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Soren ruined all her plans
Lin Blake had a special mission in coming to work on the Wingard family farm in New Zealand. But for personal reasons that mission had to remain a secret.
She hadn't counted, however, on meeting someone like Soren Wingard. He both frightened and attracted her, and he was suspicious of her from the start.
Lin accomplished her mission--but at what a cost. Only heartbreak could come from her falling in love with Soren....
Lin Blake had a special mission in coming to work on the Wingard family farm in New Zealand. But for personal reasons that mission had to remain a secret.
She hadn't counted, however, on meeting someone like Soren Wingard. He both frightened and attracted her, and he was suspicious of her from the start.
Lin accomplished her mission--but at what a cost. Only heartbreak could come from her falling in love with Soren....
Unknown Binding
First published December 1, 1980
About the author
Daphne Clair
125 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 18, 2017
The conflict of the story centers around the heroine's secret* and the hero's madonna/whore syndrome. Hero can only see women in terms of good or bad. Hero's mother who abandoned him: bad. Hero's stepmother who came into his life when he was 11: good. Hero's fiance who didn't wait for him: bad.
Heroine takes a job as a housekeeper/childminder at a NZ for mysterious reasons. She is a poor little rich girl from the city and the hero is immediately suspicious of her. The heroine falls in love with the family she is working for - especially the kind stepmother and three children she had with the hero's father. The heroine knows her relationship with the hero can't persist because of this secret, but she decides to live in the moment.
When the hero leaves on business, the heroine uses that time to escape. The hero is not happy with her abandonment and demands an explanation. Heroine can't tell the secret. Angst.
Eventually the truth comes out and the hero doesn't have the vapors. HEA
Don't read the spoilers if you're planning on reading the story. The angst will be spoiled.
*
So this is definitely a "truth-will-set-you-free" story. Heroine had to learn that the hard way.
Heroine takes a job as a housekeeper/childminder at a NZ for mysterious reasons. She is a poor little rich girl from the city and the hero is immediately suspicious of her. The heroine falls in love with the family she is working for - especially the kind stepmother and three children she had with the hero's father. The heroine knows her relationship with the hero can't persist because of this secret, but she decides to live in the moment.
When the hero leaves on business, the heroine uses that time to escape. The hero is not happy with her abandonment and demands an explanation. Heroine can't tell the secret. Angst.
Eventually the truth comes out and the hero doesn't have the vapors. HEA
Don't read the spoilers if you're planning on reading the story. The angst will be spoiled.
*
So this is definitely a "truth-will-set-you-free" story. Heroine had to learn that the hard way.
August 14, 2013
This didn't quite stand up to my initial impressions on a re-read. There were a couple of squirrelly things about the heroine and her overall approach that irritated me. The hero was also a bit too judgmental when he should have been understanding and had more trust in the heroine. It's still a fun ride, but I'm thinking more like 3.5 stars.
My original review is below.
____________________________________
4.5 Stars! I really enjoyed this one and surprisingly I didn't suspect the big reveal till near the end.
The chemistry between h/H was electric. I liked the tension between them and the heroine's ability to put things into perspective in spite of the challenges that came her way. I also liked that the hero truly loved her and was willing to do whatever it took to make her want a life together.
I am not a Daphne Clair fan, (I don't care for her heroes) but this is a definite keeper for me.
My original review is below.
____________________________________
4.5 Stars! I really enjoyed this one and surprisingly I didn't suspect the big reveal till near the end.
The chemistry between h/H was electric. I liked the tension between them and the heroine's ability to put things into perspective in spite of the challenges that came her way. I also liked that the hero truly loved her and was willing to do whatever it took to make her want a life together.
I am not a Daphne Clair fan, (I don't care for her heroes) but this is a definite keeper for me.
August 11, 2013
4 Stars ~ Losing her mother when she was six, Lin's father sent her to live with her aunt and uncle because he couldn't cope with a child. She'd not lacked for anything, but always she'd felt the outsider, and it was a relief when she was finally old enough to go to boarding school. Her father was quite wealthy, and he showered her with gifts. Though Lin would have given all away if only her father would show her some affection. But then he's not really her father, as Lin was adopted as a baby. Desperately wanting a family to belong to, Lin sets out to find her birth mother, and when she learns of her identity she worries about how to approach her. It's a miracle when she reads an ad for a live in mother's helper and it's for the Wingard family, her birth mother's family. Keeping her identity to her self, Lin easily fits into the family. The only sore spot is her birth mother's stepson, Soren. He can't quite make out what she's doing taking the housekeeping job when it's evident that she's from a background of money. Their attraction for each other is strong, and as her time is about up, Lin realizes she's going to miss Soren the most of all. She knows she can't stay, because with each new day she finds it increasingly difficult keeping her secret and she'd vowed never to disrupt this family no matter the cost to herself.
