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Ramsey/Brady #1
Playing Hard to Get
Playing the charming heartbreaker--risky, elusive, and trouble where women were concerned--was completely out of character for Slade Ramsey, but when his fiancee threw him over, he'd rebounded by shedding his nice guy image and seducing- Shavonne Brady on a trip to her West Virginia town. Shed fallen hard, in love for the first time, and something in him had shattered when he'd left her crying two long years ago. Now he'd returned to confess what he couldn't forget, to exorcise the memories of his betrayal--and to earn her trust by sharing a family secret that would set her free. Shavonne didn't want to want him back, to be rendered vulnerable by passion and need, but she was helpless under the sensual assault of Slade's hunger for her. She had to know his promises this time were truly vows of love, but would denying her desire bring him closer or push him away forever?
- GenresRomance
185 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1987
58 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Boswell
122 books45 followersBarbara Schroeder was born on 28 October 1946 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. She worked as nurse, before she married William P. Boswell, a attorney, and they had three daughters.
She has been a longtime romance novel fan, becoming hooked on the romances by Harlequin back in the mid-‘70s when she was home with her three small daughters. When the youngest reached school age in 1983, she wanted something to do with her extra time. She thought about going back to nursing, but didn't care to deal with hospital shifts. She'd often made up stories in her head and/or continued the stories that she'd read, so it seemed like a fun idea to try to write a story of her own. It took a lot more effort and organization than the loosely strung-together scenes she'd run through her mind, but she was right about the fun part! She enjoyed the whole process and wrote a story that she knew she would enjoy reading. She sent it off and was thrilled when it was accepted! It was even more exciting to see her name on the book cover. Some 50-plus books later, it's still a thrill to see her name on the book and it's still fun to make up stories — at least most of the time!
Barbara gets her ideas from everywhere but especially from reading, which she loves to do. Sometimes, just a sentence in a newspaper or a magazine will spark an idea to develop into a romance. Other times, she'll be inspired by another romance novel and she will try to put her own spin on a favorite old plot. Barbara believes that we all have our preferences — she's always been partial to the "secret baby" story line. That, plus the "marriage of convenience" and class or family conflicts are some of her particular favorites.
Her three daughters are all grown up now, and she and her husband are the proud grandparents of a beautiful little grandson. They also have three cats who seem to think that they are the rulers of their house. They are terribly spoiled, and they just might be right.
She has been a longtime romance novel fan, becoming hooked on the romances by Harlequin back in the mid-‘70s when she was home with her three small daughters. When the youngest reached school age in 1983, she wanted something to do with her extra time. She thought about going back to nursing, but didn't care to deal with hospital shifts. She'd often made up stories in her head and/or continued the stories that she'd read, so it seemed like a fun idea to try to write a story of her own. It took a lot more effort and organization than the loosely strung-together scenes she'd run through her mind, but she was right about the fun part! She enjoyed the whole process and wrote a story that she knew she would enjoy reading. She sent it off and was thrilled when it was accepted! It was even more exciting to see her name on the book cover. Some 50-plus books later, it's still a thrill to see her name on the book and it's still fun to make up stories — at least most of the time!
Barbara gets her ideas from everywhere but especially from reading, which she loves to do. Sometimes, just a sentence in a newspaper or a magazine will spark an idea to develop into a romance. Other times, she'll be inspired by another romance novel and she will try to put her own spin on a favorite old plot. Barbara believes that we all have our preferences — she's always been partial to the "secret baby" story line. That, plus the "marriage of convenience" and class or family conflicts are some of her particular favorites.
Her three daughters are all grown up now, and she and her husband are the proud grandparents of a beautiful little grandson. They also have three cats who seem to think that they are the rulers of their house. They are terribly spoiled, and they just might be right.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, the hero Slade is with family when he learns that his estranged aunt left a land they wanted after her death to someone else and that he knows that person. Slade has always been the good one in his money hungry family but two years ago when his fiancee left him for being too good, he decided to be bad like his siblings and did just that, seduced Shavonne a virgin and treated her badly, now when he learns she is the new owner, all his guilt, shame and disgust with himself comes back and when he sees her again, he wants her back, he loves her and wants to marry her and take care of her family.
