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Alexis Stefanides lived by a strict code of family honor. So when he thought his sister had been mistreated, he was determined to exact his revenge. Sienna became his innocent victim.
It was only after the damage was done that Alexis realized he'd been wrong. Before she knew what was happening, Sienna had become his wife! But was this just appeasing Alexis' guilty conscience? He'd certainly never said anything about love.
It was only after the damage was done that Alexis realized he'd been wrong. Before she knew what was happening, Sienna had become his wife! But was this just appeasing Alexis' guilty conscience? He'd certainly never said anything about love.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
January 16, 2024
This was classic Penny Jordan. The trembling virgin heroine, the arrogant hero, the insane plot.
The hero's crime was pretty bad, but PJ balanced the scales with his sister explaining his backstory, loyal servants discussing his largess, and she let him suffer physically with weight loss and malaria for the big grovel scene. You know it's serious when the *hero* loses weight and can't sleep. He was actually a lot less obnoxious than other PJ heroes I've read. The heroine suffered a revengeful hero, a car accident, a wedding while in a coma, and amnesia but still retained her ability to orgasm. That's resilience for you.
The hero's crime was pretty bad, but PJ balanced the scales with his sister explaining his backstory, loyal servants discussing his largess, and she let him suffer physically with weight loss and malaria for the big grovel scene. You know it's serious when the *hero* loses weight and can't sleep. He was actually a lot less obnoxious than other PJ heroes I've read. The heroine suffered a revengeful hero, a car accident, a wedding while in a coma, and amnesia but still retained her ability to orgasm. That's resilience for you.
December 7, 2011
A more apt title in Freakylandia U'll nevah find in this lifetime. Methinks this book & I got off on the wrong foot. By 1st chapter I was hella worried that the weird chick Sienna, our human vibrator, was coming down w/ some incurable, tremors-inducing flu. By the end of chapter 1, she has shivered 5 X & trembled 4 X, the symptomatic tally almost reached double digits, it set the tone for the rest of this epic trainwreck. By page 9, the clues are all there that she's wired differently. And this nerve-gnawing response is only triggered by him helping her w/ the seat belt.
<< Suddenly she wanted to know everything there was to know about him, and she was close to tears to think of all the years when she hadn't known him ; as a child, as an adolescent, a young man, and she shivered fitfully, the tension in her body communicating itself to him as he completed his task and straightened up, his arm brushing briefly across her breasts. >>
Drenched in dwama & liberally infused w/ repetitions, the standard wacky ingredients are all covered : Insta luv, office affair, unforced seduction, naive heroine, asscrack hero, revenge gone wrong, selective amnesia, impromptu marriage to a comatose bride, shmexing up oblivious wife, Dumper turns into dumpee when wife regains memory, Malaria, random squirting of Greek myth just to remind reader that hero has Greek blood flowing in his veins, HEA. He also seemed to zoom in on Sienna's peaking breasts / nipples anytime she's in the vicinity. Oh wot a thrill to have hyper-sensitive blinkers. Wonder Bras were surplus to requirement back then.
In a nutshell (the nutty H/h should stay in the shell) :
Alexis, the Greek tycoon, needs a temp secretary & our sheltered, virginal, multi-lingual Sienna, fits the bill purrfectly. It's insta lust @ 1st sight for Sienna. So she's allegedly 24 y/o & he's 9 yrs older, but judging from her acting like a teen in her 1st throes of puberty, made me want her to whip out her driver's license. Granted, she's orphaned, lives w/ her bro since daddy recently expired & she doesn't go out much. But... she's way too responsive to the Greek cheezeball's OTT corny lines. She falls for him hook, line & sinker. Her raging hormones go haywire @ mere brush of his whisker. She gets swept away by his charm & only discovers the hard way after he punches a hole in her 24 y/o hymen, that she's simply a means to an end. Well, how could he not pick up the vibe when she puts up the Virgin alert ! In neon sign ? He drops the bombshell on her right after mission is accomplished, that his sista (who was engaged to a cousin, ick BTW) was raped by Sienna's bro, so Alexis screws Sienna. Of all the dumb ass revenge plots, this prolly takes the cake. The only element missing in his diabolical plan is that he has the decency to not copy Sean Culhane's - of Stormfire Hall of shame - infamous method, Fed-Ex-ing the heroine's bloodied underwear to the relative as irrefutable proof of receipt. Hey @ least Sienna is a willing victim here. H/h part ways, Sienna doesn't want her bro to be victimized by Alexis cuz he's powerful, so she keeps her trap shut about being gullible. Coincidentally, Sienna & bro dine @ the same restaurant Alexis used to wine & dine her, walks in our hero w/ none otha than his sista aka rape survivor, who turns out to be friends w/ Sienna's bro. She finally fesses up to Alexis that her rapist was actually not Sienna's bro, but Alexis' BFF. Alexis realizes he dipped his wick in the wrong gravy & tries to apologize @ Sienna's domain. She wouldn't hear it, runs outta the house & almost turns into a roadkill. Alexis & his comatose bride get hitched @ hospital bedside just so he has the authority in case the doc needs to perform surgery on her & also ‘cuz his guilt trip stretches from London to Greek. She wakes up having selective amnesia. She dunno him from Adam, but she enjoys getting drilled by his downstairs equipment. She smells somefink fishy but it ain't his Greecian underpants. Hero's sista conveniently barges in on H/h's honeymoon in his privately-owned island, accidental eavesdropper heroine finds out the truth & she's outtie. To achieve long-awaited HEA, she has to prove to Malaria-afflicted hero that she truly luvs him by seducing him. Tit for tat.
Here comes the best part of the book. My antennae just perks up whenevah the same words get recycled to death & I can't escape if it's an e-version, it's just an easy target, no sleuthing needed to tally up the #s.
Tremble (11), Greek (23), Shiver (27), Thrust (17), Nipples (6), Breasts (30), Respond (34), Response (29), Tears (11), Desire (37).
I get it that it's inevitable words get repeated, but do we really need the word "Thrust" shoved into sexual & non-sexual context more than once ? E.g., A glass of water was thrust in front of her, Thrusting open the door, Thrusting open the gate, Shadows emphasizing the taut thrust of his high cheekbones, Thrusting it aside.
My fav lavender phrases / cornball rollers :
~ Impatient peaks of her breasts (gee whiz the visual of patient peaks sends shivers down my spine).
~ "Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses yours, it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours. No other man has shown you what I will show you. I shall be the first." (And I, as the reader, shall not pee in my granny pants. Your ode to virginity is a feast for my senses.)
~ The lump in her throat threatening to render her completely speechless (yeah I would be stunned speechless too if I heard cheesy pick-up lines that dribbled outta his mouth. Well, either that, or I'd try to one-up him w/ my own crafty lines to make his trou drop). Alexis saw her reaction and laughed deep in his throat, a husky, satisfied sound, and she knew that the fact that she was still a virgin was pleasing him.
~ "My family has a code of honor that goes back to the dawn of our time." Now which code is that ? One ponders. Your bro raped my sista, so I screw U ?
~ "Your heart quivers like a frightened dove's. What is it that frightens you so ? Surely not me ?" (Seriously, who the fucq talks like this shithead ? Should she have responded w/ a zinger - "It's the size of your ding-a-ling. I'm frightened it might rip my shivery bearded taco asunder. No way it's real.")
~ "How you tremble in my arms - w/ willingness or w/ fear, my sweet virgin ?"