I really enjoyed this lovely romance. Soren is a little rough around the edges but he has a tender side that comes out at all the right times. Lin is a strong young woman who comes to love her birth mother`s family. It hurts her not being able to be truthful about her real reasons for taking the job, but her birth mother`s secret isn't hers to share. It took me a bit to get around the fact that Lin's half siblings are also Soren's half siblings ... meaning Lin's birth mother married Soren's father. At first I couldn't figure out if this had elements of ick, but of course, Soren's not at all brotherly to Lin. These two have great chemistry and I enjoyed reading their journey to HEA.
I really enjoyed this lovely romance. Soren is a little rough around the edges but he has a tender side that comes out at all the right times. Lin is a strong young woman who comes to love her birth mother`s family. It hurts her not being able to be truthful about her real reasons for taking the job, but her birth mother`s secret isn't hers to share. It took me a bit to get around the fact that Lin's half siblings are also Soren's half siblings ... meaning Lin's birth mother married Soren's father. At first I couldn't figure out if this had elements of ick, but of course, Soren's not at all brotherly to Lin. These two have great chemistry and I enjoyed reading their journey to HEA.
July 3, 2012
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot -- great chemistry between the hero and heroine. The heroine's secret was pretty predictable, but a little odd because you would have expected her thoughts and behavior to be different in light of the secret circumstances (). Overall, I liked this one because you could tell the hero was smitten.
March 27, 2021
(read in french, under the title « Qui êtes-vous, Melinda ? »)
Until now, the set of vintage Harlequin books found in January delivered both decent and calamitous reads, and some so-so too. As « Never Count Tomorrow »'s digest wasn't really appealing, I didn't expected much from it aside a bit of virtual travelling. Surprise : not only I had some, but the book wins the title of my-best-read-of-the-year-so-far !
Honestly, Daphné Clair delivers an almost flawless novel. She hooks us right from the start with an original first meet... at the post office ! Immediately after, the countryside atmosphere comes to cradle us in beautiful sceneries, fields, cows... Despite the only 156 pages of the book, the agricultural setting isn't neglected and very present in Line's wanderings around her new temporary home.
The sub-characters are another strenght of the story. The Wingard family is really endearing. There's Térésa, the mother who takes immediately Line under her wing, Tracy and especially Susan, the already grown-up daughters who become friends to Line, Scotty, the toddler always sneaking everywhere... Alright everyone doesn't gets the same importance in the story, but there's really a feel-good scent in there. Even the « rival » is sympathetic.
The story itself is quite simple, but very well-written. If we know from the start Line has a secret, we ignore what it is almost until the end ! Alright, we have some doubts and the author gives us clues here and there, but it's impossible to really be sure of the truth. Well done, Mrs Clair !
We can only try to guess and follow Line dealing with it, growing bonds with these people she doesn't want to hurt... beginning with Soren, the older son, with whom her relationship evolves naturally.
Not knowing the heroine's secret doesn't hind from understanding her. Her behavior is always logical, her motives obvious ; she always know what she wants and doesn't changes her mind out of the blue. Even some twists and turns often feeling weird and artificial in similar stories seem natural in this one.
And time flows without us noticing, like the pages turning one after another.
Finally, the only weak point of the novel is Soren. If he doesn't act violent, he sometimes shows himself intimidating enough to scare Line with his roughness. Even if his backstory explains some of his acts and his awkwardness, and despite some really cheesy scenes, it's difficult to decide what to think of him. Alright, it's true we've the habit to see much worse in romance books, but still... this hero isnt' very dreamy.
However, this doesn't spoils much the pleasure to read a so well-rounded story in a so short book, with a well-guarded secret and without the least feeling of rush. The book's age is almost unnoticeable, and mostly through details like the need to go back to friends's apartment to call a mechanic from a landline ! And there are all the little details like the benevolence towards Line even if she makes mistakes, the complicated father-daughter relationship, some discreet feminism lines giving a modern tone to the storytelling...
« Never Count Tomorrow » is one of these books you can without any hesitation grab if you find them in a public book box or in a garage sale. It's a quick read, perfect for a summer afternoon or a chilling evening.
Until now, the set of vintage Harlequin books found in January delivered both decent and calamitous reads, and some so-so too. As « Never Count Tomorrow »'s digest wasn't really appealing, I didn't expected much from it aside a bit of virtual travelling. Surprise : not only I had some, but the book wins the title of my-best-read-of-the-year-so-far !
Honestly, Daphné Clair delivers an almost flawless novel. She hooks us right from the start with an original first meet... at the post office ! Immediately after, the countryside atmosphere comes to cradle us in beautiful sceneries, fields, cows... Despite the only 156 pages of the book, the agricultural setting isn't neglected and very present in Line's wanderings around her new temporary home.
The sub-characters are another strenght of the story. The Wingard family is really endearing. There's Térésa, the mother who takes immediately Line under her wing, Tracy and especially Susan, the already grown-up daughters who become friends to Line, Scotty, the toddler always sneaking everywhere... Alright everyone doesn't gets the same importance in the story, but there's really a feel-good scent in there. Even the « rival » is sympathetic.
The story itself is quite simple, but very well-written. If we know from the start Line has a secret, we ignore what it is almost until the end ! Alright, we have some doubts and the author gives us clues here and there, but it's impossible to really be sure of the truth. Well done, Mrs Clair !
