kyla is reluctant to agree to it. Marc interest in Kyla is piqued because he has never been the one to chase but the one to whom people have kneeled. He flirts with her, tries to capture her interest and get to know her personally. Kyla falls for him too, but she is unable to connect with him at either an emotional or a physical level. A mere kiss would throw her into panic mode and this gives us a hint of her dark past. Kyla keeps Marc in dark and he too turns a blind eye to it thinking she was shy. In spite of this, they get married but then their married life becomes a torturous ride instead of romantic. Marc tries to get intimate with Kyla on many levels (not only physically) but both characters end up fighting all the time, getting frustrated sexually because of their inability to consummate their marriage. At a party, some other guy ‘Duncan’ flirts with Kyla and forcedly kisses her and this triggers a jealous rampage and an attempt at marital rape by Marc. The couple even decide to get divorced. But circumstances bring them back together and since this is a HP book, the reader is guaranteed with HEA.
My views: It’s a complete rant session now, so beware!
The hero, Marc, is a very handsome, well built, confident and a rich businessman who takes a liking to the h. He is a jealous and possessive alpha. He is hot headed enough to be blinded with anger and frustration often.
The heroine Kyla is a beautiful, shy, business woman. She seems to be brave given her abusive past.
The book went from ‘Romantic’ to ‘Traumatic’ for me. Initially it was an engaging story. The scenes did sizzle a lot and my rating soared high to 5 stars as I reached the part where Marc proposes marriage to Kyla but then it just went downhill and it could never be the same. Marc and Kyla were utterly ignorant fools. Lack of honesty on Kyla’s part was the root cause of their troubles.
In the party scene, I don’t understand as to why didn't Kyla fight Duncan just like she fights Marc, her husband, whenever he got forcefully physically intimate. But NO! The icing was when she supports Duncan for his actions and gives a dumb excuse to Marc for her actions OR rather lack of any action at all. This nonsense, at least, she could have spared Marc with. I also don’t understand why didn't she get any medical help...may be her parents weren't financially stable when she was young, but as an adult, self-dependent, earning woman, she could have opted for counselling sessions. Kyla cannot be so innocent as to not know what was it to be married and to have a family of one's own. She must be knowing that sexual intercourse played a vital role in a marriage. If she wasn’t comfortable with the idea, why did she have to agree to Marc’s proposal in the first place. It is not a crime to be unmarried. How could she expect him to be understanding when he didn't know the exact reason behind her panic attacks. Kyla keeping her past from Marc was like ‘cheating’ for me, especially when she had not dealt with it herself and finds it difficult to have a sexual relationship. I mean what is the point in getting married to a person if you are unable to have physical or emotional intimacy with him/her? Kyla shouldn't have subjected Marc to such misery by keeping such important incident of her life from him. If she wasn’t ready to deal with it she should have outright rejected his marriage proposal. What I mean to say is that it would have been easier for him to understand her and the situation. Truth would have saved them of the pain and all the time they lost.
And what kind of fool was Marc to not try to know the reason behind her panic attack. If he cared and loved her, he should have coaxed her to talk about it to him or a doctor, I mean that was the first step he should have taken, right? I loved the story so much when Marc was pursuing Kyla; his teasing smiles, his gentle caresses, his tender kisses, him seducing her slowly, the shyness of h and his concern for her, everything was fantastic. I loved the chase, the slow burn and anticipation. It was drool-worthy. But when such a confident man (or any other person irrespective of the gender) became so nervous while saying wedding vows, while touching his wife and dealing with her emotions, it just gutted me out.
And although I liked Marc, at times I hated him because no matter what, he should not have stooped to low levels of animalistic behavior after marriage due to his sexual frustration and he should not have attempted to rape. Marc doesn’t rape Kyla but even an attempt of rape and violence is a big NO NO for me. Kyla's coldness followed by Marc 's violent attempts of seducing her…. I just couldn't take it anymore.
Considering her reserved attitude while dating, in the honeymoon and post honeymoon, all of a sudden after their temporary separation, Kyla warms up to her husband and even goes forward seducing him. How in the hell did she turn out to be so confident? Was it the distance that acted as a magic to break the dry- spell? That left me feeling weird.
Lastly about the writing… it was really captivating. I felt all the emotions of both the leads and my heart broke into a million pieces. The end however seemed abrupt, unsatisfying and I was pushed into thinking that all is going to be well just like that. But I shouldn’t care because, as much as I wanted their story to be a HEA, I wanted my misery to end quickly.