But the heroine has changed, she is no longer naive and doesn't trust him, but Slade starts taking care of her sisters and doesn't allow her to be cheated of millions from his family.
He is patient with her and I was happy that the heroine didn't blindly trust him. Of course his family is greedy as hell and wants her land.
I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the others.
But the heroine has changed, she is no longer naive and doesn't trust him, but Slade starts taking care of her sisters and doesn't allow her to be cheated of millions from his family.
He is patient with her and I was happy that the heroine didn't blindly trust him. Of course his family is greedy as hell and wants her land.
I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the others.
September 25, 2018
Slade, the man with regrets and Shavonne, the woman he wronged.
I would have liked this better but I found it a little uneven and so a bit too easy to put down after the first half.
Slade's family sucks.
I mean they really suck!
And for a time he felt like he needed to suck to, to be at one with them.
Buuuutttt, when he sees Shavonne again, he begins to realize that he wasn't just a bit of a douche to her but that he had been a colossal asshat.
He dumped her without a backward glance after getting her virginal self to have a no-strings affair with him. He even told her he loved her, to get her into bed. I mean he sucked BIG TIME!
...and he knows it.
SO now that she has inherited important land worth 25 million from his aunt Augusta (her neighbour), he is sent by his family to cozy up to her again. Once he sees her again, he starts to realize just what he threw away and becomes determined to stop his family from stealing her inheritance.
...but she won't believe him!
I had to laugh. She and her sisters are so poor, their fridge was older than aunt Augusta.
They're knowledge of men is the younger sisters' abusive husband, their derelict father and ...him.
So you can see why they might question his motives when he claims that the land is actually worth 25 million and not 25 thousand.
I got a little confused about his family and their motives. The father is a straightforward snake in the grass, but the siblings I just wasn't sure about. One minute they were evil and the next they weren't as bad. I knew how it had to end and got a bit impatient.
Still it was a fun read.
The ending was predictable but still sweet.
ps the title is a bit of a misnomer. 'Playing Hard to Get' is what her siblings say she should do. But she doesn't actually play games with him.
safety is good I think
I would have liked this better but I found it a little uneven and so a bit too easy to put down after the first half.
Slade's family sucks.
I mean they really suck!
And for a time he felt like he needed to suck to, to be at one with them.
Buuuutttt, when he sees Shavonne again, he begins to realize that he wasn't just a bit of a douche to her but that he had been a colossal asshat.
He dumped her without a backward glance after getting her virginal self to have a no-strings affair with him. He even told her he loved her, to get her into bed. I mean he sucked BIG TIME!
...and he knows it.
SO now that she has inherited important land worth 25 million from his aunt Augusta (her neighbour), he is sent by his family to cozy up to her again. Once he sees her again, he starts to realize just what he threw away and becomes determined to stop his family from stealing her inheritance.
...but she won't believe him!
I had to laugh. She and her sisters are so poor, their fridge was older than aunt Augusta.
They're knowledge of men is the younger sisters' abusive husband, their derelict father and ...him.
So you can see why they might question his motives when he claims that the land is actually worth 25 million and not 25 thousand.
I got a little confused about his family and their motives. The father is a straightforward snake in the grass, but the siblings I just wasn't sure about. One minute they were evil and the next they weren't as bad. I knew how it had to end and got a bit impatient.
Still it was a fun read.
The ending was predictable but still sweet.
ps the title is a bit of a misnomer. 'Playing Hard to Get' is what her siblings say she should do. But she doesn't actually play games with him.
safety is good I think
January 25, 2018
"Playing Hard to Get" is the story of Shavonne and Slade.
The Ramseys are a ruthless bunch. When a distant relatives dies, leaving a 25 million dollar property to her destitute neighbor, "good boy turned bad boy" son Slade is dispatched to go and cheat them out of the money. However, Slade soon realizes that means he would have to face Shavonne again- the woman whose heart he ruthlessly broke two years ago!