We can only try to guess and follow Line dealing with it, growing bonds with these people she doesn't want to hurt... beginning with Soren, the older son, with whom her relationship evolves naturally.
Not knowing the heroine's secret doesn't hind from understanding her. Her behavior is always logical, her motives obvious ; she always know what she wants and doesn't changes her mind out of the blue. Even some twists and turns often feeling weird and artificial in similar stories seem natural in this one.
And time flows without us noticing, like the pages turning one after another.
Finally, the only weak point of the novel is Soren. If he doesn't act violent, he sometimes shows himself intimidating enough to scare Line with his roughness. Even if his backstory explains some of his acts and his awkwardness, and despite some really cheesy scenes, it's difficult to decide what to think of him. Alright, it's true we've the habit to see much worse in romance books, but still... this hero isnt' very dreamy.
However, this doesn't spoils much the pleasure to read a so well-rounded story in a so short book, with a well-guarded secret and without the least feeling of rush. The book's age is almost unnoticeable, and mostly through details like the need to go back to friends's apartment to call a mechanic from a landline ! And there are all the little details like the benevolence towards Line even if she makes mistakes, the complicated father-daughter relationship, some discreet feminism lines giving a modern tone to the storytelling...
« Never Count Tomorrow » is one of these books you can without any hesitation grab if you find them in a public book box or in a garage sale. It's a quick read, perfect for a summer afternoon or a chilling evening.
May 23, 2020
Soren ruined all her plans
Lin Blake had a special mission in coming to work on the Wingard family farm in New Zealand. But for personal reasons that mission had to remain a secret.
She hadn't counted, however, on meeting someone like Soren Wingard. He both frightened and attracted her, and he was suspicious of her from the start.
Lin accomplished her mission--but at what a cost. Only heartbreak could come from her falling in love with Soren
Lin Blake had a special mission in coming to work on the Wingard family farm in New Zealand. But for personal reasons that mission had to remain a secret.
She hadn't counted, however, on meeting someone like Soren Wingard. He both frightened and attracted her, and he was suspicious of her from the start.
Lin accomplished her mission--but at what a cost. Only heartbreak could come from her falling in love with Soren
July 3, 2012
Wayyyyyhhhhhl... Hmm
Nice angsty, sly-gaze-and-no-praise kinda book. I loved the baby in the book (he's three and keep dooddling zig zagattay shapes and trying to explain them to the adults). I know some kids like that *grin!*
Nice angsty, sly-gaze-and-no-praise kinda book. I loved the baby in the book (he's three and keep dooddling zig zagattay shapes and trying to explain them to the adults). I know some kids like that *grin!*
June 5, 2015
Sad but wonderful story. The heroine Lin takes on the job of nanny/ helper for the Wingard family. The eldest son, Soren, who is a half brother (he was from the first wife) is suspicious of Lin since she seems to come from a wealthy family with her nice clothes and nice car. Soren is very protective of his step-mom Teresa and his half sisters and brothers. Lin fits in well with the family although they notice she is not used to the work, but she always goes above and beyond her duties. Soren finds himself unwillingly attracted to Lin although she is hard to get to know since she is very reticent about her background. Lin is keeping a secret and slowly the reader figures it out.
SPOILERS:
Lin is an adopted child. She has been looking for her biological mother and finds out it is Teresa. She took the job because she wanted to know about her mother. She never had any intentions of making trouble for the family, so when she finds herself falling in love with Soren and he with her. She leaves and tries to cut all ties with them. There are more misunderstandings when Soren finds her in the city and insists on brining her home, he thinks she is the mistress of a wealth man. She doesn't clarify that it is her adoptive father whom she lives with. Things come to a head and finally Teresa herself visits Lin and that is where everything is cleared up and it smooths the way to Soren and Lin finally having their HEA.
SPOILERS:
Lin is an adopted child. She has been looking for her biological mother and finds out it is Teresa. She took the job because she wanted to know about her mother. She never had any intentions of making trouble for the family, so when she finds herself falling in love with Soren and he with her. She leaves and tries to cut all ties with them. There are more misunderstandings when Soren finds her in the city and insists on brining her home, he thinks she is the mistress of a wealth man. She doesn't clarify that it is her adoptive father whom she lives with. Things come to a head and finally Teresa herself visits Lin and that is where everything is cleared up and it smooths the way to Soren and Lin finally having their HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2023
This is an oldie from 1980.
It was nice not to read the usual modern plot about a ONS and the h getting knocked up by a man she has known for two minutes. The h in this story did not have to get pregnant first to get him to chase her and ask (or rather: tell) her to marry him.
He was mad about her and she was trying hard to keep him at distance. In the second part of the book the alpha male in him came out roaring. But the virgin held her ground.
It was nice not to read the usual modern plot about a ONS and the h getting knocked up by a man she has known for two minutes. The h in this story did not have to get pregnant first to get him to chase her and ask (or rather: tell) her to marry him.
He was mad about her and she was trying hard to keep him at distance. In the second part of the book the alpha male in him came out roaring. But the virgin held her ground.