When the plot summary is given by the author, I personally feel there must be a warning of possible triggers. I couldn't sleep a whole week, the story was very disturbing and exhausting mentally to me; call me a softy! This story has got imprinted in my brain and it is taxing my mind till date. I got so involved in the story that it's consuming all my strength to get it out of my mind. It took me such a long while to contemplate and write a review about the plot. This book is definitely meant for brave hearts. It served me right for not reading the reviews having spoilers. I had read a few and I had got to know the h was a rape survivor, which acted as a catalyst for me to read it, because I felt she was a brave woman. But the scenes of attempts at marital rape, the emotional anguish of both the lead characters, sucked all my energy and left me dehydrated with all the tears pouring out of my eyes throughout the reading session. I know I am a dumbass for jumping into this story without casting a glance at the spoilers. I cannot smack my head enough for this mistake. So much for searching novels with alpha bossy hero. The loving trap was indeed a trap for me!
Triggers:
Heroine is raped when she was young and she hides it from the H.
Marital rape attempt
Lots of forced kisses.
April 27, 2022
This was an emotionally intense read that could definitely be a trigger for people. I wouldn’t say this is an angst fest but it is emotional and for some that is their source of angst. For me something that is angsty are when the characters love each other but they have been hurt and are purposely being cruel or evasive to cover their own feelings and they usually have no idea how the other is feeling. Sometimes it involves other people such as ow’s and om’s. That is not the case with this story. Before I go into spoilers I will give an overall gist of the story.
The 24 year old heroine, Kyla, owns a shop in New Zealand(one of my favorite settings). Her shop sounds likes my kind of shop. It specializes in local handmade goods(for the tourists) plus there is a 2nd hand shop within it that is great for locals on a budget. The location is perfect for families as it is near a park and bus stop. She has a 5 year lease and plans on staying.
Meanwhile, the Hero, Marc, is big business and has the building next door, he wants to expand and has bought out all the businesses surrounding the h. She is the hold out. This doesn’t make for friendly relations. The company is definitely offering her a good price, but she is resistant. Shortly after the story begins, the Hero rescues the h from a situation. He brings her home and from here he starts wooing her. The company even figures out a better spot for the h which fits her specifications.
Our h is pretty non responsive with the H. He realizes quite quickly that the h has had little to no experience with men so he is patient with her and does baby steps with her. The H is in his 30’s and has never had issues with the ladies, but alas he has not settled down because he is looking for the one. He actually comes from a stable family, parents are dead now, but his sister is married with kids.
The h and H keep dating and even though their relationship hasn’t passed kissing stage the h pops the question and the in love h accepts. It is obvious through her comments that she is not very close with her family and only exchanges letters with them. She doesn’t want a traditional wedding with a white dress and wants to keep it small. Her parents and sister come up for the wedding.
The honeymoon does nothing to defrost the h. The H and her occupy separate beds and return home with a still unconsummated marriage. Needless to say our H is getting a little frustrated with the timid h and although he has tried to be patient his ego and libido are taking quite a hit. Well we the readers can read between the lines, and this is probably why I am not giving this story 5 stars. It was obvious there was more to the h’s situation. Shortly after the H almost forces himself on the h, the truth comes out. There is about 30 pages left in the story. 🛑 spoilers now, I will put trigger in first sentence in case someone doesn’t want to read anymore🛑
January 27, 2021
A besotted hero and a scared (because of her past) heroine.
He chases her, not knowing why she is so scared.
He chases her, not knowing why she is so scared.
November 9, 2025
EDIT: After reading, I'm giving it 5 stars because it is very well written and it drew me in, and it described very well a traumatized victim with PTSD very very well.
Triggers: PTSD symptoms/reactions described in detail, violent r*pe described partially but enough to trigger imo, probably more, but really I think h's reactions to being touched or intimacy are realistic enough in themselves to potentially trigger someone else's similar PTSD.
Okay, so I realize there's a Big Bad traumatic Secret that is behind h's intense fear of large men, touching, kissing, making out, sex, etc., but I keep picturing her is the Avian Bone Syndrome girlfriend from 30 Rock:
image:
But for real, at this point (85%) I'm beyond annoyed at the h for not only refusing to do anything to mitigate her issues with even interacting with men, let alone her own fiancee/husband, but refusing to tell her OWN HUSBAND even the broadest reason for her inability to go beyond light petting; he freaking holds her hand a little too passionately and she's like "you're too rough!" like gurrrrl.