While she was a virgin then, he was on the verge of changing his good image by becoming a panty chasing heartbreaker- and hence uses and discards her like a dirty tissue breaking her trust. Now, as he attempts to deceive her out of the money she and her family so desperately needs, he has a change of heart and old feelings resurface!
Second chance romance between lovers who needed closure. There is a bit of groveling by the hero, not enough because he soon starts attempting seduction- but enough to make the heroine consider him again. Slade was difficult to forgive, but not easy to hate.
Shavonna was strong and loving, and I wish she would have made him work for it more- and confronted more often but first love bla bla...Anyways, I did not like the Ramseys so far- they all seem like heartless swines, the Brady's on the other hand are lovable and caring- and whom I am looking forward to reading about.
Unsafe/SWE
3/5
The Ramseys are a ruthless bunch. When a distant relatives dies, leaving a 25 million dollar property to her destitute neighbor, "good boy turned bad boy" son Slade is dispatched to go and cheat them out of the money. However, Slade soon realizes that means he would have to face Shavonne again- the woman whose heart he ruthlessly broke two years ago!
While she was a virgin then, he was on the verge of changing his good image by becoming a panty chasing heartbreaker- and hence uses and discards her like a dirty tissue breaking her trust. Now, as he attempts to deceive her out of the money she and her family so desperately needs, he has a change of heart and old feelings resurface!
Second chance romance between lovers who needed closure. There is a bit of groveling by the hero, not enough because he soon starts attempting seduction- but enough to make the heroine consider him again. Slade was difficult to forgive, but not easy to hate.
Shavonna was strong and loving, and I wish she would have made him work for it more- and confronted more often but first love bla bla...Anyways, I did not like the Ramseys so far- they all seem like heartless swines, the Brady's on the other hand are lovable and caring- and whom I am looking forward to reading about.
Unsafe/SWE
3/5
January 26, 2014
After Masters&Mercenarie I really needed a change of pace so I decided to go to Barbara Boswell.
SHe's a favourite of mine, she wrote some really delicious stories and I already knew she would have been satisfying.
This first story of Brady bunch, a group of unlucky girls, was sweet.
Shavonne Brady, the oldest Brady sister, doesn't know but she and her sisters inherited a fortune when their old neighborough leaves them a lot of land.
A very rich land with a its mall, hotels and so on. Unfortunately the rest of the land belongs to the Ramsey family, the same family who fighted the old aunt (and so she decides to leave her fortunes to someone else).
So the Ramsey family decides to send one of their male son to buy the land for little money, sure to win. The problem is the the Ramsey son charged to get the land back has a previous story with Shavonne Brady... he did bad some years ago, using Shavonne to get revenge on an old fiancèè. But he's feeling guilty since then and this time he will do the right thing!!!!
Sweet sweet sweet!
Onto the next one!
SHe's a favourite of mine, she wrote some really delicious stories and I already knew she would have been satisfying.
This first story of Brady bunch, a group of unlucky girls, was sweet.
Shavonne Brady, the oldest Brady sister, doesn't know but she and her sisters inherited a fortune when their old neighborough leaves them a lot of land.
A very rich land with a its mall, hotels and so on. Unfortunately the rest of the land belongs to the Ramsey family, the same family who fighted the old aunt (and so she decides to leave her fortunes to someone else).
So the Ramsey family decides to send one of their male son to buy the land for little money, sure to win. The problem is the the Ramsey son charged to get the land back has a previous story with Shavonne Brady... he did bad some years ago, using Shavonne to get revenge on an old fiancèè. But he's feeling guilty since then and this time he will do the right thing!!!!
Sweet sweet sweet!
Onto the next one!
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March 14, 2012I guess this book is emotional but it's the sort where you can't take a break otherwise things start looking dumb-ass-ical. Unfortunately for me, I took a break and so it lost it's charm...
April 21, 2012
Titre vf : Qui perd gagne
January 23, 2014
I am lovin the Ramsey/Brady series! Verrry good ;-)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews