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Love Is Eternal
It should have been a dream come true
But Joanne Webster's marriage to the eminent Dr. Daniel Grant was to be for mutual convenience.
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
But Joanne Webster's marriage to the eminent Dr. Daniel Grant was to be for mutual convenience.
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
190 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1979
8 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Whittal
56 books81 followersYvonne Whittal was born and raised in South Africa, the setting of most of her romances. She started writing stories at a young age, but didn't really get serious about writing until after she married and had children. She got many rejection letters from publishers, until a friend who loved romances gave her to encouragement to continue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 16, 2017
Trigger warning: the H rapes the h in this story. No need to read further if that is your hard line.
I’ve been fascinated with this story since it first came out (I would have been 16) and I know we (my Harlequin loving friends) bought it together and passed it around. I know we bought it because of the pretty cover.
Not all Harlequins require this level of thinking/reviewing. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but this story is problematic and requires the category romance code book (vintage edition) and a bit of literary analysis in order to make any sense of it. I’ll also include what our thoughts were when read it back in 1979. Warning: long review ahead.
So let’s look at that cover first.
H/h are in a church getting married. That’s code for true love/lasting marriage. If this was just a business arrangement, then the registrar’s office would have done.
Then we go to the blurb.
But Joanne Webster's marriage to the eminent Dr. Daniel Grant was to be for mutual convenience.
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
Marriage of convenience - check
Business arrangement - check
Vulnerable heroine who could be hurt – check.
The cover and the title don’t match the blurb – but that’s fine – we want to know how we got to “love is eternal” by the end.
Let’s go to the cast of characters and the code of vintage Harlequins:
Hero is a doctor – a surgeon to be exact – a plastic surgeon to be even more exact – this is code for someone who can’t afford to let his feelings show. Someone who is concerned about others and how their appearance will affect their self-esteem and status in the world. His efforts are outwardly visible unlike other types of surgery.
Heroine is a surgical nurse. This is code for someone who also has to keep her feelings under wraps. The traditional smoothening of the suffering patient’s brow is not needed in the operating theatre – instead, she must be cool in a crisis and quick to respond to the surgeon’s needs.
Heroine’s brother is an engineering student – This is code for someone who is bright and deserving of education. At some point he will use his gifts to improve the world in a practical way.
Now for the plot and motivations:
Where the h is vulnerable – the money for her brother’s schooling is dependent on the good-will of her selfish aunt. When the hero sees she isn’t concentrating at work he finds out what the problem is and then talks to the aunt. The aunt is still not willing to part with the money so the hero comes up with a solution. Money for the brother and the heroine will marry him for a year to make his dying mother happy.
Each character is marrying for family member – so they’re even in the motivation stakes.
They marry. The heroine is a nervous wreck and feels bad about deceiving the mother and the rest of the world. They go on a honeymoon and the hero makes it known that he does desire her and he’d be happy to take it to the next level. Heroine is still guarding her heart, so she responds and then pulls away. Rinse and repeat even after they return home.
The heroine eventually breaks down and tells the mother the real situation. The mother is thrilled the heroine is in love with her son, since she knows the hero loves the heroine. She writes a letter to the heroine to make sure she tells the hero that his mother knew they married for her sake – and to tell him her true feelings.
The heroine never gets past the first part. The hero is incensed that the heroine broke her promise, so he breaks his promise and rapes her.
The next day the heroine leaves him, goes back to her maiden name and finds a job in another town. The hero sells the house and goes to Switzerland.
A year later the hero shows up as the new head surgeon where the heroine works. He wants them to try again. He’s bought a house and he wants the heroine to furnish it. He seems willing to give the heroine time to decide because he doesn’t tell the hospital that she is married to him – otherwise she’d lose her job immediately. He notes the irony that before they had to pretend they were married and now they have to pretend they’re not married.
He takes her out on a date. He discourages others who are interested in her.
It all comes to a head when a wanna-be OW tries to frame the heroine for stealing her diamond ring. The hero vouches for her and tells everyone she is his wife. The OW admits that it was a set-up. Heroine is angry her cover is blown, but is glad the H stood up for her. The hero sees the letter his mother wrote the heroine before her death and he realizes he only got half the message. The hero asks when he’ll be forgiven and that’s when the heroine trots out the line that “love is eternal.” HEA
So now for a bit of literary analysis. It’s pretty obvious that the author is exploring the business and legalities of marriage versus the emotional, romantic elements.