August 17, 2026
4 stars
Never Count Tomorrow was a very enjoyable surprise for me. It is much lighter than I initially expected, particularly given the setup of a dominant, suspicious hero who knows the heroine is hiding something, but it had just enough pining and romantic tension to keep me interested. This was my first Daphne Clair, and I liked her writing style. She keeps the story moving, makes the romance consistently present and gives it a sweet, satisfying ending.
Twenty-three-year-old Lin is essentially a poor little rich girl, which is not usually my favourite heroine type, but I liked her from the beginning because we initially meet her simply as a rather lonely young woman trying to make a life for herself.
Lin was adopted by a reasonably wealthy couple, but her adoptive mother—the person who truly wanted and loved her—died when Lin was only eight. Her father has always provided for her financially but is emotionally distant, while the aunt who helped raise her never really warmed to her. Lin has therefore spent most of her life missing the sense of being genuinely loved and belonging to a family.
At the beginning of the book, she travels across New Zealand to take a temporary job as nanny-housekeeper for a farming family.
I do wish the book had revealed Lin's real motive immediately rather than treating it as a secret. I already knew it from reviews, and I think I would otherwise have found the deliberate withholding mildly irritating rather than suspenseful.
Her plan is to quietly spend some time with the family and then disappear again without hurting anyone.
When Lin arrives, she meets her employer's grown stepson, Soren. They immediately strike sparks because Soren knows something about her story does not add up.
Lin claims to be an ordinary working girl, but her clothes and jewellery are too expensive, her hands do not suggest the agricultural work she claims to have done, and there are holes in her employment history. Soren notices everything and challenges her on the inconsistencies.
Because Lin cannot explain that she has a wealthy adoptive father without raising the obvious question of why she has taken a low-paid housekeeper job, she becomes increasingly evasive. Soren consequently knows she is lying about something, although he cannot work out what.
Fortunately, Lin's employer's family is lovely. There are two teenage daughters, a younger son and a three-year-old boy. their father is recovering from an injury sustained on the farm. This is why they need Lin: their mother has had to take on more farm work while her husband recuperates.
Soren himself is a researcher who normally lives elsewhere but has temporarily returned to help his father. He stays in a neighbouring cottage.
I initially expected far more hostility from Soren and much more of the misunderstood-heroine trope, with Lin having to gradually prove herself to him. We get some of this, but mostly Instead, the book takes a gentler route. Although Soren distrusts her story, he is very obviously attracted to her and remarkably open about wanting her.
Lin is equally drawn to him.
Their time together is actually quite romantic. There is plenty of chemistry, a nice sense of mutual longing, and Soren is good to her despite his suspicions. I normally find romances frustrating when the only thing keeping a couple apart is one person's refusal to reveal a secret, because the conflict can feel artificially prolonged. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me much here, Partly, I think, that is because the secret has genuine emotional consequences.
By around the 60% point, Soren has clearly fallen hard for Lin even though he has not told her that he loves her. Lin is frightened that if she lets their relationship go any further and then reveals why she really came, she could hurt his entire family.
SPOILERS
Soren had a difficult relationship with his stepmother when she first joined the family, but he now deeply loves and trusts her. Lin does not know whether anyone knows that her birth mother had a baby before marrying Soren's father, and she cannot bear the thought of destroying the family they have built.
She is also warned that Soren particularly hates secrets and dishonesty.
This creates an impossible situation for her. She believes that if he learns the truth, he may despise her for entering their home under false pretences. Yet if she stays and allows him to become more emotionally involved before telling him, she may hurt him even more.
When Soren has to leave for three weeks for work, he expects Lin to be waiting when he returns.
Instead, she leaves.
That worked well for me because the book needed a genuine rupture at this point. Without it, I think the romance might have become too comfortable.
It is particularly painful for Soren because he has already been abandoned before. A previous woman was unfaithful while his work took him away, so Lin disappearing while he is absent hits an existing wound.
Lin knows this, which makes leaving even harder, but she convinces herself that it is the lesser evil. He has never actually told her he loves her, so she hopes he will eventually recover.
After leaving the family, Lin tries to rebuild her life and cut herself off completely. Then she unexpectedly encounters the eldest of her half-sisters, who has recently started university and is struggling badly.
Lin cannot bring herself to ignore her. She decides she will help her sister settle in, find her feet and make friends, then quietly withdraw again.
Unfortunately—or fortunately—her half-sister eventually invites her to a party.
Soren is there.
I really enjoyed his reaction to seeing Lin again. Even though they are barely speaking and she has walked out of his life, he remains aggressively possessive of her. Throughout the earlier part of the novel he had already behaved as though Lin was his woman and made little effort to hide his interest from anyone else. That quality becomes even more pronounced here.
I found it very sexy.
The problem remains that Lin still refuses to explain herself.
When her car gives trouble, Soren drives her home and sees her living in a wealthy older man's house. Lin allows him to assume that this man is supporting her in exchange for a relationship because correcting the misunderstanding would mean admitting that he is her father and opening up another set of questions she cannot answer.
Soren is furious and deeply hurt.
What I particularly liked is that even then he wants her.