~ "As desire shall override both."
- "But there is nothing to fear but fear, and for the brave the ultimate reward is unquantifiable, there is no price, no limit, no standard that can be placed on the pleasure of giving & receiving love."
~ "You must understand that I meant no personal harm." This award-winning line is ejected right after popping her cherries. WTF is this, a drive-thru shagging ? Nuffink personal ? Must be his rampant boner talking.
~ The doctor had told her that his mind might wander (due to Malaria). He kid her not. The juice extractor hero squirts @ her some random Greek myth about Theseus. Delirium much ?
Moral of the story : Irredeemable hero's insta luv is a GR8 healer of all wounds. Especially Greek flavah luv.
<< Suddenly she wanted to know everything there was to know about him, and she was close to tears to think of all the years when she hadn't known him ; as a child, as an adolescent, a young man, and she shivered fitfully, the tension in her body communicating itself to him as he completed his task and straightened up, his arm brushing briefly across her breasts. >>
Drenched in dwama & liberally infused w/ repetitions, the standard wacky ingredients are all covered : Insta luv, office affair, unforced seduction, naive heroine, asscrack hero, revenge gone wrong, selective amnesia, impromptu marriage to a comatose bride, shmexing up oblivious wife, Dumper turns into dumpee when wife regains memory, Malaria, random squirting of Greek myth just to remind reader that hero has Greek blood flowing in his veins, HEA. He also seemed to zoom in on Sienna's peaking breasts / nipples anytime she's in the vicinity. Oh wot a thrill to have hyper-sensitive blinkers. Wonder Bras were surplus to requirement back then.
In a nutshell (the nutty H/h should stay in the shell) :
Alexis, the Greek tycoon, needs a temp secretary & our sheltered, virginal, multi-lingual Sienna, fits the bill purrfectly. It's insta lust @ 1st sight for Sienna. So she's allegedly 24 y/o & he's 9 yrs older, but judging from her acting like a teen in her 1st throes of puberty, made me want her to whip out her driver's license. Granted, she's orphaned, lives w/ her bro since daddy recently expired & she doesn't go out much. But... she's way too responsive to the Greek cheezeball's OTT corny lines. She falls for him hook, line & sinker. Her raging hormones go haywire @ mere brush of his whisker. She gets swept away by his charm & only discovers the hard way after he punches a hole in her 24 y/o hymen, that she's simply a means to an end. Well, how could he not pick up the vibe when she puts up the Virgin alert ! In neon sign ? He drops the bombshell on her right after mission is accomplished, that his sista (who was engaged to a cousin, ick BTW) was raped by Sienna's bro, so Alexis screws Sienna. Of all the dumb ass revenge plots, this prolly takes the cake. The only element missing in his diabolical plan is that he has the decency to not copy Sean Culhane's - of Stormfire Hall of shame - infamous method, Fed-Ex-ing the heroine's bloodied underwear to the relative as irrefutable proof of receipt. Hey @ least Sienna is a willing victim here. H/h part ways, Sienna doesn't want her bro to be victimized by Alexis cuz he's powerful, so she keeps her trap shut about being gullible. Coincidentally, Sienna & bro dine @ the same restaurant Alexis used to wine & dine her, walks in our hero w/ none otha than his sista aka rape survivor, who turns out to be friends w/ Sienna's bro. She finally fesses up to Alexis that her rapist was actually not Sienna's bro, but Alexis' BFF. Alexis realizes he dipped his wick in the wrong gravy & tries to apologize @ Sienna's domain. She wouldn't hear it, runs outta the house & almost turns into a roadkill. Alexis & his comatose bride get hitched @ hospital bedside just so he has the authority in case the doc needs to perform surgery on her & also ‘cuz his guilt trip stretches from London to Greek. She wakes up having selective amnesia. She dunno him from Adam, but she enjoys getting drilled by his downstairs equipment. She smells somefink fishy but it ain't his Greecian underpants. Hero's sista conveniently barges in on H/h's honeymoon in his privately-owned island, accidental eavesdropper heroine finds out the truth & she's outtie. To achieve long-awaited HEA, she has to prove to Malaria-afflicted hero that she truly luvs him by seducing him. Tit for tat.
Here comes the best part of the book. My antennae just perks up whenevah the same words get recycled to death & I can't escape if it's an e-version, it's just an easy target, no sleuthing needed to tally up the #s.
Tremble (11), Greek (23), Shiver (27), Thrust (17), Nipples (6), Breasts (30), Respond (34), Response (29), Tears (11), Desire (37).
I get it that it's inevitable words get repeated, but do we really need the word "Thrust" shoved into sexual & non-sexual context more than once ? E.g., A glass of water was thrust in front of her, Thrusting open the door, Thrusting open the gate, Shadows emphasizing the taut thrust of his high cheekbones, Thrusting it aside.
My fav lavender phrases / cornball rollers :
~ Impatient peaks of her breasts (gee whiz the visual of patient peaks sends shivers down my spine).
~ "Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses yours, it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours. No other man has shown you what I will show you. I shall be the first." (And I, as the reader, shall not pee in my granny pants. Your ode to virginity is a feast for my senses.)
~ The lump in her throat threatening to render her completely speechless (yeah I would be stunned speechless too if I heard cheesy pick-up lines that dribbled outta his mouth. Well, either that, or I'd try to one-up him w/ my own crafty lines to make his trou drop). Alexis saw her reaction and laughed deep in his throat, a husky, satisfied sound, and she knew that the fact that she was still a virgin was pleasing him.
~ "My family has a code of honor that goes back to the dawn of our time." Now which code is that ? One ponders. Your bro raped my sista, so I screw U ?
~ "Your heart quivers like a frightened dove's. What is it that frightens you so ? Surely not me ?" (Seriously, who the fucq talks like this shithead ? Should she have responded w/ a zinger - "It's the size of your ding-a-ling. I'm frightened it might rip my shivery bearded taco asunder. No way it's real.")
~ "How you tremble in my arms - w/ willingness or w/ fear, my sweet virgin ?"
~ "As desire shall override both."
- "But there is nothing to fear but fear, and for the brave the ultimate reward is unquantifiable, there is no price, no limit, no standard that can be placed on the pleasure of giving & receiving love."
~ "You must understand that I meant no personal harm." This award-winning line is ejected right after popping her cherries. WTF is this, a drive-thru shagging ? Nuffink personal ? Must be his rampant boner talking.
~ The doctor had told her that his mind might wander (due to Malaria). He kid her not. The juice extractor hero squirts @ her some random Greek myth about Theseus. Delirium much ?
Moral of the story : Irredeemable hero's insta luv is a GR8 healer of all wounds. Especially Greek flavah luv.
October 8, 2015
RE: Response - this is a true HPLandia classic, PJ put just about every popular trope in the universe in this one and it is the epitome of wreckiness with a very, very badly behaving H. There is revenge, callous seduction, amnesia, deathly love sickness and an h with very perky decolletage. The only thing missing is the seekrit baby, and if PJ had another 35 pages, she probably could've worked that in there too. (In fact, I was sorta expecting it - but PJ went with the direly ill H scenario instead)
There is also one of the best forced marriage scenario's in all the HQN world's, the H - with his natural alpha supreme authority - marries the h while she is unconscious from a car wreck, as her brother couldn't be contacted and surgery might be needed. Well that is HIS excuse anyway.