They have an arrangement and there are rules to that arrangement. When the heroine breaks the rules, the hero has free reign to let his emotions rule and he breaks his own code. What further complicates this is that the hero is not breaking any laws at this point in time in history. He is within his marital rights to demand sex. The heroine continues to break rules first telling the mother the real nature of the their marriage and then pretending not to be married at the hospital.
What both the H/h violate is the rule of love. The heroine does not share her true feelings. The hero violates his own code of behaviour and turns an act of love into an act of violence. Only time apart seems to be the remedy for these transgressions. Both of them want to be together (it’s revealed later) and this is the punishment. Now, the hero is the bigger sinner here by a long shot and it’s the hero who has to seek forgiveness. (And he does). Finally love is given it’s true place in their relationship – and all is well.
That’s what I got from a close reading of this story. I don’t think YW is being a rape apologist as much as she is saying that only love can wipe away that transgression.
When we read this story as teenagers, we don’t have the vintage romance code book or any ability with literary analysis. So we discussed the events of the story like we would any movie or book that we came across – from out limited experience of life.
As we discussed this story, we had a friend of ours in the back of our minds. She had been going out with her boyfriend since 8th grade. They were both good “church kids” and she lost her virginity at 16 while they were “making out.” It wasn’t planned. It hurt and she was traumatized that he wanted to do it again. As friends we could only listen and advise her that she didn’t have to do anything that she didn’t want to do, but if she was going to put up with that – she’d better get some birth control ASAP.
This story kind of reiterated that view – don’t mess around with boys because at some point they’re loose control and you’ll both be sorry. The ending was the part that was reassuring/fantasy because even then we knew that couples broke up all the time for lesser reasons. Maybe it was the church cover that made us believe? Or the fact that they were already married and it wouldn’t be a scandal if the h got pregnant. Believe me, it would have been a huge scandal if my friend had gotten pregnant in 1979.
Anyway - they stayed together. Worked out what kind of sex life they could have within the bounds of their religious tradition and they eventually married at age 20. They are still married 35 years later. I don’t know how that painful semi-forced first time affected their marriage – it’s not the kind of info a friend is privy to.
In this story we’re told that the H/h will go on to have a happy marriage. I like to believe it’s true for them as well as for my friend.
I’ve been fascinated with this story since it first came out (I would have been 16) and I know we (my Harlequin loving friends) bought it together and passed it around. I know we bought it because of the pretty cover.
Not all Harlequins require this level of thinking/reviewing. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but this story is problematic and requires the category romance code book (vintage edition) and a bit of literary analysis in order to make any sense of it. I’ll also include what our thoughts were when read it back in 1979. Warning: long review ahead.
So let’s look at that cover first.
H/h are in a church getting married. That’s code for true love/lasting marriage. If this was just a business arrangement, then the registrar’s office would have done.
Then we go to the blurb.
But Joanne Webster's marriage to the eminent Dr. Daniel Grant was to be for mutual convenience.
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
Marriage of convenience - check
Business arrangement - check
Vulnerable heroine who could be hurt – check.
The cover and the title don’t match the blurb – but that’s fine – we want to know how we got to “love is eternal” by the end.
Let’s go to the cast of characters and the code of vintage Harlequins:
Hero is a doctor – a surgeon to be exact – a plastic surgeon to be even more exact – this is code for someone who can’t afford to let his feelings show. Someone who is concerned about others and how their appearance will affect their self-esteem and status in the world. His efforts are outwardly visible unlike other types of surgery.
Heroine is a surgical nurse. This is code for someone who also has to keep her feelings under wraps. The traditional smoothening of the suffering patient’s brow is not needed in the operating theatre – instead, she must be cool in a crisis and quick to respond to the surgeon’s needs.
Heroine’s brother is an engineering student – This is code for someone who is bright and deserving of education. At some point he will use his gifts to improve the world in a practical way.
Now for the plot and motivations:
Where the h is vulnerable – the money for her brother’s schooling is dependent on the good-will of her selfish aunt. When the hero sees she isn’t concentrating at work he finds out what the problem is and then talks to the aunt. The aunt is still not willing to part with the money so the hero comes up with a solution. Money for the brother and the heroine will marry him for a year to make his dying mother happy.