Despite believing that Lin is another man's mistress, he tells her to leave him and marry Soren instead.
That was one of my favourite elements of the book. Soren has fairly traditional values, and the novel even seems to imply quite strongly that he may himself be a virgin despite being 31. Yet he is not hypocritical about it. He does not suddenly decide Lin is worthless because she may have lived differently from him.
He loves her and wants her anyway.
Of course, he protects himself by delivering the proposal in his usual mocking, guarded way. Lin therefore cannot quite believe that he means it. She desperately wants to say yes, but she is too frightened that he is angry and might ultimately be cruel to her.
Eventually Soren's stepmother comes to town to visit her daughter at university and seeks Lin out herself. She demands to know what nonsense Soren has been telling her about Lin being some rich man's floozy.
To her credit, she does not believe his interpretation for a second.
She knows her stepson is in love with Lin and wants to sort out whatever has gone wrong between them. I really liked her, and the warmth of this family is one of the appealing things about the book.
By this point Lin was preparing to move out of her father's house and into a flat with friends. During her bio-mom's visit, she accidentally knocks over a box containing her baby things and photographs. Among them is a picture of Lin as a baby with her birth mother. Her mother sees it.
She recognises herself immediately and then produces her own copy of the same photograph, which she has carried in her wallet all these years.
Their reunion is genuinely touching. Far from being horrified, Lin's mother is delighted to find the daughter she gave up. It also turns out that her husband has always known that she had a child before their marriage. She gave Lin away because she genuinely believed another family could give her the stable home she was unable to provide at that point in her life.
So the enormous disaster Lin has been desperately trying to prevent never existed.
Once Soren learns the truth, he comes straight to her.
He is furious—not because of who Lin is, but because she broke his heart over a secret she assumed he could not handle. Their reconciliation manages to keep the qualities I liked about him throughout the book: he is sweet and emotionally vulnerable underneath, but still forceful, possessive and very much the dominant personality.
I thought they made a lovely couple.
The novel never digs particularly deeply into either character, so this is not an intensely angsty or emotionally profound romance. I would probably say it delivers around 75% of the potential emotional intensity of its tropes rather than pushing them to their absolute limit.
But it does what it sets out to do very competently. Soren's feelings are visible through his behaviour long before the reconciliation, Lin has understandable reasons for making the decisions she does, and their attraction and longing remain present throughout the story.
I also appreciated that Soren's distrust never prevented him from caring for Lin. Even when he believed the worst interpretation of her circumstances, his response was essentially still, leave him and choose me. But with quiet dignity. It was the desperation of a man in love. That made his eventual declaration feel consistent with the man we had already been watching throughout the book.
Four stars from me. It isn't deep or emotionally overwhelming enough to become a favourite, and it probably would not be my first choice for a reread, but I enjoyed it enough that I certainly wouldn't mind reading it again. More importantly, I liked Daphne Clair's writing enough that I'm interested in trying more of her books.
Never Count Tomorrow was a very enjoyable surprise for me. It is much lighter than I initially expected, particularly given the setup of a dominant, suspicious hero who knows the heroine is hiding something, but it had just enough pining and romantic tension to keep me interested. This was my first Daphne Clair, and I liked her writing style. She keeps the story moving, makes the romance consistently present and gives it a sweet, satisfying ending.
Twenty-three-year-old Lin is essentially a poor little rich girl, which is not usually my favourite heroine type, but I liked her from the beginning because we initially meet her simply as a rather lonely young woman trying to make a life for herself.
Lin was adopted by a reasonably wealthy couple, but her adoptive mother—the person who truly wanted and loved her—died when Lin was only eight. Her father has always provided for her financially but is emotionally distant, while the aunt who helped raise her never really warmed to her. Lin has therefore spent most of her life missing the sense of being genuinely loved and belonging to a family.
At the beginning of the book, she travels across New Zealand to take a temporary job as nanny-housekeeper for a farming family.
I do wish the book had revealed Lin's real motive immediately rather than treating it as a secret. I already knew it from reviews, and I think I would otherwise have found the deliberate withholding mildly irritating rather than suspenseful.
Her plan is to quietly spend some time with the family and then disappear again without hurting anyone.
When Lin arrives, she meets her employer's grown stepson, Soren. They immediately strike sparks because Soren knows something about her story does not add up.
Lin claims to be an ordinary working girl, but her clothes and jewellery are too expensive, her hands do not suggest the agricultural work she claims to have done, and there are holes in her employment history. Soren notices everything and challenges her on the inconsistencies.
Because Lin cannot explain that she has a wealthy adoptive father without raising the obvious question of why she has taken a low-paid housekeeper job, she becomes increasingly evasive. Soren consequently knows she is lying about something, although he cannot work out what.
Fortunately, Lin's employer's family is lovely. There are two teenage daughters, a younger son and a three-year-old boy. their father is recovering from an injury sustained on the farm. This is why they need Lin: their mother has had to take on more farm work while her husband recuperates.
Soren himself is a researcher who normally lives elsewhere but has temporarily returned to help his father. He stays in a neighbouring cottage.