We all know it is because of his helpless, desperate love for the h that he just cannot confess to.
Surprisingly, the h in this one is not the usual PJ doormat we see who will tolerate anything to be with her man. Nope, not this lady - she dumps the arrogant H not once, but TWICE and does it so thoroughly his misbehaving rear is totally in the cold. She stands up for herself and I was glad to see it. Of course she is miserable, but the H gets to suffer the torments too, so it all works out for a nice HEA in the end.
There is also one of the best forced marriage scenario's in all the HQN world's, the H - with his natural alpha supreme authority - marries the h while she is unconscious from a car wreck, as her brother couldn't be contacted and surgery might be needed. Well that is HIS excuse anyway.
We all know it is because of his helpless, desperate love for the h that he just cannot confess to.
Surprisingly, the h in this one is not the usual PJ doormat we see who will tolerate anything to be with her man. Nope, not this lady - she dumps the arrogant H not once, but TWICE and does it so thoroughly his misbehaving rear is totally in the cold. She stands up for herself and I was glad to see it. Of course she is miserable, but the H gets to suffer the torments too, so it all works out for a nice HEA in the end.
August 23, 2016
Ok, ick. Apparently Barbara Cartland channeled Penny Jordan while she wrote this book. Here's what she came up with, and I'm only on page 12.
"Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses yours it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours. No other man has shown you what I shall show you. I shall be the first."
Oy, it got worse from there. Sienna has been targeted by Alexis looks-like-a-Greek-god-but-is-actually-a-cruel-and-slightly-stupid-asshat because he thinks Sienna's brother raped his sister. Alexis' sister not Sienna, obviously. This is a Harlequin so clarification is needed after all. I say "thinks" he raped his sister, Alexis doesn't actually confirm this before he starts his "Humiliate the Virgin" maneuver
.
Alexis hires Sienna to do some temp work for him while he is on London, and the insta love is in the air. Lots of purple prose, see above, and bottom line he asks her to go away for a weekend. This book was published in 1984, the year I graduated from college so I can't BELIEVE I am going to write this) I could relate to Sienna just a little. Okay, that was not so bad. She was a very sheltered girl even for the times. Even her brother, the rapist wink-wink, says she needs to get out of their little village. The mark buys pretty lingerie and just out and out lusts for the Greek alpha hero.
After the weekend away, she goes into emotional lockdown. Bro comes to town and takes her out on the London town to cheer her up when who do they run into? Yep, to paraphrase "When Harry Met Sally", in a town of 8 million people what are the odds she would run into the one Greek alpha asshat who wants revenge on you so he rapes me. Luckily, Alexis sister is there, and happily greets her so-called rapist. Turns out the actual rapist was Alexis' close friend who is conveniently dead or else his sister might get the goods next. Yep, turns out our brain trust of a hero assumed that the brother was guilty because he and Alexis' sister spent so much time together, and the was a foreigner. Those crazy British!
Sienna runs back to Cotswold still in an emotional deepfreeze. Alexis swoops in less to apologize and grovel his life away then to ...I don't know what he was doing. As a reader, I was so appalled at his duplicitous emotional rape of poor little Sienna, I was still so angry and sick with it. Where do you go from here? Proud of our girl for staying strong. No apology would suffice so in order to get away from him she has to run out of the house, get hit by a car, and get amnesia. If a Harlequin writer ever writes me into a story, I do not want it to be Penny Jordan as not only do the h's love lives get derailed, but their lives hang in the balance. Somehow, someway Alexis marries her and takes her to Greece. I know, I know. I'm exhausted too, and we're only at the halfway point.
Alexis is frustrated at Sienna's reluctance to be with him. Hellloooooo, sub-conscious at work, very hard at work. They make love and things seem okay. Eventually, Sienna remembers and is NOT a happy camper. She shuts down again. More angst ensues and she ends up back in London.
I am not going to get into the rest of the story, because yes there's more.
Response is either a love or hate read, 1 or 4 star. Angst out the wazoo, steamy sex scenes especially for 1984. Not to mention we have one of PJ's poor, little abused heroines. This tiny h is actually pretty kick ass emotionally until the bitter end. When she caves, she goes down big. My problem is PJ more than skirts into blame the victim territory. Sienna takes it upon herself to blame the breakdown of their reconciliation and Alexis's attempts to make amends.
"Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses yours it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours. No other man has shown you what I shall show you. I shall be the first."
Oy, it got worse from there. Sienna has been targeted by Alexis looks-like-a-Greek-god-but-is-actually-a-cruel-and-slightly-stupid-asshat because he thinks Sienna's brother raped his sister. Alexis' sister not Sienna, obviously. This is a Harlequin so clarification is needed after all. I say "thinks" he raped his sister, Alexis doesn't actually confirm this before he starts his "Humiliate the Virgin" maneuver
.
Alexis hires Sienna to do some temp work for him while he is on London, and the insta love is in the air. Lots of purple prose, see above, and bottom line he asks her to go away for a weekend. This book was published in 1984, the year I graduated from college so I can't BELIEVE I am going to write this) I could relate to Sienna just a little. Okay, that was not so bad. She was a very sheltered girl even for the times. Even her brother, the rapist wink-wink, says she needs to get out of their little village. The mark buys pretty lingerie and just out and out lusts for the Greek alpha hero.
After the weekend away, she goes into emotional lockdown. Bro comes to town and takes her out on the London town to cheer her up when who do they run into? Yep, to paraphrase "When Harry Met Sally", in a town of 8 million people what are the odds she would run into the one Greek alpha asshat who wants revenge on you so he rapes me. Luckily, Alexis sister is there, and happily greets her so-called rapist. Turns out the actual rapist was Alexis' close friend who is conveniently dead or else his sister might get the goods next. Yep, turns out our brain trust of a hero assumed that the brother was guilty because he and Alexis' sister spent so much time together, and the was a foreigner. Those crazy British!
Sienna runs back to Cotswold still in an emotional deepfreeze. Alexis swoops in less to apologize and grovel his life away then to ...I don't know what he was doing. As a reader, I was so appalled at his duplicitous emotional rape of poor little Sienna, I was still so angry and sick with it. Where do you go from here? Proud of our girl for staying strong. No apology would suffice so in order to get away from him she has to run out of the house, get hit by a car, and get amnesia. If a Harlequin writer ever writes me into a story, I do not want it to be Penny Jordan as not only do the h's love lives get derailed, but their lives hang in the balance. Somehow, someway Alexis marries her and takes her to Greece. I know, I know. I'm exhausted too, and we're only at the halfway point.
Alexis is frustrated at Sienna's reluctance to be with him. Hellloooooo, sub-conscious at work, very hard at work. They make love and things seem okay. Eventually, Sienna remembers and is NOT a happy camper. She shuts down again. More angst ensues and she ends up back in London.
I am not going to get into the rest of the story, because yes there's more.
Response is either a love or hate read, 1 or 4 star. Angst out the wazoo, steamy sex scenes especially for 1984. Not to mention we have one of PJ's poor, little abused heroines. This tiny h is actually pretty kick ass emotionally until the bitter end. When she caves, she goes down big. My problem is PJ more than skirts into blame the victim territory. Sienna takes it upon herself to blame the breakdown of their reconciliation and Alexis's attempts to make amends.
September 4, 2016
This was a bookclub read for me and here were my rambling thoughts.
Did you like the Hero/heroine?