Each character is marrying for family member – so they’re even in the motivation stakes.
They marry. The heroine is a nervous wreck and feels bad about deceiving the mother and the rest of the world. They go on a honeymoon and the hero makes it known that he does desire her and he’d be happy to take it to the next level. Heroine is still guarding her heart, so she responds and then pulls away. Rinse and repeat even after they return home.
The heroine eventually breaks down and tells the mother the real situation. The mother is thrilled the heroine is in love with her son, since she knows the hero loves the heroine. She writes a letter to the heroine to make sure she tells the hero that his mother knew they married for her sake – and to tell him her true feelings.
The heroine never gets past the first part. The hero is incensed that the heroine broke her promise, so he breaks his promise and rapes her.
The next day the heroine leaves him, goes back to her maiden name and finds a job in another town. The hero sells the house and goes to Switzerland.
A year later the hero shows up as the new head surgeon where the heroine works. He wants them to try again. He’s bought a house and he wants the heroine to furnish it. He seems willing to give the heroine time to decide because he doesn’t tell the hospital that she is married to him – otherwise she’d lose her job immediately. He notes the irony that before they had to pretend they were married and now they have to pretend they’re not married.
He takes her out on a date. He discourages others who are interested in her.
It all comes to a head when a wanna-be OW tries to frame the heroine for stealing her diamond ring. The hero vouches for her and tells everyone she is his wife. The OW admits that it was a set-up. Heroine is angry her cover is blown, but is glad the H stood up for her. The hero sees the letter his mother wrote the heroine before her death and he realizes he only got half the message. The hero asks when he’ll be forgiven and that’s when the heroine trots out the line that “love is eternal.” HEA
So now for a bit of literary analysis. It’s pretty obvious that the author is exploring the business and legalities of marriage versus the emotional, romantic elements.
They have an arrangement and there are rules to that arrangement. When the heroine breaks the rules, the hero has free reign to let his emotions rule and he breaks his own code. What further complicates this is that the hero is not breaking any laws at this point in time in history. He is within his marital rights to demand sex. The heroine continues to break rules first telling the mother the real nature of the their marriage and then pretending not to be married at the hospital.
What both the H/h violate is the rule of love. The heroine does not share her true feelings. The hero violates his own code of behaviour and turns an act of love into an act of violence. Only time apart seems to be the remedy for these transgressions. Both of them want to be together (it’s revealed later) and this is the punishment. Now, the hero is the bigger sinner here by a long shot and it’s the hero who has to seek forgiveness. (And he does). Finally love is given it’s true place in their relationship – and all is well.
That’s what I got from a close reading of this story. I don’t think YW is being a rape apologist as much as she is saying that only love can wipe away that transgression.
When we read this story as teenagers, we don’t have the vintage romance code book or any ability with literary analysis. So we discussed the events of the story like we would any movie or book that we came across – from out limited experience of life.
As we discussed this story, we had a friend of ours in the back of our minds. She had been going out with her boyfriend since 8th grade. They were both good “church kids” and she lost her virginity at 16 while they were “making out.” It wasn’t planned. It hurt and she was traumatized that he wanted to do it again. As friends we could only listen and advise her that she didn’t have to do anything that she didn’t want to do, but if she was going to put up with that – she’d better get some birth control ASAP.
This story kind of reiterated that view – don’t mess around with boys because at some point they’re loose control and you’ll both be sorry. The ending was the part that was reassuring/fantasy because even then we knew that couples broke up all the time for lesser reasons. Maybe it was the church cover that made us believe? Or the fact that they were already married and it wouldn’t be a scandal if the h got pregnant. Believe me, it would have been a huge scandal if my friend had gotten pregnant in 1979.
Anyway - they stayed together. Worked out what kind of sex life they could have within the bounds of their religious tradition and they eventually married at age 20. They are still married 35 years later. I don’t know how that painful semi-forced first time affected their marriage – it’s not the kind of info a friend is privy to.
In this story we’re told that the H/h will go on to have a happy marriage. I like to believe it’s true for them as well as for my friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2013
Wow. This one's a flash from the past. They certainly don't write 'em like they used to.
