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Simply Love
Even the hardest heart can be softened by love ...Cassandra Zerek is a true innocent in a wild and dangerous place -- but her indomitable spirit and gentle soul make her stronger than anyone suspects.The owner of a Colorado mining empire, Luke Taggart's wealth and position can buy him anything, yet he has grown bored with a life of saloons, gambling, and loose women. Nothing soothes his restless inner yearning -- until he spies Cassandra, as fresh and pure as a spring morning, and vows he will possess her. The radiant, charmingly naïve youngbeauty seems blind to the depth of Luke's desire or the lengths he is willing to go to seduce her. But the lady is wise, with an unwavering faith in the magical powers of love. And she's determined to awaken the good man hiding in Luke's tormented heart, for only one precious gift will truly win his deep, passionate, and unsullied love.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
245 people are currently reading
2155 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Anderson
102 books2,959 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
July 1, 2010
I guess if you read enough of one author, you're bound to find a failure. This is it. The characters were just plain awful. Luke was a ruthless jerk and Cassandra was just too stupid to breathe. There can be a fine line between stupid and naive, but Cassandra wasn't actually all that close to it. I tried, at first, to accept her naivety, choosing to be angry with her father for somehow sheltering her to the point that it ruined her, but you just can't walk around with your eyes open and believe some of the things she did.
So basically, Luke's rich, he wants Cassandra as his mistress, he gets whatever he wants to he tries to bribe her father, then when her father tells him to go to hell, he arranges to have her father set up for a crime. Then he plays the benevolent protector, has Cassandra sign a contract binding her to him as his mistress for a year.
She doesn't understand what "paid companion" means. She gets confused by the legalize. All right, I'll try to go with that...but he explains it to her. She has to perform "Marital duties" with him. So she scrubs the floor. He explains it to her again, that she will be "intimate" with him, so she plays a game to reveal personal information about herself. She worships him and easily tells him that she loves him.
Worse, they were just all wrong for each other. She really really needed to be a nun like she wanted to be at first and he needed a woman with enough sense to understand him. She never will.
I only have one nice thing to say about this book: There was one scene in which Luke goes to a prostitute, decides he doesn't want her after all, and spends a minute actually looking at her and realizing that she's a person too. So often in romance novels, especially historicals, women like this are used and forgotten while the men who somehow think they're better than those women go on to find true love. It was so refreshing to have a book give even a single moment to think of what life might have been like for that prostitute that I gave it a whole star for that scene. Without it, the book would have gotten 1.
To sum up: Do you really want to read a book in which the heroine calls her breasts bubbies? I'll take breasts, boobs, boobies, knockers, even mum mums (with great reluctance)....a lot of things, but I draw the line at bubbies.
So basically, Luke's rich, he wants Cassandra as his mistress, he gets whatever he wants to he tries to bribe her father, then when her father tells him to go to hell, he arranges to have her father set up for a crime. Then he plays the benevolent protector, has Cassandra sign a contract binding her to him as his mistress for a year.
She doesn't understand what "paid companion" means. She gets confused by the legalize. All right, I'll try to go with that...but he explains it to her. She has to perform "Marital duties" with him. So she scrubs the floor. He explains it to her again, that she will be "intimate" with him, so she plays a game to reveal personal information about herself. She worships him and easily tells him that she loves him.
Worse, they were just all wrong for each other. She really really needed to be a nun like she wanted to be at first and he needed a woman with enough sense to understand him. She never will.
I only have one nice thing to say about this book: There was one scene in which Luke goes to a prostitute, decides he doesn't want her after all, and spends a minute actually looking at her and realizing that she's a person too. So often in romance novels, especially historicals, women like this are used and forgotten while the men who somehow think they're better than those women go on to find true love. It was so refreshing to have a book give even a single moment to think of what life might have been like for that prostitute that I gave it a whole star for that scene. Without it, the book would have gotten 1.
To sum up: Do you really want to read a book in which the heroine calls her breasts bubbies? I'll take breasts, boobs, boobies, knockers, even mum mums (with great reluctance)....a lot of things, but I draw the line at bubbies.
April 9, 2019
The hero is a low-down, yellow dog cur and that’s a slur on yellow dog curs everywhere. In his own words,
He was a rotten, lying, conniving bastard.
Started out with 4 stars for some silly, fun and ridiculous rom-com shenanigans between the hero and heroine. He takes a hankering for the little filly then has her father and brother tossed in jail on trumped up charges all so he can strong-arm her into being his “paid companion” aka mistress. Forget the fact she wants to be a nun, he wants what he wants. He’s the big dog in town having found a fortune in gold.
As he’s twirling his mustache in evil villain glee it all goes awry. For one thing, she doesn't get it.
Cassandra wasn’t quite sure what kinds of wicked activities, only that she’d heard her papa say Mr. Taggart consorted with “shabby women,” showing no preference for any particular one. In. Cassandra’s opinion, that was further proof of the man’s altruistic character, for he was extremely rich. If he chose, he could consort only with ladies as wealthy and well-dressed as he was.
The only family member he gets to sleep with initially is her snotty nosed little brother. Her literally snotty nosed little brother that the H fears is wiping his nose on his silk sheets. The two are joined by the big, stinky dog that sees the hero/villain for what he is. Things continue to go south as the heroine is so naive she just can’t figger out what “paid companion” means. Sadly, it’s the nuns that help her figure that out.
The hero grows a heart when he sees the crying jag brought on by the shunning. (The nuns aren’t really mean, but other than Mary Magdalene aren’t really prepared to take on a fallen woman for the nursery.) The H and h get married, and life is pushing up daisies because the sex is great, and the H has a little family now. Just one small problem looms. How is he going to explain away his throwing her father and brother in jail as well as the initial shameful contract?
Over 80% of the book was 4 star worthy for me until the shoe really drops for the heroine. I am ALL over retribution for a bad acting hero, but the heroine’s sweet and trusting nature turned to crap. She couldn’t make a move to love, forgive, hate without direction from her father. Granted the whole family has reasons to hold a grudge, but the tone was so unpleasant after the lightheartedness of the first 2/3 or so. The hero is a big hunk of love even when he can’t say the words, and works on his redemption.
My first Catherine Anderson, and I loved most of it.
He was a rotten, lying, conniving bastard.
Started out with 4 stars for some silly, fun and ridiculous rom-com shenanigans between the hero and heroine. He takes a hankering for the little filly then has her father and brother tossed in jail on trumped up charges all so he can strong-arm her into being his “paid companion” aka mistress. Forget the fact she wants to be a nun, he wants what he wants. He’s the big dog in town having found a fortune in gold.
As he’s twirling his mustache in evil villain glee it all goes awry. For one thing, she doesn't get it.
Cassandra wasn’t quite sure what kinds of wicked activities, only that she’d heard her papa say Mr. Taggart consorted with “shabby women,” showing no preference for any particular one. In. Cassandra’s opinion, that was further proof of the man’s altruistic character, for he was extremely rich. If he chose, he could consort only with ladies as wealthy and well-dressed as he was.
The only family member he gets to sleep with initially is her snotty nosed little brother. Her literally snotty nosed little brother that the H fears is wiping his nose on his silk sheets. The two are joined by the big, stinky dog that sees the hero/villain for what he is. Things continue to go south as the heroine is so naive she just can’t figger out what “paid companion” means. Sadly, it’s the nuns that help her figure that out.
The hero grows a heart when he sees the crying jag brought on by the shunning. (The nuns aren’t really mean, but other than Mary Magdalene aren’t really prepared to take on a fallen woman for the nursery.) The H and h get married, and life is pushing up daisies because the sex is great, and the H has a little family now. Just one small problem looms. How is he going to explain away his throwing her father and brother in jail as well as the initial shameful contract?
Over 80% of the book was 4 star worthy for me until the shoe really drops for the heroine. I am ALL over retribution for a bad acting hero, but the heroine’s sweet and trusting nature turned to crap. She couldn’t make a move to love, forgive, hate without direction from her father. Granted the whole family has reasons to hold a grudge, but the tone was so unpleasant after the lightheartedness of the first 2/3 or so. The hero is a big hunk of love even when he can’t say the words, and works on his redemption.
My first Catherine Anderson, and I loved most of it.
November 14, 2013
The Heroine was almost absurdly naive, but I liked her. The H was an awesome anti-hero who found redemption and REALLY had to work (literally) to get the h back once his schemes were revealed. That was the best part of the book
November 25, 2019
I am at loss for words.So much for taking this last five hours thinking how i should review this book the best way possible.
I LOVE this book..and i will never forget it...never!