She's a bowl of jello - constantly quivering, easy to make
He's a deep fried mozzarella stick - cheesy, oily, sure to cause heartburn
What do you think of this type of revenge plot?
I have no problem with revenge sex, but get your facts straight first! Hero's failure to do so makes him look stupid.
Was there enough interior musings in the book?
Could there be any more? I was happy each time the monologues ended, ... until the dialogues started. Hero has a stash of cheesy, OTT, smarmy, purplific phrases that do nothing to lift my opinion of his brain or heart, and make me do funny gagging faces.
Have you read Penny Jordan before?
No, and if this is 1 of her better books/heroines, I doubt I will again.
Extra commentary:
I really hate when a 3rd party has to explain to the heroine or Hero that they love each other. Learn to communicate, dolts!
I hate that the Hero only spilled his guts while in the fever at the end. He deserved to be fully conscious and grovel to the heroine. It makes me mad that he escaped without thoroughly admitting he was wrong.
Hero seems to have no friends except a dead rapist, and his own sister can't trust him. PJ needed to give us something about him that is likable.
Did you like the Hero/heroine?
She's a bowl of jello - constantly quivering, easy to make
He's a deep fried mozzarella stick - cheesy, oily, sure to cause heartburn
What do you think of this type of revenge plot?
I have no problem with revenge sex, but get your facts straight first! Hero's failure to do so makes him look stupid.
Was there enough interior musings in the book?
Could there be any more? I was happy each time the monologues ended, ... until the dialogues started. Hero has a stash of cheesy, OTT, smarmy, purplific phrases that do nothing to lift my opinion of his brain or heart, and make me do funny gagging faces.
Have you read Penny Jordan before?
No, and if this is 1 of her better books/heroines, I doubt I will again.
Extra commentary:
I really hate when a 3rd party has to explain to the heroine or Hero that they love each other. Learn to communicate, dolts!
I hate that the Hero only spilled his guts while in the fever at the end. He deserved to be fully conscious and grovel to the heroine. It makes me mad that he escaped without thoroughly admitting he was wrong.
Hero seems to have no friends except a dead rapist, and his own sister can't trust him. PJ needed to give us something about him that is likable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2017
"Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my
little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses
yours it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human
beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours.
No other man has shown you what I shall show you. I shall be the
first."
Said Pepe Le Piew to his lady love. Oh, no, wait, it's the hero of Penny Jordan's craptastic train wreck Response who uses that and many other Piewwwwy lines to woo our poor, forever trembling, heroine in his quest for revenge.
Good grief.
I am not going to summarize the plot because other reviewers have done a fantastic job of it already. Plus, you can take a look at my Goodreads "shelves" to see what a kitchen sink of tropes we're dealing with here. I just will say that even though I generally like PJ and I do get onboard the Crazy Train from time to time, this one didn't appeal at all.
There was nothing about the writing that was memorable. The revenge scheme was lame, the amnesia/forced marriage scenario tired and played out. Most of all, both protagonists got on my nerves.
The heroine starts off as a trembling ninny. She literally shook, shivered, and trembled in every paragraph. There was more dithering, sputtering and swaying there than in a spoonful of jello held up during a dinosaur stampede.
Maybe that's what happens when you fall in love at first sight. I don't know. I just thought she was so dumb and annoying throughout.
The hero was an asshat but he was also dumb. You're supposed to be this arrogant, uber-wealthy, meticulously investigative, savvy tycoon with vendetta instilled in your blood from centuries of teeth-gnashing ancestors and then you manage to fumble the single most important revenge scheme of your life?
The idiot accuses the wrong guy of raping his sister and does not even realize it was his own best friend who did the dastardly deed. He seduces the wrong girl and then, he can't even make that right? Plus, he was really pathetic to boot. Boo-hoo, his daddy never hugged him, his dog died when he was 7, and he has recurring bouts of malaria caused by his little broken heart. Cry me a river (and then preferably drown in it).
little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses
yours it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human
beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours.
No other man has shown you what I shall show you. I shall be the
first."
Said Pepe Le Piew to his lady love. Oh, no, wait, it's the hero of Penny Jordan's craptastic train wreck Response who uses that and many other Piewwwwy lines to woo our poor, forever trembling, heroine in his quest for revenge.
Good grief.
I am not going to summarize the plot because other reviewers have done a fantastic job of it already. Plus, you can take a look at my Goodreads "shelves" to see what a kitchen sink of tropes we're dealing with here. I just will say that even though I generally like PJ and I do get onboard the Crazy Train from time to time, this one didn't appeal at all.
There was nothing about the writing that was memorable. The revenge scheme was lame, the amnesia/forced marriage scenario tired and played out. Most of all, both protagonists got on my nerves.
The heroine starts off as a trembling ninny. She literally shook, shivered, and trembled in every paragraph. There was more dithering, sputtering and swaying there than in a spoonful of jello held up during a dinosaur stampede.
Maybe that's what happens when you fall in love at first sight. I don't know. I just thought she was so dumb and annoying throughout.
The hero was an asshat but he was also dumb. You're supposed to be this arrogant, uber-wealthy, meticulously investigative, savvy tycoon with vendetta instilled in your blood from centuries of teeth-gnashing ancestors and then you manage to fumble the single most important revenge scheme of your life?
The idiot accuses the wrong guy of raping his sister and does not even realize it was his own best friend who did the dastardly deed. He seduces the wrong girl and then, he can't even make that right? Plus, he was really pathetic to boot. Boo-hoo, his daddy never hugged him, his dog died when he was 7, and he has recurring bouts of malaria caused by his little broken heart. Cry me a river (and then preferably drown in it).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
September 30, 2017Honour! *snickers*
If raping another man's sister for his sin is *honourable* in your culture then your culture either needs to be extinct or reevaluated.
The "hero" had nothing honourable about him.
He was NOT sorry about his actions. He actually believes it's justified.
He's only sorry that he "practically raped" the wrong woman because her brother was innocent. Not the for the action. For the wrong victim.
And he's only sorry when he figured out the brother was innocent.
So his actions were completely justified if he wasn't innocent and even though the heroine is an independent third party from her brother?
Him being sorry after learning about her brother's innocence does NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT count.
The marriage I'm pretty sure was also not legal! And would have landed his ass in jail no matter what era it was.
If raping another man's sister for his sin is *honourable* in your culture then your culture either needs to be extinct or reevaluated.
The "hero" had nothing honourable about him.
He was NOT sorry about his actions. He actually believes it's justified.
He's only sorry that he "practically raped" the wrong woman because her brother was innocent. Not the for the action. For the wrong victim.
And he's only sorry when he figured out the brother was innocent.
So his actions were completely justified if he wasn't innocent and even though the heroine is an independent third party from her brother?
Him being sorry after learning about her brother's innocence does NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT count.
The marriage I'm pretty sure was also not legal! And would have landed his ass in jail no matter what era it was.
September 5, 2021
The recipe?
❣️possessive cold ruthless alpha
❣️trembling young naive starry-eyed virgin
❣️OTT instalove
❣️revenge plot
❣️heroine wasting away in despair
❣️freak accident that sends her to the hospital
❣️A M N E S I A 🤩🤩🤩
❣️LIIIIIIEEEESSSSS
❣️dubcon
❣️draaammaaaa….
The outcome?