Dr and nurse team no longer able to work together because they are married. Women forced to quit their jobs when they marry. Hero able to rape his wife and walk away without his "cojones" delivered up on a platter. Wife forced to jump at his every tune because he can ruin her life. (Personally, I did't get that one) Interfering brother who has the audacity to tell his sister not to be difficult, simply because she doesn't want to go out with an abusive ex that she married simply to save his sorry as*&.
Definitely 4.5 stars. I so love Yvonne Whittal. She is the only author that can get away with all of this and make me keep wanting to turn those pages!
Dr and nurse team no longer able to work together because they are married. Women forced to quit their jobs when they marry. Hero able to rape his wife and walk away without his "cojones" delivered up on a platter. Wife forced to jump at his every tune because he can ruin her life. (Personally, I did't get that one) Interfering brother who has the audacity to tell his sister not to be difficult, simply because she doesn't want to go out with an abusive ex that she married simply to save his sorry as*&.
Definitely 4.5 stars. I so love Yvonne Whittal. She is the only author that can get away with all of this and make me keep wanting to turn those pages!
January 21, 2025
Don’t hate me for these three stars review.
I know, I know, the hero here does something very bad and unforgivable. But it’s a very old school book, and even if I don’t accept it I liked the angst.
The hero and the heroine are surgeon and nurse, they get married in a moc so the hero’s sick mother can die peacefully knowing her son is in love and some woman will take care of his dirty laundry and his dinners. The truth is that he is in love with the heroine but he’s quite shy and the heroine is quite cold, so he thinks she doesn’t love him.
Actually she loves him but she thinks he’s too good for her. He’s not.
A bad misunderstanding and well, instead of talking and solving issues in a very civil manner, he rapes her. Eh. There’s no other way to say it. He definitely forces himself on her because he’s angry, frustrated and thinks she had betrayed him.
She hasn’t.
So she leaves him and goes to another town, where, one year later he is hired as the new surgeon. Instead of trying to apologize to her and win her back with sweet words, he is as charming as a rabid chiwuawa, always sneering and yapping at her so she can hate him a little bit more.
And she does hate him, even if she finds him quite attractive, but YW heroines can be real bitches. She wants a divorce, no matter if he threatens her and blackmails her, and here and there tries to be charming.
So in the end they basically make up, he will reveal that he always loved her and should have told her instead of forcing her to marry him and she agrees that she should have told him she loved him too.
We agree too, and the rape is swept under the rug as a very forceful and emotional lovemaking. Of course I won’t agree, but apparently the heroine finds this acceptable so who am I to disagree.
I know, I know, the hero here does something very bad and unforgivable. But it’s a very old school book, and even if I don’t accept it I liked the angst.
The hero and the heroine are surgeon and nurse, they get married in a moc so the hero’s sick mother can die peacefully knowing her son is in love and some woman will take care of his dirty laundry and his dinners. The truth is that he is in love with the heroine but he’s quite shy and the heroine is quite cold, so he thinks she doesn’t love him.
Actually she loves him but she thinks he’s too good for her. He’s not.
A bad misunderstanding and well, instead of talking and solving issues in a very civil manner, he rapes her. Eh. There’s no other way to say it. He definitely forces himself on her because he’s angry, frustrated and thinks she had betrayed him.
She hasn’t.
So she leaves him and goes to another town, where, one year later he is hired as the new surgeon. Instead of trying to apologize to her and win her back with sweet words, he is as charming as a rabid chiwuawa, always sneering and yapping at her so she can hate him a little bit more.
And she does hate him, even if she finds him quite attractive, but YW heroines can be real bitches. She wants a divorce, no matter if he threatens her and blackmails her, and here and there tries to be charming.
So in the end they basically make up, he will reveal that he always loved her and should have told her instead of forcing her to marry him and she agrees that she should have told him she loved him too.
We agree too, and the rape is swept under the rug as a very forceful and emotional lovemaking. Of course I won’t agree, but apparently the heroine finds this acceptable so who am I to disagree.
December 20, 2019
"Love Is Eternal" is the story of Joanna and Daniel.
Our h is a sweet ward nurse, who falls on hard times when her uncle dies, and her aunt stops the loans financing her brother's studies. Our H, the doctor she works with steps in with a proposition- she shall pretend to be his happy wife to make his dying mother happy, and in turn he would provide her brother with all the help he needs.