I initially expected far more hostility from Soren and much more of the misunderstood-heroine trope, with Lin having to gradually prove herself to him. We get some of this, but mostly Instead, the book takes a gentler route. Although Soren distrusts her story, he is very obviously attracted to her and remarkably open about wanting her.
Lin is equally drawn to him.
Their time together is actually quite romantic. There is plenty of chemistry, a nice sense of mutual longing, and Soren is good to her despite his suspicions. I normally find romances frustrating when the only thing keeping a couple apart is one person's refusal to reveal a secret, because the conflict can feel artificially prolonged. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me much here, Partly, I think, that is because the secret has genuine emotional consequences.
By around the 60% point, Soren has clearly fallen hard for Lin even though he has not told her that he loves her. Lin is frightened that if she lets their relationship go any further and then reveals why she really came, she could hurt his entire family.
SPOILERS
Soren had a difficult relationship with his stepmother when she first joined the family, but he now deeply loves and trusts her. Lin does not know whether anyone knows that her birth mother had a baby before marrying Soren's father, and she cannot bear the thought of destroying the family they have built.
She is also warned that Soren particularly hates secrets and dishonesty.
This creates an impossible situation for her. She believes that if he learns the truth, he may despise her for entering their home under false pretences. Yet if she stays and allows him to become more emotionally involved before telling him, she may hurt him even more.
When Soren has to leave for three weeks for work, he expects Lin to be waiting when he returns.
Instead, she leaves.
That worked well for me because the book needed a genuine rupture at this point. Without it, I think the romance might have become too comfortable.
It is particularly painful for Soren because he has already been abandoned before. A previous woman was unfaithful while his work took him away, so Lin disappearing while he is absent hits an existing wound.
Lin knows this, which makes leaving even harder, but she convinces herself that it is the lesser evil. He has never actually told her he loves her, so she hopes he will eventually recover.
After leaving the family, Lin tries to rebuild her life and cut herself off completely. Then she unexpectedly encounters the eldest of her half-sisters, who has recently started university and is struggling badly.
Lin cannot bring herself to ignore her. She decides she will help her sister settle in, find her feet and make friends, then quietly withdraw again.
Unfortunately—or fortunately—her half-sister eventually invites her to a party.
Soren is there.
I really enjoyed his reaction to seeing Lin again. Even though they are barely speaking and she has walked out of his life, he remains aggressively possessive of her. Throughout the earlier part of the novel he had already behaved as though Lin was his woman and made little effort to hide his interest from anyone else. That quality becomes even more pronounced here.
I found it very sexy.
The problem remains that Lin still refuses to explain herself.
When her car gives trouble, Soren drives her home and sees her living in a wealthy older man's house. Lin allows him to assume that this man is supporting her in exchange for a relationship because correcting the misunderstanding would mean admitting that he is her father and opening up another set of questions she cannot answer.
Soren is furious and deeply hurt.
What I particularly liked is that even then he wants her.
Despite believing that Lin is another man's mistress, he tells her to leave him and marry Soren instead.
That was one of my favourite elements of the book. Soren has fairly traditional values, and the novel even seems to imply quite strongly that he may himself be a virgin despite being 31. Yet he is not hypocritical about it. He does not suddenly decide Lin is worthless because she may have lived differently from him.
He loves her and wants her anyway.
Of course, he protects himself by delivering the proposal in his usual mocking, guarded way. Lin therefore cannot quite believe that he means it. She desperately wants to say yes, but she is too frightened that he is angry and might ultimately be cruel to her.
Eventually Soren's stepmother comes to town to visit her daughter at university and seeks Lin out herself. She demands to know what nonsense Soren has been telling her about Lin being some rich man's floozy.
To her credit, she does not believe his interpretation for a second.
She knows her stepson is in love with Lin and wants to sort out whatever has gone wrong between them. I really liked her, and the warmth of this family is one of the appealing things about the book.
By this point Lin was preparing to move out of her father's house and into a flat with friends. During her bio-mom's visit, she accidentally knocks over a box containing her baby things and photographs. Among them is a picture of Lin as a baby with her birth mother. Her mother sees it.
She recognises herself immediately and then produces her own copy of the same photograph, which she has carried in her wallet all these years.
Their reunion is genuinely touching. Far from being horrified, Lin's mother is delighted to find the daughter she gave up. It also turns out that her husband has always known that she had a child before their marriage. She gave Lin away because she genuinely believed another family could give her the stable home she was unable to provide at that point in her life.
So the enormous disaster Lin has been desperately trying to prevent never existed.
Once Soren learns the truth, he comes straight to her.
He is furious—not because of who Lin is, but because she broke his heart over a secret she assumed he could not handle. Their reconciliation manages to keep the qualities I liked about him throughout the book: he is sweet and emotionally vulnerable underneath, but still forceful, possessive and very much the dominant personality.
I thought they made a lovely couple.
The novel never digs particularly deeply into either character, so this is not an intensely angsty or emotionally profound romance. I would probably say it delivers around 75% of the potential emotional intensity of its tropes rather than pushing them to their absolute limit.