I have read very great novels by Catherine Anderson.She sucks me in to the book-and seduces me with her language,her characters,her view of the love the main-characters share..and she makes it so powerful that it even makes me cry.
It should be forbidden to create books like this...they don`t spare you with its beauty..and makes us woman long for a hero like this one for ourselfes,and makes me itch to have a best-friend like the heroine.
In this real world its very hard to find a man for yourself..even harder if he finds you, as you have to believe in faith about it.Romantic Novels can do that to you-so much that you long for a man`s love for yourself.Many Romantic Authors in the world have created wonderful heros.
Master-minded,ruthless,passionate..and so caged as Tigers, as their heart soon will be enslaved by a woman they won`t ever escape from...living and breathing their love for only her.
Luke Taggart is one of them.
From the first time he catches a smile on the face of Cassandra Zerek-a very adorable but painfully naive young woman-he glimpses the blooming sunshine from her heart that flowers through her eyes and decides that he wants her as his live-in mistress.
He is the most powerful and rich man in town-and has everything money can buy and does exactly what he wants without the least care for others.The cruel upbringing from his dark past are what made him the man he is from the beginning of the book.He is a bastard-son of a whore,and has spent his whole childhood in a whore-house where he his mother sold him for money to both woman and men-no one cared for his shouts and tears.The word Love is a word that cause him misery as he also doesn`t believe in it.
But the dream of escaping all the poor and dirtiness he plans on being rich and succeeds throughout his teens of becoming the richest land-lord everyone know.But we see in the beginning of the book that he is a restless man seeking for what he doesn`t know thats missing in his life.And in so he meets the unselfish and innocent Cassandra and gets be-witched by her inner beauty and decides to take every ruthless,unfeeling and despicable step to have her...in which he will be struck by a force he had never expected.All tables will turn around against him...and he will instantly lose his heart to his beloved Cassandra...as it is the greatest revenge on a man.!
The humor in "Simply Love" are oh so incredible funny that i laughed out loud everytime Cassandra made Luke`s head spineless.With her heart on her sleeve she turned this granite of a mans life upside down..and how i just enjoyed it.I love both Luke and Cassandra with all my heart.Their splending and undestroyable love..all the way through are so beautiful that it made me cry.She made him grovel alright..and his declaration of love undid me in the end!It was so Epic and so Beautiful that i shed some tears.I love almost all the characters,Cassandras protective brother Ambrose and her father Milo and the cute little brother Khristos,and the adorably ugly dog Lycodomes and the butler Pipps-everyone gave entertainment into the story!
This is a Milliard-deserving Star of a book that every Romance-Lover should read.Luke and Cassandra`s love-story has everything in it folks..they are everything!I love them both simply so much and i love "Simply Love",and i will 100 % re-read this book in the future.A book i Highly Recommend people, it`s a Keeper you won`t ever forget..!
I LOVE this book..and i will never forget it...never!
I have read very great novels by Catherine Anderson.She sucks me in to the book-and seduces me with her language,her characters,her view of the love the main-characters share..and she makes it so powerful that it even makes me cry.
It should be forbidden to create books like this...they don`t spare you with its beauty..and makes us woman long for a hero like this one for ourselfes,and makes me itch to have a best-friend like the heroine.
In this real world its very hard to find a man for yourself..even harder if he finds you, as you have to believe in faith about it.Romantic Novels can do that to you-so much that you long for a man`s love for yourself.Many Romantic Authors in the world have created wonderful heros.
Master-minded,ruthless,passionate..and so caged as Tigers, as their heart soon will be enslaved by a woman they won`t ever escape from...living and breathing their love for only her.
Luke Taggart is one of them.
From the first time he catches a smile on the face of Cassandra Zerek-a very adorable but painfully naive young woman-he glimpses the blooming sunshine from her heart that flowers through her eyes and decides that he wants her as his live-in mistress.
He is the most powerful and rich man in town-and has everything money can buy and does exactly what he wants without the least care for others.The cruel upbringing from his dark past are what made him the man he is from the beginning of the book.He is a bastard-son of a whore,and has spent his whole childhood in a whore-house where he his mother sold him for money to both woman and men-no one cared for his shouts and tears.The word Love is a word that cause him misery as he also doesn`t believe in it.
But the dream of escaping all the poor and dirtiness he plans on being rich and succeeds throughout his teens of becoming the richest land-lord everyone know.But we see in the beginning of the book that he is a restless man seeking for what he doesn`t know thats missing in his life.And in so he meets the unselfish and innocent Cassandra and gets be-witched by her inner beauty and decides to take every ruthless,unfeeling and despicable step to have her...in which he will be struck by a force he had never expected.All tables will turn around against him...and he will instantly lose his heart to his beloved Cassandra...as it is the greatest revenge on a man.!
The humor in "Simply Love" are oh so incredible funny that i laughed out loud everytime Cassandra made Luke`s head spineless.With her heart on her sleeve she turned this granite of a mans life upside down..and how i just enjoyed it.I love both Luke and Cassandra with all my heart.Their splending and undestroyable love..all the way through are so beautiful that it made me cry.She made him grovel alright..and his declaration of love undid me in the end!It was so Epic and so Beautiful that i shed some tears.I love almost all the characters,Cassandras protective brother Ambrose and her father Milo and the cute little brother Khristos,and the adorably ugly dog Lycodomes and the butler Pipps-everyone gave entertainment into the story!
This is a Milliard-deserving Star of a book that every Romance-Lover should read.Luke and Cassandra`s love-story has everything in it folks..they are everything!I love them both simply so much and i love "Simply Love",and i will 100 % re-read this book in the future.A book i Highly Recommend people, it`s a Keeper you won`t ever forget..!
November 10, 2022
⭐️⭐️ two stars -
Stopped at 40% when a side character mentioned that they were going to set an alarm clock - in 1887 🤦♀️
I ended up skimming after that point to see how it would end. No surprises, and it wouldn’t have been worth it to continue reading, so I don’t feel cheated by skipping to the end. It wasn’t that enjoyable to continue, and I just wanted this unfortunate journey to end.
This book came up on a romantic list somewhere here on Goodreads, and that’s why I decided to pick it up, but really, it’s not something I would ever recommend myself. It was pretty bad, to be honest.
The whole plot is pretty outrageous, but I did read almost to the halfway point since I was curious how it would progress. The heroine didn’t help the story get off to a good start. She’s cute and innocent, but she’s definitely a pancake short of a stack. Her obtuseness is a running gag in the plot in the beginning, but she really comes off as a dim-witted moron, and it gives her the character of a twelve year old child, which does not a romance make in my book.
Really, the only reason I made it as far as I did is due to the Hero. He’s deliciously ruthless in the beginning, and I was suitably intrigued. A lot of his character disintegrated as the story went on; he had a strong start, but the arc just wasn’t there to maintain it.
If you’re like me and are making your way through the romance lists here on Goodreads, I would tell you to skip this one. Would I try this author again? I am going to give her another chance since I see potential, and I have the optimism to think that she couldn’t have written another one this bad. We will see 🤞
Two small stars. Do not recommend.
Stopped at 40% when a side character mentioned that they were going to set an alarm clock - in 1887 🤦♀️
I ended up skimming after that point to see how it would end. No surprises, and it wouldn’t have been worth it to continue reading, so I don’t feel cheated by skipping to the end. It wasn’t that enjoyable to continue, and I just wanted this unfortunate journey to end.
This book came up on a romantic list somewhere here on Goodreads, and that’s why I decided to pick it up, but really, it’s not something I would ever recommend myself. It was pretty bad, to be honest.
The whole plot is pretty outrageous, but I did read almost to the halfway point since I was curious how it would progress. The heroine didn’t help the story get off to a good start. She’s cute and innocent, but she’s definitely a pancake short of a stack. Her obtuseness is a running gag in the plot in the beginning, but she really comes off as a dim-witted moron, and it gives her the character of a twelve year old child, which does not a romance make in my book.
Really, the only reason I made it as far as I did is due to the Hero. He’s deliciously ruthless in the beginning, and I was suitably intrigued. A lot of his character disintegrated as the story went on; he had a strong start, but the arc just wasn’t there to maintain it.
If you’re like me and are making your way through the romance lists here on Goodreads, I would tell you to skip this one. Would I try this author again? I am going to give her another chance since I see potential, and I have the optimism to think that she couldn’t have written another one this bad. We will see 🤞
Two small stars. Do not recommend.
June 7, 2017
This book is another great read by Catherine Anderson for me
( I have read Annies's song and comachi moon)
It is defenitly worth the read, I had a hard time putting the book down.
I enjoyed this book very much, I enjoyed the storyline and all the characters.
This book made me laugh until tears came to my eyes.