All I can say is that the big bad secret better be worth all the hell she's putting the H through. She treats him like a freaking rapist and he's easily the most gentle and patient of any HQ vintage Hero I've ever seen.
Well, he's a bit of an AH in the beginning and too pushy, but by the time they're engaged and then on their honeymoon? If she's ace, she should have told him before; if she's capable of having sex but not ready yet she should have put off the marriage till she was ready to actually have a full-on marriage with sex and everything.
EDIT:
The big bad trauma was in fact sufficiently horrific. It was a violent, brutal gang r*pe by 2 young men in her town and someone else. It's not gone ALL the way into, but enough to be pretty traumatizing imo.
Also: H got frustrated and nearly r*ped h, which of course triggered her, which is when she finally FINALLY told her celibate husband of months about the incident and why she's been so afraid of sex... sort of. She is so convinced he's going to be disgusted at her because she's not "pure" that she still didn't tell him that she's also been terrified that he'll reject her, and then she insists on a divorce because she's a traumatized idiot who needs therapy like years ago... ofc the H thinks it's because he's disgusted HER by nearly raping her and being so physically pushy (fair! He WAS way too pushy and he did nearly force himself on her, and was not gentle about it at all).
Anyway, they quickly work things out after a weird situation with a stray kitten in a tree in the rain, a sprained ankle, and finally coming clean about all their hangups.
Would have been better imo if they ended it with a *real* wedding/reception and he convinced her to wear white this time and they did a vow renewal or something because she 100% deserved that- not over the top, but she deserved to wear a white gown imo.
Actually the real only improvement I would have made is to have them engaged throughout the book until the end, trying to work things out as an engaged couple, so she could have her white wedding.
Triggers: PTSD symptoms/reactions described in detail, violent r*pe described partially but enough to trigger imo, probably more, but really I think h's reactions to being touched or intimacy are realistic enough in themselves to potentially trigger someone else's similar PTSD.
Okay, so I realize there's a Big Bad traumatic Secret that is behind h's intense fear of large men, touching, kissing, making out, sex, etc., but I keep picturing her is the Avian Bone Syndrome girlfriend from 30 Rock:
image:
But for real, at this point (85%) I'm beyond annoyed at the h for not only refusing to do anything to mitigate her issues with even interacting with men, let alone her own fiancee/husband, but refusing to tell her OWN HUSBAND even the broadest reason for her inability to go beyond light petting; he freaking holds her hand a little too passionately and she's like "you're too rough!" like gurrrrl.
All I can say is that the big bad secret better be worth all the hell she's putting the H through. She treats him like a freaking rapist and he's easily the most gentle and patient of any HQ vintage Hero I've ever seen.
Well, he's a bit of an AH in the beginning and too pushy, but by the time they're engaged and then on their honeymoon? If she's ace, she should have told him before; if she's capable of having sex but not ready yet she should have put off the marriage till she was ready to actually have a full-on marriage with sex and everything.
EDIT:
The big bad trauma was in fact sufficiently horrific. It was a violent, brutal gang r*pe by 2 young men in her town and someone else. It's not gone ALL the way into, but enough to be pretty traumatizing imo.
Also: H got frustrated and nearly r*ped h, which of course triggered her, which is when she finally FINALLY told her celibate husband of months about the incident and why she's been so afraid of sex... sort of. She is so convinced he's going to be disgusted at her because she's not "pure" that she still didn't tell him that she's also been terrified that he'll reject her, and then she insists on a divorce because she's a traumatized idiot who needs therapy like years ago... ofc the H thinks it's because he's disgusted HER by nearly raping her and being so physically pushy (fair! He WAS way too pushy and he did nearly force himself on her, and was not gentle about it at all).
Anyway, they quickly work things out after a weird situation with a stray kitten in a tree in the rain, a sprained ankle, and finally coming clean about all their hangups.
Would have been better imo if they ended it with a *real* wedding/reception and he convinced her to wear white this time and they did a vow renewal or something because she 100% deserved that- not over the top, but she deserved to wear a white gown imo.
Actually the real only improvement I would have made is to have them engaged throughout the book until the end, trying to work things out as an engaged couple, so she could have her white wedding.
November 8, 2021
The hero wants to buy the building where the heroine has her shop.
He wants to develop the area for his business so offers the heroine money so she can leave the building before the expiring of her loan.
The heroine refuses and he starts charming her to make her accept.
Soon the hero falls in love with her (and she with him) and proposes.
They get married, but she's afraid of intimacy.
He is a very patient man because he thinks she is a scared virgin, but after some time he begins having doubts, and thinks she's not attracted to him.
Misunderstandings because she doesn't talk to him.
Guess what?
Yes, you already guessed.
She was raped when she was a teenager so of course she suffers from PTSD and hasn't recovered from trauma.
Very patient and caring hero helps her, eventually all is well.
It should have been angsty, but for some reasons I didn't feel the angst, so the whole book was lost for me.
The heroine coulnd't talk about her trauma, the hero was a dear but wasn't able to understand what was the issue, poor man.
I didn't like her because she didn't trust him enough to tell him what she suffered. He was a nice man, she accepted to marry him, so there wasn't any reason to treat him like that.
A bad case of miscommunication.
Not very fond of this one.
He wants to develop the area for his business so offers the heroine money so she can leave the building before the expiring of her loan.
The heroine refuses and he starts charming her to make her accept.
Soon the hero falls in love with her (and she with him) and proposes.
They get married, but she's afraid of intimacy.
He is a very patient man because he thinks she is a scared virgin, but after some time he begins having doubts, and thinks she's not attracted to him.
Misunderstandings because she doesn't talk to him.
Guess what?
Yes, you already guessed.
She was raped when she was a teenager so of course she suffers from PTSD and hasn't recovered from trauma.
Very patient and caring hero helps her, eventually all is well.
It should have been angsty, but for some reasons I didn't feel the angst, so the whole book was lost for me.
The heroine coulnd't talk about her trauma, the hero was a dear but wasn't able to understand what was the issue, poor man.
I didn't like her because she didn't trust him enough to tell him what she suffered. He was a nice man, she accepted to marry him, so there wasn't any reason to treat him like that.
A bad case of miscommunication.
Not very fond of this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2022
3 stars-
Kyla, the heroine, has some monsters in her past that she needed to overcome. It has made her cold, distant and fearful of any physical contact. I think this book should come with a warning for r*p* topics.
Marc was the perfect male hero, who was patient with her, although he did lose some of his cool along the last chapters, but it was because he didn’t know of her situation.
All in all an average read. I appreciated the author’s effort in describing the fears the victims go through. I personally hate mofos who think they can take advantage of women and get away with it. These kind of people should just die out.
Kyla, the heroine, has some monsters in her past that she needed to overcome. It has made her cold, distant and fearful of any physical contact. I think this book should come with a warning for r*p* topics.
Marc was the perfect male hero, who was patient with her, although he did lose some of his cool along the last chapters, but it was because he didn’t know of her situation.
All in all an average read. I appreciated the author’s effort in describing the fears the victims go through. I personally hate mofos who think they can take advantage of women and get away with it. These kind of people should just die out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2020
About 7 years after being brutally gang raped Kyla falls for Marc but is afraid to tell him about the rape and for some reason he doesn't pick up on all the glaring clues. She finally tells him after a few weeks of increasingly frustrated evenings and demands a divorce and they live separately for a few weeks.
All is not lost because minor character Hazel calls Marc to help when Kyla hurts herself and everything ends up happy.
Gentle story.
All is not lost because minor character Hazel calls Marc to help when Kyla hurts herself and everything ends up happy.
Gentle story.
February 25, 2024
Nesse a heroína tem uma história triste, muito angustiante. O H, muito apaixonado tem uma atitude que no primeiro momento da uma impressão errada ao descobrir o que aconteceu com ela, mas foi apenas má impressão mesmo. Ele é todo doce com ela, e com certeza hj seriam um casal com uma família linda, cheia de netos ....
December 4, 2022
I know I've read this. The fact that I remember quite a bit about it is a sign that it's probably a 3.5
dnf
December 5, 2024Uninteresting story.
January 13, 2011
It's wierd because I read this book AGES AGO but as soon as I saw the cover I remember loving it when I read it. I wouldn't recommend any of these now though.
March 10, 2016
I love this book very much
Read
April 22, 2018She was no match for his ruthless ways
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
Kyla's business was insignificant compared to Marc Nathan's corporation. But that didn't give him the right to pressure her out of her store. She had legal rights!
Yet Marc had a disconcerting way of getting under her skin, Kyla found. And he was so damned persistent about seeing her in after-business hours, in unbusinesslike surroundings.
It didn't take long to discover his tactics: he was going to sweep her off her feet, weaken her resistance. And Marc Nathan wasn't an easy man to resist!
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