The charade works wonderfully, with a few heated kisses in between. Sadly, his mother passes away, not before getting a confession from the h. The H finds out and in a fit of rage rapes the h, and they separate in an angsty battle of emotions.
An year later, the h is working in a small town, when the H shows up, deliberately inserting her into his life and courting her, much to her chagrin. He refuses to divorce her, and when jealous OW shows up, still prefers the h over her. After loads of drama and a confession, we get a sweet ending.
Tbh I read this book because I really adored Joanna in the last book I read. I was extremely happy to meet this couple there, and FYI they have an adorable baby girl Serena, named after the h's mother. However, this was a roller coaster of emotions, and the non-consensual sex just left a sour taste in my mouth. Other than that, the couple was bearable in small doses. The h was stubborn, the H never realized his strength, and I really wish for longer grovel scenes in stories which have this as its storyline. Also, I know this was written decades ago, but the H not wanting the h to work post marriage was another negative point in his favor.
Safe
3/5
Our h is a sweet ward nurse, who falls on hard times when her uncle dies, and her aunt stops the loans financing her brother's studies. Our H, the doctor she works with steps in with a proposition- she shall pretend to be his happy wife to make his dying mother happy, and in turn he would provide her brother with all the help he needs.
The charade works wonderfully, with a few heated kisses in between. Sadly, his mother passes away, not before getting a confession from the h. The H finds out and in a fit of rage rapes the h, and they separate in an angsty battle of emotions.
An year later, the h is working in a small town, when the H shows up, deliberately inserting her into his life and courting her, much to her chagrin. He refuses to divorce her, and when jealous OW shows up, still prefers the h over her. After loads of drama and a confession, we get a sweet ending.
Tbh I read this book because I really adored Joanna in the last book I read. I was extremely happy to meet this couple there, and FYI they have an adorable baby girl Serena, named after the h's mother. However, this was a roller coaster of emotions, and the non-consensual sex just left a sour taste in my mouth. Other than that, the couple was bearable in small doses. The h was stubborn, the H never realized his strength, and I really wish for longer grovel scenes in stories which have this as its storyline. Also, I know this was written decades ago, but the H not wanting the h to work post marriage was another negative point in his favor.
Safe
3/5
November 11, 2013
Old-fashioned, doctor- nurse story and very well written! I thought it was original that these two were trying to hide the fact they were married even though it was a MOC.
Also liked hero's determination to get back his wife. He was quite obsessed with her. Heroine was kind of rude and hateful but I warmed up to her. I really like this author!
Also liked hero's determination to get back his wife. He was quite obsessed with her. Heroine was kind of rude and hateful but I warmed up to her. I really like this author!
February 17, 2016
What a mess of a relationship no only does he get his cake but he eats it too. They get married for his mother and her brother and when he find out she told his mother the truth before her death, he rapes her then leaves her. She leaves him and he only comes after her a year later. Yeah he really wanted to make up for his behaviour? I was so mad most of this book at that had heartburn it literally made me ill. Really he treats her like shit and then tells her he really wanted her and loves her. I guess He was really saying I love you when he used violence, manipulation, treats of violence, and blackmail. In any other book I would say this is the poster child for being in an abusive relationship oh and did I mention that he raped her! He never apologizes for his behaviour and even tell her later on that "when they made love last time" hello what kind of love is that???? I don't understand but I guess it's ok to rape your wife cause hell she was stupid enough to marry you? Old school here please and she had to give up her job because she married him??? What even my grandmother could keep her job and be married and she 96. Guess I did not fully understand that part. Glad I got to read the second part to this book cause Joanna really loves him and he really loves her. You can tell by the sweet things he says to her and calling her Lorelei, hot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2013
I was a teen in the 70s and 80s. Consequently many of these books were instrumental in... influencing... how I viewed male-female relationships. So this whole man-can-rape-his-wife thing was something I believed to be true and fretted about. A lot. I also read the thorn birds which didn't help in the whole 'ready and eager to pop my cherry' category.
So reading this stuff again from the perspective of a woman approaching 50 is an interesting experience.
She's a wuss and he's a jerk. I don't understand how these women couldn't do any damage at all to the man pinning them down and having their way with them.
I also resent that he felt guilty about his rape AFTER he found out the truth. Seriously dude, no matter what... raping her was wrong.