I'll be keeping it in my book collection, for a re-read later on.
I loved this book from beginning to end and I'll definitely read more of Anderson's work.
( I have read Annies's song and comachi moon)
It is defenitly worth the read, I had a hard time putting the book down.
I enjoyed this book very much, I enjoyed the storyline and all the characters.
This book made me laugh until tears came to my eyes.
I'll be keeping it in my book collection, for a re-read later on.
I loved this book from beginning to end and I'll definitely read more of Anderson's work.
September 18, 2009
Luke Taggart was raised in a brothel by a mother who abused and neglected him. In his early 20's, Luke unearthed a fortune in a Colorado gold mine and became one of the richest men in the state. Drowning in a constant parade of women, liquor, and gambling, Luke denied himself nothing. If it felt good, he did it. If he wanted it, he took it. After one look at Cassandra Zerek, Luke decided that what he needed to cure the boredom and loneliness in his life was this innocent young woman he couldn't get off his mind. There was only one problem, Cassandra's father stood squarely between them.
Because Luke was used to buying whatever he wanted, he went to Cassandra's dad and made him an offer for his daughter. Luke wanted her to be his mistress for a year in exchange for what amounted to a fortune to her poor family. Her dad told Luke what he could do with is "generous" offer. Undeterred, Luke arranged to have Cassandra's dad and brother arrested on bogus charges so that she would be at his mercy. She would be his mistress or see herself and her little brother turned out onto the streets.
Being naive and sheltered, Cassandra couldn't imagine why Luke would pay so much money to have her as his "paid companion", but she took the job because she needed the money...and she felt so sorry for the man who needed friends so desperately that he needed to pay them to spend time with him. The contract that she signed also stipulated that he would have custody of any "issue" that would arise from their agreement, but she decided that as friends, no issues would be too big for them to overcome.
After a night spent doing nothing more than playing chess, Luke was extremely frustrated with her complete misunderstanding of what he expected of her. He tried to explain that she had agreed to perform "wifely duties" for him...so she stripped and waxed the floor. Cassandra was so innocent that she often came across in the book as simpleminded. She knew that her reputation could be tarnished by living in his house, but she had no idea why. How she made it to 19 years old even in the late 1800's with the innocence of a 5 year old is a complete mystery.
Although Cassandra's naivety was a bit much to take after a while, I did like this book. Luke came off as a jerk in the beginning, but as it progressed, he began to change and turn into the hero that I have come to expect from Catherine Anderson. He loved her desperately and would do anything to fix the mess he made of the situation by lying to her. By the end of the book, my heart was breaking for him. He did do some shady things to Cassandra and her family, but he was so desperate to hold onto her that he was willing to do anything. Luke learned that love, not money, was the path to his heart's greatest desire.
Because Luke was used to buying whatever he wanted, he went to Cassandra's dad and made him an offer for his daughter. Luke wanted her to be his mistress for a year in exchange for what amounted to a fortune to her poor family. Her dad told Luke what he could do with is "generous" offer. Undeterred, Luke arranged to have Cassandra's dad and brother arrested on bogus charges so that she would be at his mercy. She would be his mistress or see herself and her little brother turned out onto the streets.
Being naive and sheltered, Cassandra couldn't imagine why Luke would pay so much money to have her as his "paid companion", but she took the job because she needed the money...and she felt so sorry for the man who needed friends so desperately that he needed to pay them to spend time with him. The contract that she signed also stipulated that he would have custody of any "issue" that would arise from their agreement, but she decided that as friends, no issues would be too big for them to overcome.
After a night spent doing nothing more than playing chess, Luke was extremely frustrated with her complete misunderstanding of what he expected of her. He tried to explain that she had agreed to perform "wifely duties" for him...so she stripped and waxed the floor. Cassandra was so innocent that she often came across in the book as simpleminded. She knew that her reputation could be tarnished by living in his house, but she had no idea why. How she made it to 19 years old even in the late 1800's with the innocence of a 5 year old is a complete mystery.
Although Cassandra's naivety was a bit much to take after a while, I did like this book. Luke came off as a jerk in the beginning, but as it progressed, he began to change and turn into the hero that I have come to expect from Catherine Anderson. He loved her desperately and would do anything to fix the mess he made of the situation by lying to her. By the end of the book, my heart was breaking for him. He did do some shady things to Cassandra and her family, but he was so desperate to hold onto her that he was willing to do anything. Luke learned that love, not money, was the path to his heart's greatest desire.
October 7, 2015
Don't you just hate it when the heroine ruins the book for you?
FRTC
FRTC
April 1, 2011
Well, I am not sure...
The book starts off with Luke Taggart, who pretty much owns the mining town of black jack, Colorado, deciding that he wants Cassandra Zerek as his mistress. He approaches her father, who is a miner working for him, but Milo is protective of his daughter and makes it clear that his daughter will be no man's whore. Thereafter luke sets Milo and his son Ambrose up and has them arrested so that he can get to Cassie. He approaches Cassie, pretending that he is upset that her father and brother have been arrested for stealing from him but that he has to have them punished. He tells her that he has agreed a $500 fine and 3 month prison sentence in order to be lenient. He offers to take Cassie and her brother Khristos in on the basis that she will be his paid companion for a year, allowing her to pay off the debt. Luke gets her to sign a contract which strips her of most of her legal rights including to custody of any issue.
Cassie is beyond naive and for the first half of the book is wilfully blind to what is going on. She does not understand the terms of the contract she signs; she thinks a paid companion is a friend; when he asks for bedroom games, she plays chess; when he tells her she must submit to wifely duties, she waxes the floor; she wants to be a nun but appears to have no common sense; when the nuns refuse to allow her to teach the children in the orphanage because of her new circumstances, she still doesn't get it....
And yet there is something endearing about Cassie and Luke's interactions. She thinks the best of him and makes him ashamed of himself so that he ends up living up to her expectations. There are some genuinely funny moments and the reader ends up really feeling for luke, especially in his dealings with the family dog.
Eventually Luke finds himself unable to take advantage of her and within days realises that he can't live without her and they marry. She is a virgin on their wedding day.
He makes a bad decision about her brother and father and fails to tell her the truth. Milo and Ambrose turn up and everything comes out. Cassie is crushed by what she views as Luke's betrayal and his attempt to turn her into a whore. Milo insists that his daughter leave with him then and there in the rain in her night dress and that they will take nothing from Luke. They end up living in a cave in a totally impoverished fashion whilst prosing on about how virtuous they are and how vile it was of luke to make Cassie a whore.
Luke does everything he can to try and demonstrate how sorry he is and how much he wants Cassie back. She and her family are exceptionally unforgiving and sanctimonious. Often in these books, the heroine is too quick to forgive the hero, but in this, I felt that it was needlessly dragged out and he was punished to the 9 th degree.
Cassie finds that she is pregnant but still goes on about her shame of whoredom and the fact that she wants to take the baby away and get a divorce.
Given that at the outset and for almost all of the book Cassie is described as a devout catholic, I really found it hard to understand why she felt no obligation to honour her marriage vows, to run away from her husband, to take her child away and to get a divorce. Likewise, I found her father's actions to be pretty selfish, despite the provocation as what kind of man in the 19C would rather have his daughter end up as a divorced woman, pregnant/ with a child, living in a cave with in the freezing cold with hardly any food, rather than living in comfort with the man she loved and who cared for her.
Also it's worth pointing out that in fact Luke had never followed his evil scheme properly through and he married her. She never was his mistress and so all the angst about this just seemed OTT. Cassie had such a character turn about that she became increasing unsympathetic and remained so until the end.
Overall I liked the first half of the book much better than the latter part.
The book starts off with Luke Taggart, who pretty much owns the mining town of black jack, Colorado, deciding that he wants Cassandra Zerek as his mistress. He approaches her father, who is a miner working for him, but Milo is protective of his daughter and makes it clear that his daughter will be no man's whore. Thereafter luke sets Milo and his son Ambrose up and has them arrested so that he can get to Cassie. He approaches Cassie, pretending that he is upset that her father and brother have been arrested for stealing from him but that he has to have them punished. He tells her that he has agreed a $500 fine and 3 month prison sentence in order to be lenient. He offers to take Cassie and her brother Khristos in on the basis that she will be his paid companion for a year, allowing her to pay off the debt. Luke gets her to sign a contract which strips her of most of her legal rights including to custody of any issue.
Cassie is beyond naive and for the first half of the book is wilfully blind to what is going on. She does not understand the terms of the contract she signs; she thinks a paid companion is a friend; when he asks for bedroom games, she plays chess; when he tells her she must submit to wifely duties, she waxes the floor; she wants to be a nun but appears to have no common sense; when the nuns refuse to allow her to teach the children in the orphanage because of her new circumstances, she still doesn't get it....
And yet there is something endearing about Cassie and Luke's interactions. She thinks the best of him and makes him ashamed of himself so that he ends up living up to her expectations. There are some genuinely funny moments and the reader ends up really feeling for luke, especially in his dealings with the family dog.
Eventually Luke finds himself unable to take advantage of her and within days realises that he can't live without her and they marry. She is a virgin on their wedding day.
He makes a bad decision about her brother and father and fails to tell her the truth. Milo and Ambrose turn up and everything comes out. Cassie is crushed by what she views as Luke's betrayal and his attempt to turn her into a whore. Milo insists that his daughter leave with him then and there in the rain in her night dress and that they will take nothing from Luke. They end up living in a cave in a totally impoverished fashion whilst prosing on about how virtuous they are and how vile it was of luke to make Cassie a whore.
Luke does everything he can to try and demonstrate how sorry he is and how much he wants Cassie back. She and her family are exceptionally unforgiving and sanctimonious. Often in these books, the heroine is too quick to forgive the hero, but in this, I felt that it was needlessly dragged out and he was punished to the 9 th degree.
Cassie finds that she is pregnant but still goes on about her shame of whoredom and the fact that she wants to take the baby away and get a divorce.
Given that at the outset and for almost all of the book Cassie is described as a devout catholic, I really found it hard to understand why she felt no obligation to honour her marriage vows, to run away from her husband, to take her child away and to get a divorce. Likewise, I found her father's actions to be pretty selfish, despite the provocation as what kind of man in the 19C would rather have his daughter end up as a divorced woman, pregnant/ with a child, living in a cave with in the freezing cold with hardly any food, rather than living in comfort with the man she loved and who cared for her.
Also it's worth pointing out that in fact Luke had never followed his evil scheme properly through and he married her. She never was his mistress and so all the angst about this just seemed OTT. Cassie had such a character turn about that she became increasing unsympathetic and remained so until the end.
Overall I liked the first half of the book much better than the latter part.
May 31, 2023
review updated with details
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
Alexa, play Sympathy for the Devil.
Oh, the cruel irony. I - an icy-veined grovel snob - finally find a book with epic grovel - hell, even TOO MUCH grovel! (It must be the darkest timeline if I'm actually uttering those words 🫣 )
... And I couldn't even enjoy it. Because I felt so freaking bad for this poor bastard 🥺. Dammit!
ps I have a few more comments and CWs to add, once I get my confusing emotions under control. 😭🥹🥴
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
My notes:
● Longish book, ~135k/397 pages. It's on Hoopla, but your local library may have a Kindle version.
● This is a historical Western romance, written in 1997. I didn't notice anything overtly offensive, besides some misogynistic attitudes one would expect in 1887 Colorado. But it's possible I missed something.
● Skip this book if you hate ditzy/guileless FMCs. Cassandra is so naïve, she makes Jessa Kane heroines look like Mae West. She's basically Pollyanna or Rose from The Golden Girls. I love that kind of humor, but YMMV.
● This might be the first time I've read a book with a FMC that has a larger-than-average nose. (And the MMC thinks she's gorgeous.)
● One reviewer complained about the inclusion of an alarm clock ⏰. Fun fact! The first American mechanical alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins in 1787 - fully 100 years before the start of this novel. By 1876, they were being mass-produced and sold. If you want to know more, read this fascinating Atlas Obscura article.
● In defense of Luke's scheming: King David knocked up Bathsheba, and then knocked off her husband by sending him to the front lines. And he was still considered God's ✨favorite✨. So, ya know... from that perspective, is Luke sending her dad and brother to jail really so bad? 🥴
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
➜ ⚠ CWs: (spoilers)
➜ 🚦 Safety:
● Cassandra is 18 and extra-virgin. Luke is 29 and grew up in a brothel.
● OW/OM: No OM drama, but he is jealous a few times. Some OW:
• Near the beginning; after he briefly met Cassandra: There's a post-coital scene with Luke and a prostitute.
• Midway; after she's living with him, but before they're intimate: Luke gets drunk and visits a prostitute. There is kissing and fondling but he leaves before it goes further. Cassandra never finds out about this.
● note: After Luke and Cassandra are intimate,
● Separation:
● HEA?
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
my minor complaints:
● Big tonal shift: The first 75% was cute and slightly twisted. The last 25% brings the suffering. I understood the FMC's feelings to an extent, but there's no freaking way
● Not much character growth for FMC. Especially at the end, I wanted to see her think and act independently.
No book is perfect, but I was highly entertained, and felt emotions and stuff. That's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.
If you want even more, I recommend reading this reviewer's highly detailed plot overview: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
Alexa, play Sympathy for the Devil.
Oh, the cruel irony. I - an icy-veined grovel snob - finally find a book with epic grovel - hell, even TOO MUCH grovel! (It must be the darkest timeline if I'm actually uttering those words 🫣 )
... And I couldn't even enjoy it. Because I felt so freaking bad for this poor bastard 🥺. Dammit!
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
My notes:
● Longish book, ~135k/397 pages. It's on Hoopla, but your local library may have a Kindle version.
● This is a historical Western romance, written in 1997. I didn't notice anything overtly offensive, besides some misogynistic attitudes one would expect in 1887 Colorado. But it's possible I missed something.
● Skip this book if you hate ditzy/guileless FMCs. Cassandra is so naïve, she makes Jessa Kane heroines look like Mae West. She's basically Pollyanna or Rose from The Golden Girls. I love that kind of humor, but YMMV.
● This might be the first time I've read a book with a FMC that has a larger-than-average nose. (And the MMC thinks she's gorgeous.)
● One reviewer complained about the inclusion of an alarm clock ⏰. Fun fact! The first American mechanical alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins in 1787 - fully 100 years before the start of this novel. By 1876, they were being mass-produced and sold. If you want to know more, read this fascinating Atlas Obscura article.
● In defense of Luke's scheming: King David knocked up Bathsheba, and then knocked off her husband by sending him to the front lines. And he was still considered God's ✨favorite✨. So, ya know... from that perspective, is Luke sending her dad and brother to jail really so bad? 🥴
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
➜ ⚠ CWs: (spoilers)
➜ 🚦 Safety:
● Cassandra is 18 and extra-virgin. Luke is 29 and grew up in a brothel.
● OW/OM: No OM drama, but he is jealous a few times. Some OW:
• Near the beginning; after he briefly met Cassandra: There's a post-coital scene with Luke and a prostitute.
• Midway; after she's living with him, but before they're intimate: Luke gets drunk and visits a prostitute. There is kissing and fondling but he leaves before it goes further. Cassandra never finds out about this.
● note: After Luke and Cassandra are intimate,
● Separation:
● HEA?
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
my minor complaints:
● Big tonal shift: The first 75% was cute and slightly twisted. The last 25% brings the suffering. I understood the FMC's feelings to an extent, but there's no freaking way
● Not much character growth for FMC. Especially at the end, I wanted to see her think and act independently.
No book is perfect, but I was highly entertained, and felt emotions and stuff. That's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.
If you want even more, I recommend reading this reviewer's highly detailed plot overview: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
✦•······················•✦•······················•✦
April 18, 2021
h was not an unicorn groomer, she was the unicorn!
May 2, 2021
I'm not too sure how it's possible that my taste has changed so much, but it has been 10 years.
The first time I read this book, I was close in age to the heroine, and now I am closer to the hero. And I rated it a 5 star read, so shame on me for that.
Other than her naivete being extensively dragged out, it was both tiring and boring. The perceived pureness of the heroine and her family was really sanctimonious. I didn't find any of it sweet or endearing.
While the hero is a creepy rich groomer, the heroine's unwillingness to forgive once she finds out as well as her actions seemed completely disconectable from her previous nature. The way she falls under her fathers thumb is an icky display of strict patriarchy, portrayed as respect for her elders. She seems to suddenly lack any of that vast Christian spirit and decorum. As the heroine is n
supossed to be a devout Catholic, I find it hard to understand why she felt no obligation to save her marriage and not bring stigma upon her child with divorce. To add to this confusing twist, her father's pride goes to crazy dumb extremes with his willingness to kill his family by starvation or influenza in the name of pure spite. His actions were, at best, selfish, and in reality - negligent and borderline criminal . He should not be in charge of small children or older teens.
A backward misogynistic romance about the virtue of sweet virginal women (i keep cringing over the hero mentally berating a sex worker he frequently uses over her vagina smelling like fish) that is spurred on by hefty doses of patriarchy. Every aspect of this book rubbed me the wrong way, and I read my romances for enjoyment, not for frustration.