But it does what it sets out to do very competently. Soren's feelings are visible through his behaviour long before the reconciliation, Lin has understandable reasons for making the decisions she does, and their attraction and longing remain present throughout the story.
I also appreciated that Soren's distrust never prevented him from caring for Lin. Even when he believed the worst interpretation of her circumstances, his response was essentially still, leave him and choose me. But with quiet dignity. It was the desperation of a man in love. That made his eventual declaration feel consistent with the man we had already been watching throughout the book.
Four stars from me. It isn't deep or emotionally overwhelming enough to become a favourite, and it probably would not be my first choice for a reread, but I enjoyed it enough that I certainly wouldn't mind reading it again. More importantly, I liked Daphne Clair's writing enough that I'm interested in trying more of her books.
July 28, 2024
I liked this one, and I guessed almost from the start why the h took the job. I also picked up on the hints, like the H's stepmom being distracted and a bit nervous talking about the h's upcoming birthday party, and then asking the h about her age. Then there was stepmom's friend, who mistook the h for one of her daughters and commented on the resemblance. (If that wasn't a hint, I don't know what is!
There were some things I didn't like, in particular the h being ready to sacrifice her relationship with the H, because telling him the truth would be too painful for him. Having major trust issues with most women (because of his mother, who left him and his dad, and his former fiancée, who cheated on him) he practically worshipped his stepmom, and the h was afraid he couldn't handle her having feet of clay (an affair and pregnancy before she met his dad, resulting in her putting the h up for adoption) so instead, she leaves, lets him think she took their romance lightly, and when he mistakenly thinks her wealthy father is her sugar daddy, she doesn't correct him! Makes perfect sense! Perfect NONSENSE! She never stopped to consider she'd be giving him more reason to distrust women!
I also found it tough to believe that the h could walk away from her half-brothers and half-sisters so easily, not even apparently thinking of them as family, even when she encounters one of her sisters in the city and they start hanging out. Even in her thoughts she doesn't count her as a sister. Very unrealistic!
Even worse, her adoptive mother died when she was a little girl, and she never had a close relationship with her father (who only adopted a baby because of his wife and never had the knack to be a parent) or the aunt who raised her later on. She had everything in the way of material goods but was starved for love and affection. When her birth mom (aka H's stepmom) says she gave her up, hoping she'd have a better life, you get the idea the h would have been better off if she'd kept her.
Of course, the good news is, at the end, the H understands and accepts the truth about his beloved stepmom's past, the h and her father seem to be getting closer, and the H and h have their HEA, and they'll be husband/wife as well as stepbrother/stepsister, his stepmom will be his mother-in-law, her mother will be her stepmother-in-law, his half-brothers and half-sisters will be his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and ditto for her! What a mess!!
I would have liked a conversation between the h and her mother about her bio father, but that didn't happen. The h never even asked about him, which was a bit difficult to believe. Also, I'd have liked to know if they intended telling the brothers and sisters the truth (the H's dad knew everything) or if they planned to keep it all secret, but that was never discusses.
All in all, it was a bit silly, but still entertaining.
There were some things I didn't like, in particular the h being ready to sacrifice her relationship with the H, because telling him the truth would be too painful for him. Having major trust issues with most women (because of his mother, who left him and his dad, and his former fiancée, who cheated on him) he practically worshipped his stepmom, and the h was afraid he couldn't handle her having feet of clay (an affair and pregnancy before she met his dad, resulting in her putting the h up for adoption) so instead, she leaves, lets him think she took their romance lightly, and when he mistakenly thinks her wealthy father is her sugar daddy, she doesn't correct him! Makes perfect sense! Perfect NONSENSE! She never stopped to consider she'd be giving him more reason to distrust women!
I also found it tough to believe that the h could walk away from her half-brothers and half-sisters so easily, not even apparently thinking of them as family, even when she encounters one of her sisters in the city and they start hanging out. Even in her thoughts she doesn't count her as a sister. Very unrealistic!
Even worse, her adoptive mother died when she was a little girl, and she never had a close relationship with her father (who only adopted a baby because of his wife and never had the knack to be a parent) or the aunt who raised her later on. She had everything in the way of material goods but was starved for love and affection. When her birth mom (aka H's stepmom) says she gave her up, hoping she'd have a better life, you get the idea the h would have been better off if she'd kept her.
Of course, the good news is, at the end, the H understands and accepts the truth about his beloved stepmom's past, the h and her father seem to be getting closer, and the H and h have their HEA, and they'll be husband/wife as well as stepbrother/stepsister, his stepmom will be his mother-in-law, her mother will be her stepmother-in-law, his half-brothers and half-sisters will be his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and ditto for her! What a mess!!
I would have liked a conversation between the h and her mother about her bio father, but that didn't happen. The h never even asked about him, which was a bit difficult to believe. Also, I'd have liked to know if they intended telling the brothers and sisters the truth (the H's dad knew everything) or if they planned to keep it all secret, but that was never discusses.