So reading this stuff again from the perspective of a woman approaching 50 is an interesting experience.
She's a wuss and he's a jerk. I don't understand how these women couldn't do any damage at all to the man pinning them down and having their way with them.
I also resent that he felt guilty about his rape AFTER he found out the truth. Seriously dude, no matter what... raping her was wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2023
Well I bought the ticket and knew what I was getting into but Jaysus what a bastard. Very difficult to find any redeeming qualities in this ice cold cosmetic surgeon (Daniel Grant) and the weird marriage with Sister Joanne Webster. If he loved and fancied her so much from the off, why the feck didn't he just say so instead if telling her he didn't desire her and treating her with contempt. Wtf was wrong with this guy. Also the consummation via rape - off page and in no way appealing. Nutjob. Testament to YW's writing ability that I didn't fire this one off half way through.
March 25, 2022
This book is from 1978. And you can feel it throughout the book.
He rapes her. Back then rape in a marriage was considered less of a crime than it is now. So rape is dealt with casually by the writer. Because ‘love forgives everything and anything’. 🙄
The h is quite a martyr for her brother. She marries the H to have him pay for the college (!) of her younger brother.
Yeah, not a serious reason like an illness or bankruptcy, but just college. Her brother says he can work parttime and study, but she insists that he shouldn’t work.
The first half of the book was a bit boring. The second half was much better because he starts pursuing her.
And her brother for whom she had given up her job and her life helps the H get to the h. You would think that after all she has done for her brother, he would be on her side. But no, her brother was on the H’s side.
He rapes her. Back then rape in a marriage was considered less of a crime than it is now. So rape is dealt with casually by the writer. Because ‘love forgives everything and anything’. 🙄
The h is quite a martyr for her brother. She marries the H to have him pay for the college (!) of her younger brother.
Yeah, not a serious reason like an illness or bankruptcy, but just college. Her brother says he can work parttime and study, but she insists that he shouldn’t work.
The first half of the book was a bit boring. The second half was much better because he starts pursuing her.
And her brother for whom she had given up her job and her life helps the H get to the h. You would think that after all she has done for her brother, he would be on her side. But no, her brother was on the H’s side.
May 22, 2022
Yvonne Whittal typically packs a punch with her books, for good or for bad.
This one, though, seems kind of phoned-in. Specifically, she uses the MOC and "secret relationship" tropes to move things along and there's just no point to it.
This one, though, seems kind of phoned-in. Specifically, she uses the MOC and "secret relationship" tropes to move things along and there's just no point to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2018
It was really hard to rate this book. Generally I love it because it’s a a very good example of an old- school HP romance. I like the hero at first and at the end. However, hero could not redeem himself. ( Unfortunately Daniel raped Joanne when he thought she broke her promise and told his mother the truth about their marriage) But as I always said, this is HPlandia of 1988, what can we expect?
July 27, 2014
It was interesting to see how little rights ladies had not so very long ago.
I could not connect with the characters. I knew from the first chapter that Dr. Grant loved JO, but his method of showing his love was ALL wrong.
I could not connect with the characters. I knew from the first chapter that Dr. Grant loved JO, but his method of showing his love was ALL wrong.
July 29, 2016
The heroines Uncle had just died and left her no way of surviving and paying her brothers university fees. In such a devastating place, she confessed all to the hero. The hero being the doctor she worked for as a nurse, offered to marry her and pay all her brothers fees if she pretended the marriage was a love match, for his mother who was dying.
Things worked out well until she was so guilty she couldn't lie anymore and told his mother the truth. Even though his mother was still blissfully happy no matter what, soon after the heroes mother died. The hero was furious when he found out she went against her word and raped the heroine in rage. That night the heroine left her hero.
A year later and the heroine has pulled her life together, she's working at a good hospital and things take a turn for the worst when her husband hero shows up. He threatens to expose her, that he is her husband still. Since the policy says husband and wives can't work together at the same hospital, she does everything he says. When she finally admits to being in love with him still despite all, things are looking up for the better.
It was good and worth a read. My description doesn't really give it justice. I love the characters and the emotions. The rape scene was a little too much for my liking but even with that the book was pretty fabulous!