Bottom Line? Yes, the trembling was ridiculous and the instalove comical, but was I entertained? Absolutely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- dubcon
❣️possessive cold ruthless alpha
❣️trembling young naive starry-eyed virgin
❣️OTT instalove
❣️revenge plot
❣️heroine wasting away in despair
❣️freak accident that sends her to the hospital
❣️A M N E S I A 🤩🤩🤩
❣️LIIIIIIEEEESSSSS
❣️dubcon
❣️draaammaaaa….
The outcome?
Bottom Line? Yes, the trembling was ridiculous and the instalove comical, but was I entertained? Absolutely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- dubcon
December 28, 2014
One of the better vengeful Greek tycoon books. He thinks her brother raped his sister so he seduces the h in revenge. He realizes he is wrong and tries to make amends, but she runs from him, gets hit by a car and gets amnesia. Obviously, he takes advantage of her memory loss in great Hqn fashion.
December 15, 2013
Another Greek tycoon out for revenge. Heroine is innocent and unaware of his evil scheme. She falls for him hard but when she realizes the truth she abandons him, has a car accident and amnesia.
Hero realizes his mistake and takes advantage of the situation, marries heroine tries to win her back but our amnesiac heroine can't trust or love him again.
Lots of angst, drama and intense emotions make this a great read!
Hero realizes his mistake and takes advantage of the situation, marries heroine tries to win her back but our amnesiac heroine can't trust or love him again.
Lots of angst, drama and intense emotions make this a great read!
March 31, 2016
Loved this one.
This is probably one of the most aptly named books I've read. And it is all about RESPONSE. the h's to the H' and vice versa. It's possible that some people may scoff at how quickly the h - Sienna- capitulates to her love for the H- Alexis; but in my mind it made perfect sense. That is what love at first sight is, where your bond is instant and intense (and I'm lucky enough to have a first hand experience of what that is :) ). The planned revenge may have been a little OTT, but did nothing to take away from the beautiful love story between two adults who really loved, needed and indeed, craved each other.
“but it is a poor kind of love that will not allow the beloved to make any mistakes, that sets him up on a pedestal and condemns him to remain there.”
- now that's one of the dialogues that really resonated with me in this book. In a world, where people are only too willing to give up on relationships for whatever failings - minor or major-; one needs to understand that one's partner is human and therefore, susceptible to making mistakes. and if one truly loves that person, they should learn to forgive and to love again. I loved how that sentiment was expressed in this book; and not in a boring, preachy way either. In fact, this is one of the fastest, hottest books I've read from the M&B collection and I enjoyed every moment.
Here, the H and the h do that. They accept their faults and they make amends - proving their love for one another in their own compelling ways. People keep talking about the power of an emotional connection, truth is, the power of touch is just as compelling and can heal wounds just as completely.
so a solid five stars from me! needless to say this is going into my re-read bunch. It's a shame they don't release books like these anymore. (if anyone knows of another title like this one - please share).
This is probably one of the most aptly named books I've read. And it is all about RESPONSE. the h's to the H' and vice versa. It's possible that some people may scoff at how quickly the h - Sienna- capitulates to her love for the H- Alexis; but in my mind it made perfect sense. That is what love at first sight is, where your bond is instant and intense (and I'm lucky enough to have a first hand experience of what that is :) ). The planned revenge may have been a little OTT, but did nothing to take away from the beautiful love story between two adults who really loved, needed and indeed, craved each other.
“but it is a poor kind of love that will not allow the beloved to make any mistakes, that sets him up on a pedestal and condemns him to remain there.”
- now that's one of the dialogues that really resonated with me in this book. In a world, where people are only too willing to give up on relationships for whatever failings - minor or major-; one needs to understand that one's partner is human and therefore, susceptible to making mistakes. and if one truly loves that person, they should learn to forgive and to love again. I loved how that sentiment was expressed in this book; and not in a boring, preachy way either. In fact, this is one of the fastest, hottest books I've read from the M&B collection and I enjoyed every moment.
Here, the H and the h do that. They accept their faults and they make amends - proving their love for one another in their own compelling ways. People keep talking about the power of an emotional connection, truth is, the power of touch is just as compelling and can heal wounds just as completely.
so a solid five stars from me! needless to say this is going into my re-read bunch. It's a shame they don't release books like these anymore. (if anyone knows of another title like this one - please share).
March 8, 2017
Pretty OTT in the beginning: broody Greek tycoon revenge-deflowering trembly virign with insta-lust on both parts. The dialogue was a bit on the painful side. I didn't like Alexis for most of the book... his tactics just screamed GASLIGHTING to me, the way he twisted things to make her fall in with his reasoning and make himself look sane. Later on he was more palatable, after he owned that he was out of control. It's Penny Jordan, so the intense passion was fun to read, but I have a feeling I'll forget all about this story by tomorrow, so it we're gonna go with an it-was-just-okay.
November 27, 2020
More silly, less angsty!
June 5, 2019
Upping my rating from 2 star to 4 star based on a second read. In fact, will go as far as admitting I was quite wrong before and count this as one of PJ’s best works.
Maybe I was operating in a cranky fuck-my-life mode when I first read it, hmmm… not sure really.
It was beautifully written and Sienna is for me, one of PJ’s best vintage heroines. Her spine does dissolve while in the throes of passion but then quickly reasserts itself when Alexis (oh, I so adore his name) becomes the cruel, unreasonable yet very delicious, typical, vintage PJ dickhead Hero.
It is almost a dark romance and the revenge plan of I’ll-ruin-your-virgin-sister-since-you-ruined-mine was well executed by Alexis, aided by Sienna falling hard for him at first sight.
We don’t see his internal angst of how he hated what he was doing until the last chapters so we are on Sienna’s side and understand her angst and hatred of Alexis continually manipulating her uncontrollable response to him. PJ played on this theme throughout the book.
Alexis knows he screwed up badly but doesn’t know how to fix this and digs himself into a hole with his bad choices and dumb moves
In the end it is Sienna’s ability to control her physical response to him that sets her free. Alexis realizes his frustration at this is turning him into an almost-rapist, the very thing that made him seek vengeance against her brother and this knowledge makes him let her go.
There is no OW or OM and PJ never resorts to the pregnancy trope but kept up the OTT angst, infusing every single sex scene with their changing emotions.
The first sex scene was one of the best I've ever read as it captured everything, her anticipation, disappointment, hopefulness and devastation and contrasted with the last one which detailed his hopelessness and self-hatred at what he'd become.
I liked the little touches PJ adds here and there like Sienna’s loyalty and protectiveness of her brother and that she derived no satisfaction at witnessing first-hand Alexis’s discovery of his mistake
My only quibble with this book is Sienna’s introspection which ran a little too long in some pages and her thoughts that she was also at blame for not being honest about her love which detracted from his grovel during the HEA.
Difficult to recommend since I really disliked my initial read. But if you like PJ’s writing style, revenge tropes and don’t mind cruel vintage Heroes, you could give it a go.
Original review from 2 years ago:
Maybe I was operating in a cranky fuck-my-life mode when I first read it, hmmm… not sure really.
It was beautifully written and Sienna is for me, one of PJ’s best vintage heroines. Her spine does dissolve while in the throes of passion but then quickly reasserts itself when Alexis (oh, I so adore his name) becomes the cruel, unreasonable yet very delicious, typical, vintage PJ dickhead Hero.
It is almost a dark romance and the revenge plan of I’ll-ruin-your-virgin-sister-since-you-ruined-mine was well executed by Alexis, aided by Sienna falling hard for him at first sight.
We don’t see his internal angst of how he hated what he was doing until the last chapters so we are on Sienna’s side and understand her angst and hatred of Alexis continually manipulating her uncontrollable response to him. PJ played on this theme throughout the book.
Alexis knows he screwed up badly but doesn’t know how to fix this and digs himself into a hole with his bad choices and dumb moves
In the end it is Sienna’s ability to control her physical response to him that sets her free. Alexis realizes his frustration at this is turning him into an almost-rapist, the very thing that made him seek vengeance against her brother and this knowledge makes him let her go.
There is no OW or OM and PJ never resorts to the pregnancy trope but kept up the OTT angst, infusing every single sex scene with their changing emotions.
The first sex scene was one of the best I've ever read as it captured everything, her anticipation, disappointment, hopefulness and devastation and contrasted with the last one which detailed his hopelessness and self-hatred at what he'd become.
I liked the little touches PJ adds here and there like Sienna’s loyalty and protectiveness of her brother and that she derived no satisfaction at witnessing first-hand Alexis’s discovery of his mistake
My only quibble with this book is Sienna’s introspection which ran a little too long in some pages and her thoughts that she was also at blame for not being honest about her love which detracted from his grovel during the HEA.
Difficult to recommend since I really disliked my initial read. But if you like PJ’s writing style, revenge tropes and don’t mind cruel vintage Heroes, you could give it a go.
Original review from 2 years ago:
February 26, 2014
This book is not bad as long as you keep reminding yourself this was written back in the mid 80's and is typical of the style of that time... What I disliked more than anything was the ending and that is why I gave it a low rating, the story screamed for an epilogue but unfortunately Ms Jordan didn't write one which left me extremely disappointed to the point I feel that I wasted my time reading it!
February 28, 2022
3.5 🌟
Review to come...
Updated
February 28th/2022
Review to come...
Updated
February 28th/2022
I never posted a review 🙉🙈 What I remember is that I liked it, the trainwreck is really good, but... I think what made me gave 3 🌟 was that the grovelling scene wasn't OTT and the missing of an epilogue. Maybe... or I hope to reread any time.
December 5, 2020
I had to laugh a little at the initial characterizations of the hero and heroine: the author stuck Alexis with some cheesy dialogue, and Sienna trembled constantly (silly girl). Fortunately, these traits subsided as the story progressed. Alexis's arrogance also diminished somewhat and Sienna was forced to mature overnight.
As the title suggests, deep emotional responses played a pivotal role in driving the characters. In this case, Alexis definitely let his emotions overrule his common sense. It wasn't with logic or calm that he'd accused the wrong man, Sienna's brother, of assaulting his sister. As a result, Sienna suffered for the misunderstanding when Alexis exacted his plan for revenge.
But this is a love story, revenge and love don't mix, guaranteeing that even the best-laid plans for vengeance will fail. Alexis paid dearly for his deception, falling deeply in love with Sienna who, understandably, rejected him after discovering his deceit. Both hurt and deceive each other in their own way, with pride driving them further apart.
In spite of all this, they managed to reconcile, passionately declaring their love for each other in a satisfying and prolonged ending which was hard-won!
As the title suggests, deep emotional responses played a pivotal role in driving the characters. In this case, Alexis definitely let his emotions overrule his common sense. It wasn't with logic or calm that he'd accused the wrong man, Sienna's brother, of assaulting his sister. As a result, Sienna suffered for the misunderstanding when Alexis exacted his plan for revenge.
But this is a love story, revenge and love don't mix, guaranteeing that even the best-laid plans for vengeance will fail. Alexis paid dearly for his deception, falling deeply in love with Sienna who, understandably, rejected him after discovering his deceit. Both hurt and deceive each other in their own way, with pride driving them further apart.
In spite of all this, they managed to reconcile, passionately declaring their love for each other in a satisfying and prolonged ending which was hard-won!
January 31, 2016
Heh. Gotta love a good ol' trainwreck. Or trainwreck light in this case. Dim-bulb, uptight, 24 year old virgin gets all shakey and clinchy for a domineering, patriarchal, Greek, alphahole bent on revenge. It's a match made in...well...they're well matched. I'd write more if I had use of more than one finger.
September 29, 2013
I read this awhile back and am not sure why I didn't rate it. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great.
Bottom line, he was a "douche bag" and she was an "idiot".
Bottom line, he was a "douche bag" and she was an "idiot".
August 11, 2015
I feel like for all of the WTF-ery that happened in this book, it should have been 1 star or 5 stars, but I just don't feel the level of passion those ratings would require.
The book begins with Sienna (English - virgin) meeting Alexis (Greek - experienced) (I feel like HPs all include the nationality and/or sexual status of at least one of the main characters, so I'm just making it easy now. In present day this book would have been titled, "The Greek Stud's Krazysauce Revenge Scheme Against the English Virgin's Brother") (I may put in for a job at HP doing their titles - I feel like I couldn't do worse). The "love" on Sienna's part is insta- and it grows in the span of a page -- I'm not exaggerating that length, by the way, it's actually more like a paragraph. Seriously, it's love at first sight. Honestly, I felt like it made Sienna TSTL to fall for a guy she'd never met that quickly. Or at least to trust a man as inherently as she did. The dialogue Alexis used while seducing her is... wow... it's pretty special. I don't have the book with me, so I'll include the bit I used from a status update:
There was more, but that might have been my favorite quote. If a guy ever said that to me, I think I'd probably laugh in his face.
Anyway, Sienna lets herself get seduced in the first 50 pages because, as it turns out, Alexis is out for revenge against her brother . He seduces her, then basically says, "Ha! Psych!" and lays out his whole scheme of revenge to completely ruin her because he believes her brother was a chode. When the truth comes out and Alexis realizes what he's done to her, Sienna's all, "Ha! You're still a douche! when Alexis comes to see her and honestly, I think that on its own would have been enough fodder for a full-length novel, but nay nay! says Penny Jordan. I shall give this novel all the krazysauce! So while trying to get away from Alexis, Sienna runs out into moving traffic (because that's how 80s HP "heroines" do it) and gets herself amnesia. Somehow (and dear God, I can't image all the legal violations that must have happened here), Alexis manages to marry her while she's comatose. Let me say that again so you understand the import of the creepiness of this: Alexis gets permission to have a legally binding ceremony with a comatose woman just on the basis of his own word.
Like, for all the doctors and nurses and clergy who allowed this to happen knew, she'd gotten hurt while running from him because he was going to tie her to a chair and make her watch while he tortured kittens. He could have been a serial killer/rapist. He could have been an abusive boyfriend or a stalker. He could have been a Kardashian! But they're all, oh, yeah, sure, marrying someone who isn't legally able to give consent is definitely medically necessary.
Honestly, in a novel full of krazysauce, that's probably the one thing I couldn't get over.
Anyway, so when Sienna wakes up, she has amnesia and can't remember a thing. Well, except for how to speak, read, write, walk, and all that other stuff that no way do people forget when they have amnesia. The entire time I kept hearing Michelle Pfeiffer's voice in my head.
I-I mean, not complete amnesia. I-I-I - I remember Sister Mary Margaret puking in church and Betsy Riley saying it was morning sickness and I remember the time I forgot to wear my underpants to school and the name of the boy who noticed was Ricky Friedberg... He's dead now. But last night: complete blur. Couldn't you just die?"
Sienna has a weird feeling about this husband of hers but since she can't remember anything, everyone pats her on the head and tells her it's normal. So they just let this dude spirit her away, where he seduces her and lies to her and acts like she's the one with the deficiency because he gives her the wiggins. He continues the weird act even after Sienna remembers everything and basically is all, "Sure I married you against your will, but why aren't you making the best of it? Why you gotta be such a terrible wife?"
I feel like for all this krazysauce, I should have felt either glee at the crazy or it should have been a total hateread, but I feel like there was too much going on for that. The "love" part of the book happens within 50 pages before he dumps her, then she's the most broken-hearted person ever to be broken-hearted for a few pages, then she's got amnesia, then she's falling in love again, then she remembers stuff, then she's trying to get him to send her away, then they make up, and then the book's over. I didn't connect with Sienna at all, partially because she was so galactically stupid at the beginning of the book, and partially because things just happened way too fast for me to get emotionally invested. I was enjoying the krazysauce ride, but not enough to love or hate it. I honestly expected one or the other and would have been happy with either. Maybe if the book had been longer? Or if Sienna said things like, "You married me in a ceremony that wasn't legal, asshat. This shit's getting annulled!" instead of stomping her foot and running away or passive-aggressively trying to get him to push her away. As it was, he came off psycho and she came off weak.
Definitely wouldn't recommend unless you're looking for something krazysauce (so ridiculous, I can't even spell "crazy" right) and old fashioned, but ultimately, it was kind of a let-down.
The book begins with Sienna (English - virgin) meeting Alexis (Greek - experienced) (I feel like HPs all include the nationality and/or sexual status of at least one of the main characters, so I'm just making it easy now. In present day this book would have been titled, "The Greek Stud's Krazysauce Revenge Scheme Against the English Virgin's Brother") (I may put in for a job at HP doing their titles - I feel like I couldn't do worse). The "love" on Sienna's part is insta- and it grows in the span of a page -- I'm not exaggerating that length, by the way, it's actually more like a paragraph. Seriously, it's love at first sight. Honestly, I felt like it made Sienna TSTL to fall for a guy she'd never met that quickly. Or at least to trust a man as inherently as she did. The dialogue Alexis used while seducing her is... wow... it's pretty special. I don't have the book with me, so I'll include the bit I used from a status update:
"Together we will make the world rock and feel its hushed tremble, my little virgin. When I make love to you and my body finally possesses yours it will be as though we are immortals, gods, and not mere human beings, but as yet you know nothing of the pleasure that will be ours. No other man has shown you what I shall show you..."
There was more, but that might have been my favorite quote. If a guy ever said that to me, I think I'd probably laugh in his face.
Anyway, Sienna lets herself get seduced in the first 50 pages because, as it turns out, Alexis is out for revenge against her brother . He seduces her, then basically says, "Ha! Psych!" and lays out his whole scheme of revenge to completely ruin her because he believes her brother was a chode. When the truth comes out and Alexis realizes what he's done to her, Sienna's all, "Ha! You're still a douche! when Alexis comes to see her and honestly, I think that on its own would have been enough fodder for a full-length novel, but nay nay! says Penny Jordan. I shall give this novel all the krazysauce! So while trying to get away from Alexis, Sienna runs out into moving traffic (because that's how 80s HP "heroines" do it) and gets herself amnesia. Somehow (and dear God, I can't image all the legal violations that must have happened here), Alexis manages to marry her while she's comatose. Let me say that again so you understand the import of the creepiness of this: Alexis gets permission to have a legally binding ceremony with a comatose woman just on the basis of his own word.
Like, for all the doctors and nurses and clergy who allowed this to happen knew, she'd gotten hurt while running from him because he was going to tie her to a chair and make her watch while he tortured kittens. He could have been a serial killer/rapist. He could have been an abusive boyfriend or a stalker. He could have been a Kardashian! But they're all, oh, yeah, sure, marrying someone who isn't legally able to give consent is definitely medically necessary.
Honestly, in a novel full of krazysauce, that's probably the one thing I couldn't get over.
Anyway, so when Sienna wakes up, she has amnesia and can't remember a thing. Well, except for how to speak, read, write, walk, and all that other stuff that no way do people forget when they have amnesia. The entire time I kept hearing Michelle Pfeiffer's voice in my head.
I-I mean, not complete amnesia. I-I-I - I remember Sister Mary Margaret puking in church and Betsy Riley saying it was morning sickness and I remember the time I forgot to wear my underpants to school and the name of the boy who noticed was Ricky Friedberg... He's dead now. But last night: complete blur. Couldn't you just die?"
Sienna has a weird feeling about this husband of hers but since she can't remember anything, everyone pats her on the head and tells her it's normal. So they just let this dude spirit her away, where he seduces her and lies to her and acts like she's the one with the deficiency because he gives her the wiggins. He continues the weird act even after Sienna remembers everything and basically is all, "Sure I married you against your will, but why aren't you making the best of it? Why you gotta be such a terrible wife?"
I feel like for all this krazysauce, I should have felt either glee at the crazy or it should have been a total hateread, but I feel like there was too much going on for that. The "love" part of the book happens within 50 pages before he dumps her, then she's the most broken-hearted person ever to be broken-hearted for a few pages, then she's got amnesia, then she's falling in love again, then she remembers stuff, then she's trying to get him to send her away, then they make up, and then the book's over. I didn't connect with Sienna at all, partially because she was so galactically stupid at the beginning of the book, and partially because things just happened way too fast for me to get emotionally invested. I was enjoying the krazysauce ride, but not enough to love or hate it. I honestly expected one or the other and would have been happy with either. Maybe if the book had been longer? Or if Sienna said things like, "You married me in a ceremony that wasn't legal, asshat. This shit's getting annulled!" instead of stomping her foot and running away or passive-aggressively trying to get him to push her away. As it was, he came off psycho and she came off weak.
Definitely wouldn't recommend unless you're looking for something krazysauce (so ridiculous, I can't even spell "crazy" right) and old fashioned, but ultimately, it was kind of a let-down.
September 15, 2021
Surprisingly I really liked it. I’d say 4.5 stars to be generous to my favourite PJ. With all my friends’ lukewarm reviews I was expecting a bit of a miss but this book totally picked up.
Sienna works in an agency where she’s recruited off to other firms as a temp as a personal assistant/ typist. One fine day the H walks in and Sienna is swept off her feet literally. There’s a whirlwind romance and she’s making sweet promises and has just lost her v card to the H when he reveals his motive for this courtship.
Sienna finds out that the H was just avenging what was done to his sister by Sienna’s brother. A v-card for a v-card. Sienna is stunned but quickly picks up her spine and proudly walks away before she can come apart with her breaking heart.
There is yet another reveal and the H is shocked to know his calculations were indeed at fault. He’s out there to right the wrongs he made but Sienna makes a run from him and has an accident. Waking up the h has no memory but instead has an extremely indulgent to-die-for alpha husband.
I personally don’t enjoy amnesia books and if I’d known I wouldn’t have picked this one up. I’m glad I didn’t know because this book didn’t disappoint. Far from it rather.
The h and H are in a marriage where the H is on a guilt trip trying to fix what he’d done to a woman he fell for the moment he saw her. As for the h, she knows that her mind doesn’t agree with the lie she’s living.
I loved both the h and H. The H was alpha and willing to fight and keep the woman he loved. The h was just trying hard to get past her initial humiliation and couldn’t trust her husband for his words. But I’d say that his actions really went far ahead of them. What of the 3 words that he may not have said..