All in all, it was a bit silly, but still entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2026
I read this years ago and for some reason, omitted to write a review. This is a nice story about a nice girl who goes to work for a nice employer at a nice New Zealand farm. The hero is the only cloud on the horizon. In a typical Harlequin trope, he is alternatively suspicious or mocking the heroine. Kind of a general woman-hater because he was abandoned by his mother, then his fiancee proved faithless too. The only woman he worships is his stepmom...who turns out to be the heroine's bio mom. The heroine had gotten the job at the farm in order to get to know her bio mom, unbeknownst to her. Even though she had a perfectly adequate life with her adoptive parents, who gave her all the material comforts she could need, there was an emotional hole in her heart and she longed to feel the warmth and affection of her bio mom. So she devised this stratagem to insinuate herself into her bio mom's life without revealing her identity, because she did not want to wreck her life, and perhaps was scared of rejection. The best part of the story imho is the reunion of mother and daughter. The hero is still kind of pompous and aggressive to the end but the heroine loves him so we leave them to a believable HEA.
December 8, 2023
3,5 stars!
'But as I drove over here, it began to dawn on me that you'd nearly wrecked our lives with your idiotic scruples and evasions.'
Yes, she'd nearly done that.
The poor rich girl searches for someone to love her and falls for a farm boy. Not actually a farm boy but a farm boy with a degree in acriculture.
By an act of providence Lin gets the opportunity to solve the family secret. She applies for a job of a housekeeper in the countryside to help a busy farm wife to manage her large family. Lin is instantly antagonistic towards the oldest son Soren. She's afraid he suspects her of ulterior motive. And Soren has no reason to believe her phony story about desperately needing the job.
But the attraction rules.
I admire the h. She's determined to safeguard the family secret even if it means breaking her own heart. And she firmly cuts the connection to the people she's learned to love because she's terrified of hurting them.
The writing feels chopped.
'But as I drove over here, it began to dawn on me that you'd nearly wrecked our lives with your idiotic scruples and evasions.'
Yes, she'd nearly done that.
The poor rich girl searches for someone to love her and falls for a farm boy. Not actually a farm boy but a farm boy with a degree in acriculture.
By an act of providence Lin gets the opportunity to solve the family secret. She applies for a job of a housekeeper in the countryside to help a busy farm wife to manage her large family. Lin is instantly antagonistic towards the oldest son Soren. She's afraid he suspects her of ulterior motive. And Soren has no reason to believe her phony story about desperately needing the job.
But the attraction rules.
I admire the h. She's determined to safeguard the family secret even if it means breaking her own heart. And she firmly cuts the connection to the people she's learned to love because she's terrified of hurting them.
The writing feels chopped.
April 25, 2023
I liked the writing style, the description of the scenery, and the development of the characters and plot. I will seek out other books written by the author under her various names.
That being said, this book, which was written in the early 1980's, has not aged well in my opinion.
Soren is the main love interest of Lin, and yet several times he "forces his attention" or roughly embraces and kisses Lin. I remember that trope in books and movies. I remember it was supposed to be romantic.
I am in my mid sixties and remember the 1980's quite well. I was in university and then working and making a life for myself. I might have even read this book when it was first released in the U.S. Lin had her reasons for marketing herself in a particular way to get the position with the family. It made for a good storyline, but it was dishonest and hard to maintain.
That being said, this book, which was written in the early 1980's, has not aged well in my opinion.
Soren is the main love interest of Lin, and yet several times he "forces his attention" or roughly embraces and kisses Lin. I remember that trope in books and movies. I remember it was supposed to be romantic.
I am in my mid sixties and remember the 1980's quite well. I was in university and then working and making a life for myself. I might have even read this book when it was first released in the U.S. Lin had her reasons for marketing herself in a particular way to get the position with the family. It made for a good storyline, but it was dishonest and hard to maintain.
January 20, 2025
This is a re-read from years ago, and I loved it. The heroine (23/24) plans to do something and commits to it, despite everything, even after falling for the hero (31). Both had been difficult children, but learned lessons that shaped them into strong characters. There are some lovely side characters, nice scenarios and lots of chemistry between the main characters. Interestingly, the hero in this one is waiting for marriage as that is how he was raised (so unusual in these old romances) and it adds distinction to his character. Despite this he is very alpha, dynamic and one of my favourite heroes -and he's a big, blond hunk of a man which makes a lovely change from the tall, dark and handsome stereotype. The heroine is also rather fab and the declaration is everything it should be.
September 26, 2019
Loved the old sayings.................pushed the door to. Mind the child. Soren is a sweet guy and Lin had an agenda but did not upset the family by saying anything. I would've liked to know been the reaction from her mother's children and her adopted father when or if they were told.
May 16, 2020
I loved it and I don't know why maybe because it took me back to 1980's or because it is a believable tale better than other sappy harlequin books.
I loved Melinda and Soren. It's a sweet story that leaves you wanting more by the time you reach the end.
I loved Melinda and Soren. It's a sweet story that leaves you wanting more by the time you reach the end.
July 22, 2020
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August 18, 2021
Misleading cover. There was no fishing in this book! The best part about the book is the twist/secret you discover slowly, in increments.
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September 11, 2021Hmmm
June 5, 2016
3.5 stars
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