Things worked out well until she was so guilty she couldn't lie anymore and told his mother the truth. Even though his mother was still blissfully happy no matter what, soon after the heroes mother died. The hero was furious when he found out she went against her word and raped the heroine in rage. That night the heroine left her hero.
A year later and the heroine has pulled her life together, she's working at a good hospital and things take a turn for the worst when her husband hero shows up. He threatens to expose her, that he is her husband still. Since the policy says husband and wives can't work together at the same hospital, she does everything he says. When she finally admits to being in love with him still despite all, things are looking up for the better.
It was good and worth a read. My description doesn't really give it justice. I love the characters and the emotions. The rape scene was a little too much for my liking but even with that the book was pretty fabulous!
February 18, 2013
Old-fashioned, but I kind of like these doctor-nurse stories. :-) Just a warning that there's a full-on rape in this story -- totally unjustifiable but personally I'm able to look past it/expect it in an old Harlequin -- if you aren't, then don't read this. Nice tension in the story though, and I like the hints you get that the hero has been in love with the heroine for quite some time.
September 1, 2021
Rating:**3 stars**
Wow this was a crazy ride!! The first half the ML was this level headed and caring guy and suddenly becomes a brutish possessive prick in the second half. The FL was well more confused than a teenager whether she wanted the man to confess his love or to push him away for the most nonsensical shit.
They were a pair of morons well suited for each other.
Wow this was a crazy ride!! The first half the ML was this level headed and caring guy and suddenly becomes a brutish possessive prick in the second half. The FL was well more confused than a teenager whether she wanted the man to confess his love or to push him away for the most nonsensical shit.
They were a pair of morons well suited for each other.
October 11, 2023
Good
This was a good read. A typical Harlequin, which in its self is comforting when you are looking for a story that is like all Harlequin books but still unique with the authors writing style and imagination.
This was a good read. A typical Harlequin, which in its self is comforting when you are looking for a story that is like all Harlequin books but still unique with the authors writing style and imagination.
May 17, 2013
he really rapes her, she goes away and when he finds her again HE is mad at her (???!!!)
May 13, 2018
This book was typical of the author, but I was uncomfortable with it.
The heroine marries the hero when he agrees to pay her the tuition fees her brother owes his university. The hero needs to convince his mom that he has settled down because that is her one worry during her last days.
The heroine quickly realizes that she loves the hero. This is believable to me because he seems like a nice man and all.
Everything goes wrong when his mother dies and he finds out that the heroine confessed the reasons for their marriage. Now, the nice hero goes postal and rapes the heroine. The word was used in the text, even though it was not described.
However, it falls for that typical trope of the heroine hating the hero but also loving him and excusing the rape away - in fact he apologizes once and she's fine. She was angry with him but settles down towards the end.
Another disturbing thing was the hero constantly handling her, pushing her boundaries when she says no and forcing himself upon her. Even though she was very distressed, the hero would act like she is throwing a tantrum and even her brother would do that!
So while the rape incident was not a huge deal in the book in terms of the morality of it all, I felt uncomfortable reading it. I wouldn't recommend it for you if you cannot get past this.
The heroine marries the hero when he agrees to pay her the tuition fees her brother owes his university. The hero needs to convince his mom that he has settled down because that is her one worry during her last days.
The heroine quickly realizes that she loves the hero. This is believable to me because he seems like a nice man and all.
Everything goes wrong when his mother dies and he finds out that the heroine confessed the reasons for their marriage. Now, the nice hero goes postal and rapes the heroine. The word was used in the text, even though it was not described.
However, it falls for that typical trope of the heroine hating the hero but also loving him and excusing the rape away - in fact he apologizes once and she's fine. She was angry with him but settles down towards the end.
Another disturbing thing was the hero constantly handling her, pushing her boundaries when she says no and forcing himself upon her. Even though she was very distressed, the hero would act like she is throwing a tantrum and even her brother would do that!
So while the rape incident was not a huge deal in the book in terms of the morality of it all, I felt uncomfortable reading it. I wouldn't recommend it for you if you cannot get past this.
May 1, 2016
Its interesting how women in the 70s and 80s pretty much had no choice or voice when it came to men in their life, but felt obligated to save and help those same men (brothers, husbands, fathers, etc.), even though they treated them like crap. Kids today attend universities and colleges and put themselfs trough it by working while going to school, were kids (read boys, men, cause women seldom continued education at those times) just lazy in that time? Dumb? Expectant of someone else to come and save them, and think its their God given right to be saved?