The first time I read this book, I was close in age to the heroine, and now I am closer to the hero. And I rated it a 5 star read, so shame on me for that.
Other than her naivete being extensively dragged out, it was both tiring and boring. The perceived pureness of the heroine and her family was really sanctimonious. I didn't find any of it sweet or endearing.
While the hero is a creepy rich groomer, the heroine's unwillingness to forgive once she finds out as well as her actions seemed completely disconectable from her previous nature. The way she falls under her fathers thumb is an icky display of strict patriarchy, portrayed as respect for her elders. She seems to suddenly lack any of that vast Christian spirit and decorum. As the heroine is n
supossed to be a devout Catholic, I find it hard to understand why she felt no obligation to save her marriage and not bring stigma upon her child with divorce. To add to this confusing twist, her father's pride goes to crazy dumb extremes with his willingness to kill his family by starvation or influenza in the name of pure spite. His actions were, at best, selfish, and in reality - negligent and borderline criminal . He should not be in charge of small children or older teens.
A backward misogynistic romance about the virtue of sweet virginal women (i keep cringing over the hero mentally berating a sex worker he frequently uses over her vagina smelling like fish) that is spurred on by hefty doses of patriarchy. Every aspect of this book rubbed me the wrong way, and I read my romances for enjoyment, not for frustration.
August 5, 2010
I have discovered that if I read Anderson's books in a row I get a bit tired of her writing and characters but if I only read one every once in a while then they are nice and entertaining reads.
Simply Love is set in a mining town in Colorado during the 19th century. Luke Taggart is the richest man in town and has everything he wants. Predictably he is restless and in need of new challenges. When he meets Cassandra Zerek, whose father and brother work for him as miners, he realises that besides beautiful and different from the other women he has had so far. Since she is an honourable girl and would never agree to be his mistress he hatches a plot to send her relatives to jail thus leaving her in a vulnerable position and agreeable to his proposal of making her his paid companion.
In need of money to support herself and her younger brother Cassandra accepts but, in her naiveté, believes he just wants someone to talk and play games with him. Although they eventually embark in a relationship it's only when her father is released from jail that Cassandra realises Luke's true purpose. By then Luke has already started to appreciate her and to fall in love with her.
I thought this might be a difficult story to enjoy because Cassandra seemed to be too naive to be real. In fact she is that but as Anderson uses her misunderstandings and silly conclusions to block Luke's intentions quite effectively you can't help laugh out loud each time he is frustrated in his intent. And I thought that was the best part of it. After Cassandra goes back home with her father Luke has to do a lot of groveling and apologising to get her back and especially he has to confront his own ghosts and bare his soul. Not many books have groveling scenes that I feel are enough but this one comes close and there are also not many stories where the hero is scarred by the type of abuse described here.
Grade: 4/5
Simply Love is set in a mining town in Colorado during the 19th century. Luke Taggart is the richest man in town and has everything he wants. Predictably he is restless and in need of new challenges. When he meets Cassandra Zerek, whose father and brother work for him as miners, he realises that besides beautiful and different from the other women he has had so far. Since she is an honourable girl and would never agree to be his mistress he hatches a plot to send her relatives to jail thus leaving her in a vulnerable position and agreeable to his proposal of making her his paid companion.
In need of money to support herself and her younger brother Cassandra accepts but, in her naiveté, believes he just wants someone to talk and play games with him. Although they eventually embark in a relationship it's only when her father is released from jail that Cassandra realises Luke's true purpose. By then Luke has already started to appreciate her and to fall in love with her.
I thought this might be a difficult story to enjoy because Cassandra seemed to be too naive to be real. In fact she is that but as Anderson uses her misunderstandings and silly conclusions to block Luke's intentions quite effectively you can't help laugh out loud each time he is frustrated in his intent. And I thought that was the best part of it. After Cassandra goes back home with her father Luke has to do a lot of groveling and apologising to get her back and especially he has to confront his own ghosts and bare his soul. Not many books have groveling scenes that I feel are enough but this one comes close and there are also not many stories where the hero is scarred by the type of abuse described here.
Grade: 4/5
June 19, 2008
Luke Taggart was a man used to getting what he wanted. He grew up poor but then went on to become very rich. He sees Cassandra Zerek and wants her as his mistress. But when he approaches her father, a man who works in his mines, he is refused. Luke Taggart was a real jerk and it took some time but I did come to like him (not love) before the end. Cassandra was naive and, well, ah, kind of stupid. But it was a good story and I'd still recommend it to fans of historical romance set in the American West.
August 25, 2013
Totally lacking in credibility.
The debauched hero likes to sleep with several prostitutes in his bed and has a drawer full of dildos and other sex aids. He is portrayed as a ruthless businessman who allows no moral laws to stand in his way.
Yet, in his every act with the heroine, her kid brother, the orphans in town, even a mangy dog who ruins his furniture, he behaves like the kindest, gentlest man in the world. Surely, a man like him would just have gone ahead and taken what he paid for, instead of engaging in endless, silly conversations with the heroine, trying to explain to her what services she was supposed to provide.
The heroine is supposed to be innocent but very intelligent. Yet, despite the hero plainly spelling out to him he wants a companion for his nights, despite her signing a contract that she is going to live with him for a year and let him do whatever he wants with her body and be paid a huge amount of money for it, she does not understand that she has agreed to be his mistress.
She knows a woman can lose a reputation by just allowing a man to escort her home from church, but she does not see a problem in going to live in this man's house for a year to be his paid companion.
Frankly, she comes across as the most stupid person who ever lived. The characters just made no sense at all. I kept reading, hoping to find out that her utter stupidity is an act but no, it was real.
The debauched hero likes to sleep with several prostitutes in his bed and has a drawer full of dildos and other sex aids. He is portrayed as a ruthless businessman who allows no moral laws to stand in his way.
Yet, in his every act with the heroine, her kid brother, the orphans in town, even a mangy dog who ruins his furniture, he behaves like the kindest, gentlest man in the world. Surely, a man like him would just have gone ahead and taken what he paid for, instead of engaging in endless, silly conversations with the heroine, trying to explain to her what services she was supposed to provide.
The heroine is supposed to be innocent but very intelligent. Yet, despite the hero plainly spelling out to him he wants a companion for his nights, despite her signing a contract that she is going to live with him for a year and let him do whatever he wants with her body and be paid a huge amount of money for it, she does not understand that she has agreed to be his mistress.
She knows a woman can lose a reputation by just allowing a man to escort her home from church, but she does not see a problem in going to live in this man's house for a year to be his paid companion.
Frankly, she comes across as the most stupid person who ever lived. The characters just made no sense at all. I kept reading, hoping to find out that her utter stupidity is an act but no, it was real.
January 9, 2022
Just created the manipulative hero shelf for Luke. I really like reading about heroes who aren't afraid of using every dirty trick in the book to get the heroine then giving delicious grovel to win her back when it all blows up.
P.s, loved the way Luke called Cassie honey💕
"His heart caught when she walked slowly toward him with one hand outstretched. He reached out to her. As their fingertips touched, the years that yawned between Luke and his childhood seemed to dissolve, and he was once again a beggar boy. One morsel of affection, one whisper of forgiveness. He’d have dropped to his knees for either one."
July 17, 2013
hilarious one ! a keeper definitely. i read it ytd n just reread it today !! it's the kind of book dat u read time n again n u never get bored;) absolute fun !! absolutely awesome !!so terrific.
April 11, 2013
At first I really didn't like the book not because of the story but how dumb the characters were. I hated Cassie cause of how naive she was about life and sex but I also didn't like Luke and how he thought life could be bought. Reading deeper in the book gives u such a emotional setting of why Luke is the way he is. Gawd I wanted to die for him because his life was so miserably lonely. In the end I gave it five stars I wanted to cry when he finally said I love you. ..three words he refused to say in his life because of what happened when he was a kid. Ideally I do my best to not look at reviews before I read the book I wish I didn't read the negative ones because I can see why they were saying what they were saying but if you get past the first hundred pages or so your going to begin to understand how emotionally draining it is for Luke and how he lives.....5stars
June 1, 2021
Trigger Warnings:
A HUGEEEE thank you to my lovely friend Shilpa for recommending this book. I was telling her that as per usual, I was looking for a book with a good grovel and she recommended this and it was bloody amazing. I loved that there was no cheating and the issue was so different. This book is so refreshing in terms of the plot since it focused on a hero that honestly seemed very villain-like. I mean in a sense he was a villain, a lot of the things he did were manipulative, deceptive, and slimy. Let's just say, that the hero, Luke, is a slimy meatball. And I found it really interesting to follow a character that made horrible decisions because they were so fixated on a goal. The heroine in this story, Cassandra, is an angel, super naive to the point where it can be annoying to some and unbelievable at points that it's funny. If you're super religious, this might not be for you since it does talk about religion a lot, there is a lot of slut-shaming. The stuff that Luke does is really messed up and it was all because he wanted Cassandra so bad. The lesson in this story was great, I really liked how the story was told but that doesn't mean that this book isn't toxic. This book has some scenes where I'm raising my eyebrows. Cassandra is 18 and Luke is in his 30s, he's more experienced sexually while Cassandra is a virgin. She is very naive and there are times where he seems to be grooming her, there is also a scene where he gives her wine and then does some sexual things with her. Stuff like this is toxic, I still enjoyed the story but that doesn't mean this book is healthy. I don't even think this book is historically accurate, to be honest, but I'm not a smart person lol so don't take my word for it. This book from what I remember takes place in the 19th century and they're talking about presidents and stuff in this so, uh, I dunno man. They mentioned George Washington in this and even the states in America but I dunno history so I could be wrong, but I doubt those things were around back in the day.
So this book follows Luke and Cassandra, Luke is a rich guy that has everything in the world but feels like he's lacking somewhere. He's slept with everything, from walruses to octopuses and he wants a change. Cassandra is surrounded by her loved ones and has a goal to become a nun. After meeting Cassandra, all Luke wants is to have Cassandra, make her his mistress, because he's lacking in his collection of mistresses. My guy Luke wants a virgin mistress now since women are his Pokemon, he's gotta catch em all. Yes, the guy is a slimy meatball and convincing Cassandra, a naive aspiring woman will take a lot, but he is willing to do anything.
Luke while scheming
Now for spoilers
This book is pretty toxic, some of the stuff that Luke did had me raising my eyebrows, and yet I still loved this book. This is my first Catherine Anderson book and I look forward to reading more by her. I really liked the villain-like hero in this since it is so different from what I normally read, the guy isn't perfect but that makes him a lot more interesting I guess. Anyway, that is all, stay safe folks!
A HUGEEEE thank you to my lovely friend Shilpa for recommending this book. I was telling her that as per usual, I was looking for a book with a good grovel and she recommended this and it was bloody amazing. I loved that there was no cheating and the issue was so different. This book is so refreshing in terms of the plot since it focused on a hero that honestly seemed very villain-like. I mean in a sense he was a villain, a lot of the things he did were manipulative, deceptive, and slimy. Let's just say, that the hero, Luke, is a slimy meatball. And I found it really interesting to follow a character that made horrible decisions because they were so fixated on a goal. The heroine in this story, Cassandra, is an angel, super naive to the point where it can be annoying to some and unbelievable at points that it's funny. If you're super religious, this might not be for you since it does talk about religion a lot, there is a lot of slut-shaming. The stuff that Luke does is really messed up and it was all because he wanted Cassandra so bad. The lesson in this story was great, I really liked how the story was told but that doesn't mean that this book isn't toxic. This book has some scenes where I'm raising my eyebrows. Cassandra is 18 and Luke is in his 30s, he's more experienced sexually while Cassandra is a virgin. She is very naive and there are times where he seems to be grooming her, there is also a scene where he gives her wine and then does some sexual things with her. Stuff like this is toxic, I still enjoyed the story but that doesn't mean this book is healthy. I don't even think this book is historically accurate, to be honest, but I'm not a smart person lol so don't take my word for it. This book from what I remember takes place in the 19th century and they're talking about presidents and stuff in this so, uh, I dunno man. They mentioned George Washington in this and even the states in America but I dunno history so I could be wrong, but I doubt those things were around back in the day.
So this book follows Luke and Cassandra, Luke is a rich guy that has everything in the world but feels like he's lacking somewhere. He's slept with everything, from walruses to octopuses and he wants a change. Cassandra is surrounded by her loved ones and has a goal to become a nun. After meeting Cassandra, all Luke wants is to have Cassandra, make her his mistress, because he's lacking in his collection of mistresses. My guy Luke wants a virgin mistress now since women are his Pokemon, he's gotta catch em all. Yes, the guy is a slimy meatball and convincing Cassandra, a naive aspiring woman will take a lot, but he is willing to do anything.
Luke while scheming
Now for spoilers
This book is pretty toxic, some of the stuff that Luke did had me raising my eyebrows, and yet I still loved this book. This is my first Catherine Anderson book and I look forward to reading more by her. I really liked the villain-like hero in this since it is so different from what I normally read, the guy isn't perfect but that makes him a lot more interesting I guess. Anyway, that is all, stay safe folks!
March 30, 2023
Odlična za razbibrigu 🤗
February 15, 2016
This one had so much potential but was more of a fizzle for me than an all out explosion. I was recommended the book because I was told there was a grovel factor, so often unsatisfactory or missing entirely from these books, and indeed there was. I actually enjoyed the lead-up to the grovel more than I expected and actually, maybe even more than the grovel itself.
Luke wants Cassie, who is the naivest naif to ever naive. Her father overprotected her, and I'm not entirely sure how to emphasize enough how innocent she is. (For example, when Luke tells her he wants her to perform "wifely duties" she assumes this means cleaning the wax from the stairs.) This causes problems when Luke does some Dastardly Deeds and finagles it so that she has nowhere but whoredom to turn for support. The thing is, Cassie doesn't know she's been finagled into whoredom. For her, "paid companion" means someone you pay to hang around with. This actually resulted in some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments as you watch Luke's frustration vs. Cassie's OTT naivete. Happily, even though she probably should, she didn't come off as a Mary Sue for me, simply an optimistic, happy girl who somehow managed to remain innocent.
Luke is pretty much a bastard when the book opens. He has hints of good, but he's pretty much an asshat. When I say he finagles a situation to turn Cassie into a prostitute, I mean he orchestrates a series of events that put her father and brother in jail under false pretenses so that she will literally have nowhere to go, then pretends to swoop in with his "job offer" thinking that no way could any girl of 19 who lives in a mining town be a virgin and even if she is, no way could she be that eager to hang on to said virginity. (That even applies a girl who says over and over she wants to be a nun, I guess.) He repeatedly lies to her, then gets upset when she almost willfully misunderstands his orders regarding sex (of course being that this is a bit of a romantic comedy, he doesn't just come out and say "sex" and instead uses euphemisms like "wifely duties" and "relations" which makes things more difficult), and then when he tries to "lay down the law", she looks at him so innocently and he just can't reveal what a rat bastard he is.
I really did have a lot of fun reading this one. I couldn't even hate Luke completely, even though he does some truly despicable things in the book. He's a guy who made his life being an asshat and so these warm, mushy feelings he's having are not only foreign, they make him vulnerable. As for his reluctance to say "I love you" I know a lot of readers will probably have Issues with that, but once we know the reason why, I couldn't condemn him for that.
I think part of the reason this never gelled with me is because I sort of enjoy hating the alpha male while I read these, and watching him grovel is the way I know he's turned into someone better than the way he started the novel (also I'm a sadist). In Luke's case, he wasn't necessarily a bad guy -- just someone trying desperately to convince himself he is a bad guy just so he doesn't have to acknowledge his vulnerability. Also, I saw his transformation into a better man during the course of the book, and while his actions certainly necessitated a good grovel, it didn't have the same oomph it would have if the whole story had been told from Cassie's perspective and I hadn't known quite so much about Luke.
The book was fun, it just didn't emotionally connect with me the way I would have liked. I think this is an issue I've had with this author before. Still, I am not sorry I spent the money on it and I might even read it again a few years down the line.
Luke wants Cassie, who is the naivest naif to ever naive. Her father overprotected her, and I'm not entirely sure how to emphasize enough how innocent she is. (For example, when Luke tells her he wants her to perform "wifely duties" she assumes this means cleaning the wax from the stairs.) This causes problems when Luke does some Dastardly Deeds and finagles it so that she has nowhere but whoredom to turn for support. The thing is, Cassie doesn't know she's been finagled into whoredom. For her, "paid companion" means someone you pay to hang around with. This actually resulted in some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments as you watch Luke's frustration vs. Cassie's OTT naivete. Happily, even though she probably should, she didn't come off as a Mary Sue for me, simply an optimistic, happy girl who somehow managed to remain innocent.
Luke is pretty much a bastard when the book opens. He has hints of good, but he's pretty much an asshat. When I say he finagles a situation to turn Cassie into a prostitute, I mean he orchestrates a series of events that put her father and brother in jail under false pretenses so that she will literally have nowhere to go, then pretends to swoop in with his "job offer" thinking that no way could any girl of 19 who lives in a mining town be a virgin and even if she is, no way could she be that eager to hang on to said virginity. (That even applies a girl who says over and over she wants to be a nun, I guess.) He repeatedly lies to her, then gets upset when she almost willfully misunderstands his orders regarding sex (of course being that this is a bit of a romantic comedy, he doesn't just come out and say "sex" and instead uses euphemisms like "wifely duties" and "relations" which makes things more difficult), and then when he tries to "lay down the law", she looks at him so innocently and he just can't reveal what a rat bastard he is.
I really did have a lot of fun reading this one. I couldn't even hate Luke completely, even though he does some truly despicable things in the book. He's a guy who made his life being an asshat and so these warm, mushy feelings he's having are not only foreign, they make him vulnerable. As for his reluctance to say "I love you" I know a lot of readers will probably have Issues with that, but once we know the reason why, I couldn't condemn him for that.
I think part of the reason this never gelled with me is because I sort of enjoy hating the alpha male while I read these, and watching him grovel is the way I know he's turned into someone better than the way he started the novel (also I'm a sadist). In Luke's case, he wasn't necessarily a bad guy -- just someone trying desperately to convince himself he is a bad guy just so he doesn't have to acknowledge his vulnerability. Also, I saw his transformation into a better man during the course of the book, and while his actions certainly necessitated a good grovel, it didn't have the same oomph it would have if the whole story had been told from Cassie's perspective and I hadn't known quite so much about Luke.
The book was fun, it just didn't emotionally connect with me the way I would have liked. I think this is an issue I've had with this author before. Still, I am not sorry I spent the money on it and I might even read it again a few years down the line.
July 10, 2011
Really really liked this book,another great emotional read by this author Luke is a selfish manipulative callous conceited mean and rotten man,he is a self made man and now he is just bored with his life and all the woman he sleeps around with he wants something different that is when he sees Casandra,she is a miner's daughter and is really innocent and naive-she was too naive for me its hard for me digest that any girl-woman ignorant to the worldly ways of men but then it was i guess necessary for the story
Luke sees Cassandra and he falls immediately in lust with her and has to have her at any cost,he deliberately sends her father n brother in jail and signs a contract with Casandra that she is from now his mistress till he wants,Cassandra thinks Luke wants her to do house chores and take care of his house,Luke takes her to stay with him and from here on how Casandra's innocence and naivete makes Luke fall in love with her and also realise how wrong he is and how he has destroyed Casandra's life but then he is completely fallen in love with her and they get married but then bomb drops and Casandra comes to know what Luke did and she is angry,hurt and hates Luke but Luke does'nt wants to lose Casandra he tried to tell her before but the fear of losing her stopped him and now he will do anything and prove to Casandra he is a changed man and will work towards gaining Casandra's love and trust back
I disliked the fact that even though Luke loved Casandra he never said it till the end and used money to win her back but then he really tries hard and does everything to make amends
I wanted to give more then 5 stars simply because literally we see how Luke changes from a mean selfish manipulative man to a good man and we have severe grovelling and i am sucker for grovelling books
Good read
Recommend it
Luke sees Cassandra and he falls immediately in lust with her and has to have her at any cost,he deliberately sends her father n brother in jail and signs a contract with Casandra that she is from now his mistress till he wants,Cassandra thinks Luke wants her to do house chores and take care of his house,Luke takes her to stay with him and from here on how Casandra's innocence and naivete makes Luke fall in love with her and also realise how wrong he is and how he has destroyed Casandra's life but then he is completely fallen in love with her and they get married but then bomb drops and Casandra comes to know what Luke did and she is angry,hurt and hates Luke but Luke does'nt wants to lose Casandra he tried to tell her before but the fear of losing her stopped him and now he will do anything and prove to Casandra he is a changed man and will work towards gaining Casandra's love and trust back
I disliked the fact that even though Luke loved Casandra he never said it till the end and used money to win her back but then he really tries hard and does everything to make amends
I wanted to give more then 5 stars simply because literally we see how Luke changes from a mean selfish manipulative man to a good man and we have severe grovelling and i am sucker for grovelling books
Good read
Recommend it
February 24, 2015
This was supposed to be a hilarious tale about a pure, innocent maiden and an equally jaded scoundrel. Instead, what I got was a TSTL heroine intent on becoming a nun (possibly a wannabe saint). I could have accepted that she was sheltered enough to be painfully gullible, but to believe in Leprechauns and to be so obtuse when it came to anything sexual was just annoying.
About Luke, I can understand that Cassandra was supposed to bring the best in him, but the things he started doing because of her seemed too out of character for me. It took me a long time to get into the story, and it did become good for a while. Then Cassandra’s sanctimonious family intervened, followed by a lot of incidents and some grovelling.
Anyhow, to put it simply, I felt sorry for Luke and didn’t really think their pair was all that suitable. I could not come to like Cassandra at all. Maybe I am just not used to Catherine Anderson writing stories like Lynsay Sands; but it was a funny story without doubt.
About Luke, I can understand that Cassandra was supposed to bring the best in him, but the things he started doing because of her seemed too out of character for me. It took me a long time to get into the story, and it did become good for a while. Then Cassandra’s sanctimonious family intervened, followed by a lot of incidents and some grovelling.
Anyhow, to put it simply, I felt sorry for Luke and didn’t really think their pair was all that suitable. I could not come to like Cassandra at all. Maybe I am just not used to Catherine Anderson writing stories like Lynsay Sands; but it was a funny story without doubt.
January 31, 2016
This is the one and only Catherine Anderson book I did not like.
I didn't like the story or how ruthless Luke was or how childish Cassandra was made out to be. In a lot of way's It felt like Luke was a pervert because of how young Cassandra is. She want's to become a nun and Luke want's her for himself. A man whore if you will, who want's a sweet innocent girl for his for sexual pleasure. He wasn't amazing like the Coulter/Harrigan/Paxton brother's and it was really hard for me to like a book that was about a young boy being raped and molested over half his life. I don't recommend anyone to read this book. For me it was awful. And I can't stress enough how amazing Catherine Anderson is. It didn't feel like her stories at all to me.
I didn't like the story or how ruthless Luke was or how childish Cassandra was made out to be. In a lot of way's It felt like Luke was a pervert because of how young Cassandra is. She want's to become a nun and Luke want's her for himself. A man whore if you will, who want's a sweet innocent girl for his for sexual pleasure. He wasn't amazing like the Coulter/Harrigan/Paxton brother's and it was really hard for me to like a book that was about a young boy being raped and molested over half his life. I don't recommend anyone to read this book. For me it was awful. And I can't stress enough how amazing Catherine Anderson is. It didn't feel like her stories at all to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
4,5 stars
I loved this book,story and the characters.When i do compare "Simply Love" to "Annie`s Song" i find myself loving "Annie`s Song" more because i read it first and find it more refreshing due to the original plot. Either way i greatly recommend Simply Love,simply because its a fantastic love-story that made me cry in the end.
I loved this book,story and the characters.When i do compare "Simply Love" to "Annie`s Song" i find myself loving "Annie`s Song" more because i read it first and find it more refreshing due to the original plot. Either way i greatly recommend Simply Love,simply because its a fantastic love-story that made me cry in the end.
May 27, 2025
3 to 3.5 stars
This seemed very different from other Catherine Anderson books. The tone read more lighthearted, for most of the book.
Cassandra was comically naive for majority of the book. Definitely a 'Snow White' type of character but I loved it. She thwarted a lot of Luke's advances with kindness and naivete. Luke seemed a bit too much at times, a bit overly lecherous. But it still worked with the story. What helped with Luke's character, is that we got to see private acts of kindness from him. I liked that Cassandra really stuck to her guns when it came to accepting Luke back. She really made him work for it. But I did wish that he got a little more guidance. He was a bit broken and couldn't quite see what she wanted. I thought the priest character was great.
Overall, it wasn't my favorite from CA, but it was entertaining. I laughed several times at the interactions between Cassandra and Luke.
This seemed very different from other Catherine Anderson books. The tone read more lighthearted, for most of the book.
Cassandra was comically naive for majority of the book. Definitely a 'Snow White' type of character but I loved it. She thwarted a lot of Luke's advances with kindness and naivete. Luke seemed a bit too much at times, a bit overly lecherous. But it still worked with the story. What helped with Luke's character, is that we got to see private acts of kindness from him. I liked that Cassandra really stuck to her guns when it came to accepting Luke back. She really made him work for it. But I did wish that he got a little more guidance. He was a bit broken and couldn't quite see what she wanted. I thought the priest character was great.
Overall, it wasn't my favorite from CA, but it was entertaining. I laughed several times at the interactions between Cassandra and Luke.
November 21, 2021
I rounded this up to a 4 star but I REALLY REALLY needed an epilogue!!!! I needed to see just a tad bit more but I did love the story
March 20, 2015
WHAT A FREAKING ADORABLE BOOK!
Seriously, Catherine Anderson. The more I read your books the more I like you as a human being.
Seriously, this book was too cute. At the end, I was just flailing around in adorkableness. Oh, My god.
Though the Heroine, Cassie is so naive that it hurts, I still liked her. I can also get why she is so naive-being sheltered like hell by her father and brother. Which begs to question-Why in the hell would you want your child/sister to be so naive, you're not protecting them, just making them incredibly vulnerable to heartbreak and derision. HOWEVER, they do learn from their mistakes though it is 'too little too late' as they say.
The heroine-once again-is religious, she wants to be a nun but as soon as she meets Luke Taggart that notion goes flying out the window along side her brain,it seems. Though I can't blame her for being so naive and it totally gets the ball rolling, I was sort of confused as to how she just doesn't seem to get it.
I mean 'Paid companion' to sexy as fuck Luke Taggart. Seriously? When she was like 'OH! He must be so lonely! He has to pay to have a friend. I must think up board games to play(LITERALLY)''
I was like:
Yeah, she literally goes out of her way to think up games for them to play and Luke is all like ''OH! so INTIMATE games'' *snark, snark, sexy evil grin* In response to that she makes up a game where you write your most intimate secret on a piece of paper and the other player has to guess what it is.
ANYWAY!...LUKE TAGGART.
Catherine Anderson:'Would you like one?"
Me:YES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU! GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!
Catherine: "OH, LANDS" NO! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE LUKE TAGGART.
Luke Taggart is most defiantly an anti hero. He is super hard to love but we learn why he is the way he is and BOY, does he have every right to be an asshole but maybe, just maybe-come on,hear me out on this-he shouldn't have sent Cassie's family to prison? No? Seems a bit extreme just to have Cassie as your mistress for a year. I mean, YOU NEED TO CHILL, Luke. We know you're above the law because you're the richest guy in the state but seriously? You should have known that that would come back to bite you in the ass.
Though Luke is a bit of an ass. You can forgive him for it. 'Cause he does do the honorable thing and marries Cassie before he even get's to sleep/impregnate her. Mainly so he can keep her and have her for the rest of her life. Seriously, this is his motive. How the boy doesn't realize how much he loves her at this point, I will never know. But he does love her and after all hell breaks loose, he genuinely works his ass(and his hands raw) trying to get her back.
The one thing I didn't like about the book is probably that Luke goes from a hardcore atheist to a believer-JUST FOR CASSIE. I mean, the sentiment is cute and the priest of their church is a pretty cool guy-I just didn't buy it or like it. You could have just accepted that Cassie was in to god and all that and gone about your merry atheist way but nooooo, Let's make Luke believe in god all of a sudden because his wife ups and leaves him(with good reason too. I mean, Luke seriously you're whole scheme was gonna bite you in the ass. You know it, I know and Catherine Anderson knows it)
By the end of the book I was in a muddle of 'THIS IS SO FREAKING ADORABLE, I WANT TO KILL IT!'.
Found my Luke Taggart-Just his face not the personality...except for the second gif...Luke Taggart is written all over that(He is just that sort of asshole):
March 12, 2014
Honestly, i was getting hesitate how many stars i could give this one. it's fairly 5 stars, but the ending kind of disappoint me. so should i give it 4 stars instead?
anyho, because majorly i got a great read, i'm not letting a simple ending ruin this for me. and yes, the ending is literally simple i think.
i had good laughs every time Luke and Cassie appeared on their scenes. i mean, Luke was an absolute-clever-manipulative-bastard and Cassie was a naive angel that almost impossible to exist even in a fairy tale. oh my god, their banters were HILARIOUS! LOL! she always left him speechless, frustrated, and wanted to scratch his head over their simple yet difficult conveys! (now i'm getting confused too) imagine you as a parent, who had to explain to your 5yo kid who asked about 'making baby'! i couldn't stop laughing out loud when he did try, that poor man. LOL.
Luke was so sweet and gentle toward our Cassie, that i was pretty disarmed to find that their first intimate scene (though not made love yet) happened right after Luke'd gone to a brothel, kissing some prostitute! ugh!
now the second part of the story left me speechless. this time the story went so deep and emotional - his tortured past when he's raped! :'( - and i have to praise CA. she def have a gold hands in writing (whatever it means, i hope it means what i mean), she's succeed to make me feeling up and down as the story went.
it'd be better if it had an epilogue. i've only stayed up all night because i couldn't bear to sleep until the story ended. it's 5 a.m here, and i'm really sleepy. but now really, i'm desperately creating my own version of their ending in my mind. i hope i can sleep soon.
spoiler (again), this one had a 'bloody' grovelling hero. and it seemed many thinks the grovelling's the best part. for me honestly, the best parts were when Luke got to know and love (unconsciously) sweet Cassie deeper step by step with his black heart. their first scenes were the most touching for me.
anyho, because majorly i got a great read, i'm not letting a simple ending ruin this for me. and yes, the ending is literally simple i think.
i had good laughs every time Luke and Cassie appeared on their scenes. i mean, Luke was an absolute-clever-manipulative-bastard and Cassie was a naive angel that almost impossible to exist even in a fairy tale. oh my god, their banters were HILARIOUS! LOL! she always left him speechless, frustrated, and wanted to scratch his head over their simple yet difficult conveys! (now i'm getting confused too) imagine you as a parent, who had to explain to your 5yo kid who asked about 'making baby'! i couldn't stop laughing out loud when he did try, that poor man. LOL.
Luke was so sweet and gentle toward our Cassie, that i was pretty disarmed to find that their first intimate scene (though not made love yet) happened right after Luke'd gone to a brothel, kissing some prostitute! ugh!
now the second part of the story left me speechless. this time the story went so deep and emotional - his tortured past when he's raped! :'( - and i have to praise CA. she def have a gold hands in writing (whatever it means, i hope it means what i mean), she's succeed to make me feeling up and down as the story went.
it'd be better if it had an epilogue. i've only stayed up all night because i couldn't bear to sleep until the story ended. it's 5 a.m here, and i'm really sleepy. but now really, i'm desperately creating my own version of their ending in my mind. i hope i can sleep soon.
spoiler (again), this one had a 'bloody' grovelling hero. and it seemed many thinks the grovelling's the best part. for me honestly, the best parts were when Luke got to know and love (unconsciously) sweet Cassie deeper step by step with his black heart. their first scenes were the most touching for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2018
Totalno neplanirano sam pročitala ovu knjigu. Pre neki dan sam videla delić na jednoj stranici na FB-u i privuklo me. odmah sam je našla i pročitala do jutra. Držala me budnu do 7h ujutru, ali završila sam je :D nekako sam imala utisak da je manja nego što stvarno jeste.
Radnja je dinamična i dosta se stvari dešava, tako da se brzo čita. Nema bespotrebnih opisa ili nekog smaranja. Ali su mi likovi nekako nedovoljno prikazani, ne znam ni sama. On je nemilosrdan, ona mu se sviđa, hteo bi da je kupi, ali kad to ne uspe, smisli celu zaveru kako da je na prevaru dovuče kod sebe, a posle postane ovisan o njenom dobrom mišljenju o njemu, pa se trudi da bude vredan tog dobrog mišljenja. Jesmo dobili pozadinsku priču da vidimo zašto je on takav kakav je, ali nekako mi to ne drži vodu. Dok je ona toliko naivna da je to prosto žalosno. Nije ostavila neki wow utisak, ali sve u svemu nije loša knjižica za opuštanje :)
Radnja je dinamična i dosta se stvari dešava, tako da se brzo čita. Nema bespotrebnih opisa ili nekog smaranja. Ali su mi likovi nekako nedovoljno prikazani, ne znam ni sama. On je nemilosrdan, ona mu se sviđa, hteo bi da je kupi, ali kad to ne uspe, smisli celu zaveru kako da je na prevaru dovuče kod sebe, a posle postane ovisan o njenom dobrom mišljenju o njemu, pa se trudi da bude vredan tog dobrog mišljenja. Jesmo dobili pozadinsku priču da vidimo zašto je on takav kakav je, ali nekako mi to ne drži vodu. Dok je ona toliko naivna da je to prosto žalosno. Nije ostavila neki wow utisak, ali sve u svemu nije loša knjižica za opuštanje :)
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