Hmmm, boy am i glad times have changed...
Hmmm, boy am i glad times have changed...
December 6, 2012
Long a favorite Harlequin author, Whittal delivers another well-written, tight plot, with likeable hero and heroine. The plot is ancient - she marries him to continue providing continuing education to her younger brother - but Whittal handles it very nicely. I can't believe I still had a Harlequin Romance from the late 1970s in one of the bookcases. Just a tad behind on my reading, huh?
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July 27, 2011Joanne marries her boss, Dr. Daniel Grant to help her brother get the money he needs for schooling. Daniel marries Joanne so that his dying mother knows he is happily married. The issue is, he loves Joanne, and she loves him, and neither knows.
A nice story.
A nice story.
June 30, 2024
Well, if you go by the reviews you'd want to stay away from this one...but this is the kind of story that draws me in when the reviews paint such revulsion. It was really good! When you understand the times it was written in, you can cast a wide net. There was definitely a forced entry, but hey, it didn't stop her for continuing to love him! So that's on her! I wish there was more of a cathartic airing to that episode. Maybe there was before the editing had to shorten things to fit the HQ hard line of pages. What I did love about the heroine is she had more to her life as a nurse than just mooning over her man. A good example of hard core Harlequin angst fest, without added fillers.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
May 23, 2020But Joanne Webster's marriage to the eminent Dr. Daniel Grant was to be for mutual convenience.
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
"Love doesn't enter into our agreement," he had informed her cooly. "It's a fabricated emotion I have no time for. What I'm offering will be purely and simply a business arrangement to last no longer than a year."
Joanne had worked well with Dr. Grant as a nurse. But could she accept their loveless marriage without being hurt?
March 11, 2022
Lovely story with a great h and romance. I lowered my rating from four stars because H had no business emphasizing the “no love” clause as he did if in fact he did love her.
This is a common trope that makes no sense whatsoever. A supposedly smart and experienced man playing games and pretending not to care? Of course she could have said something herself but who would open themselves after such a strong, harsh declaration.
This is a common trope that makes no sense whatsoever. A supposedly smart and experienced man playing games and pretending not to care? Of course she could have said something herself but who would open themselves after such a strong, harsh declaration.
September 6, 2024
I only read the last three chapters and only so that I could read the bit about the batshit crazy other woman casually planting her diamond ring in the heroine’s pocket to accuse her of theft. However as un PC, sexist and chauvinistic as this book is, something about the hero’s efforts to try and get the heroine back was sweet. I would have preferred more dire consequences for the other woman but I assume at the time they were too nice to sue her for fraudulent intent.
January 16, 2019
first time
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
love this book.
November 27, 2020
Actually, this is more of a 3.5 star book.
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April 5, 2024Esse livro é horrível pelo H estupido e estuprador e que virou perseguidor. Nenhuma simpatia por esse saco de bosta Nao, não e não .
February 7, 2024
Joanne and Dr. Daniel's marriage was for two emotional reasons. Joanne wanted to scure her brother's future and Daniel wanted his dying mother to die assured he was happily married. When Joanne accepted his practical proposial, she felt everything was unreal. However, a short time after their engagement, she confused to herself that she was head over heels in love with him for two long years and she hid it well under such emotions as respect and great regard to his surgical abilities. No sooner than she discovered her love for him that he assured her he did not desire her and gave her a word he wouldn't touch her! The agony with which she had to live with while being his untouched wife was nothing comprated to the agony she lived with when he discovered she didn't keep their agreement a secret from his mother!
The story is beautiful, but the heroine's actions and inner thoughts were not that described in depth. And if it weren't for the rape scene and for the hero to act as if nothing had happened after raping the heroine and leaving her for more than a year to go to Switzerland, I would have given it three stars. I don't think he squirmed much nor the writing style was beautiful enough to convince us.
The story is beautiful, but the heroine's actions and inner thoughts were not that described in depth. And if it weren't for the rape scene and for the hero to act as if nothing had happened after raping the heroine and leaving her for more than a year to go to Switzerland, I would have given it three stars. I don't think he squirmed much nor the writing style was beautiful enough to convince us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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