Sienna was too hard on Alexis. It was a good thing the H was a patient man or else this would be a great love lost for no fault of anyone’s. A great read that would stay with me! I wish there was an epilogue and some babies!
Sienna works in an agency where she’s recruited off to other firms as a temp as a personal assistant/ typist. One fine day the H walks in and Sienna is swept off her feet literally. There’s a whirlwind romance and she’s making sweet promises and has just lost her v card to the H when he reveals his motive for this courtship.
Sienna finds out that the H was just avenging what was done to his sister by Sienna’s brother. A v-card for a v-card. Sienna is stunned but quickly picks up her spine and proudly walks away before she can come apart with her breaking heart.
There is yet another reveal and the H is shocked to know his calculations were indeed at fault. He’s out there to right the wrongs he made but Sienna makes a run from him and has an accident. Waking up the h has no memory but instead has an extremely indulgent to-die-for alpha husband.
I personally don’t enjoy amnesia books and if I’d known I wouldn’t have picked this one up. I’m glad I didn’t know because this book didn’t disappoint. Far from it rather.
The h and H are in a marriage where the H is on a guilt trip trying to fix what he’d done to a woman he fell for the moment he saw her. As for the h, she knows that her mind doesn’t agree with the lie she’s living.
I loved both the h and H. The H was alpha and willing to fight and keep the woman he loved. The h was just trying hard to get past her initial humiliation and couldn’t trust her husband for his words. But I’d say that his actions really went far ahead of them. What of the 3 words that he may not have said..
Sienna was too hard on Alexis. It was a good thing the H was a patient man or else this would be a great love lost for no fault of anyone’s. A great read that would stay with me! I wish there was an epilogue and some babies!
June 22, 2019
I would like to thank St Margarets for bringing this one to my attention.
This was completely bonkers but I rather liked it.
A h that has no spine when it comes to the H but recognises this and applies effective splints to prop her up until he completely grovels.
I have no idea about how one goes about marrying someone in a coma though that must break so many legal and ethical laws it's untrue. The next time a celeb is in a coma I'm totally going to marry him in his best interests because clearly he wanted to and PJ says it's ok to trick people in this way 😂
This was completely bonkers but I rather liked it.
A h that has no spine when it comes to the H but recognises this and applies effective splints to prop her up until he completely grovels.
I have no idea about how one goes about marrying someone in a coma though that must break so many legal and ethical laws it's untrue. The next time a celeb is in a coma I'm totally going to marry him in his best interests because clearly he wanted to and PJ says it's ok to trick people in this way 😂
December 14, 2012
Alexis believed that Sienna's brother had brutally taken his sister's innocence. So he believed. He decided that it would be fit retribution to take Sienna's innocence too. He systematically sets out to enact his plan for revenge. Only he had no idea he would respond to Sienna the way he did and felt horrible guilt for what he did. Sienna is incredibly naïve and she needs to grow up. She had been working for her father for a while and really has NO experience in the real world with relationships and all. She literally believes that she fell in love with Alexis at first sight and she believes that he loves her too.
I have to say that I liked this story. I didn't agree with what Alexis did, but I thought his stand on why he did it was made well. Sienna seemed to respond like a real hurt female should respond. She was angry and upset and some of it was directed at herself for her response to this man. She believed they were in love (yeah this love at first sight thing). All of that transpired pretty quickly in this story. They fell in "love" really quickly before he did what he did. He wanted her to be willing and she of course was. As soon as the act was over he told her that was it! There would be no more! So she was extremely upset, but he believed he was right in what he did - an eye for an eye. He wanted her brother to know what he did too. Of course later he is set right and Sienna didn't bother to tell her brother what Alexis had done as that was part of his retribution and she wasn't about to give him that.
Alexis tries to apologize, but Sienna wants nothing to do with him. He is unable to blackmail her either - which was a nice thing too. I felt that even though Sienna is attracted to Alexis and believes that she loves him she doesn't melt for him and instead fights as best as she can. It turns out that Sienna leaves the house where Alexis has come to apologize and she ends up getting hit by a car. So what does Mr. Take Advantage of the situation do? He claims she is his fiancée and has a quick wedding performed at the hospital in order to give permission for any surgery if necessary. Her brother is currently out of the country and she has no other relatives to give consent. By doing this he then convinces Sienna that they are married and he can make up for what he did only she has no memory of it, but although she feels drawn to him something within her feels she should be repelled. In the end they both come to realize how they hurt one another both by deception and they do find their HEA. I was just so happy that the h didn't melt for the H and the H didn't blackmail the h to get what he wanted. Sure he took advantage of the situation and I didn't agree with that, but overall I think they acted like real people. . .well except for that quick falling in love thing, LOL!!!
I have to say that I liked this story. I didn't agree with what Alexis did, but I thought his stand on why he did it was made well. Sienna seemed to respond like a real hurt female should respond. She was angry and upset and some of it was directed at herself for her response to this man. She believed they were in love (yeah this love at first sight thing). All of that transpired pretty quickly in this story. They fell in "love" really quickly before he did what he did. He wanted her to be willing and she of course was. As soon as the act was over he told her that was it! There would be no more! So she was extremely upset, but he believed he was right in what he did - an eye for an eye. He wanted her brother to know what he did too. Of course later he is set right and Sienna didn't bother to tell her brother what Alexis had done as that was part of his retribution and she wasn't about to give him that.
Alexis tries to apologize, but Sienna wants nothing to do with him. He is unable to blackmail her either - which was a nice thing too. I felt that even though Sienna is attracted to Alexis and believes that she loves him she doesn't melt for him and instead fights as best as she can. It turns out that Sienna leaves the house where Alexis has come to apologize and she ends up getting hit by a car. So what does Mr. Take Advantage of the situation do? He claims she is his fiancée and has a quick wedding performed at the hospital in order to give permission for any surgery if necessary. Her brother is currently out of the country and she has no other relatives to give consent. By doing this he then convinces Sienna that they are married and he can make up for what he did only she has no memory of it, but although she feels drawn to him something within her feels she should be repelled. In the end they both come to realize how they hurt one another both by deception and they do find their HEA. I was just so happy that the h didn't melt for the H and the H didn't blackmail the h to get what he wanted. Sure he took advantage of the situation and I didn't agree with that, but overall I think they acted like real people. . .well except for that quick falling in love thing, LOL!!!
February 26, 2014
This book had all my favorite tropes: revenge, forced marriage and amnesia. It was full of angst. But I disliked both the hero and the heroine. The hero was extremely nasty. Nothing justifies his actions. Don't blame his difficult childhood for being the way he was.
At times, I wasn't sure who I disliked more, the hero or the heroine? I didn't feel the love existing between them. It was all about physical attraction right from the moment the hero laid his eyes on the heroine. Even after they got married and the heroine was suffering from amnesia, the hero didn't try to build up the relationship beyond the physical realm.
It had a lot of potential. Yet it failed to deliver. But Penny Jordan continues to remain one of my favorite authors.
At times, I wasn't sure who I disliked more, the hero or the heroine? I didn't feel the love existing between them. It was all about physical attraction right from the moment the hero laid his eyes on the heroine. Even after they got married and the heroine was suffering from amnesia, the hero didn't try to build up the relationship beyond the physical realm.
It had a lot of potential. Yet it failed to deliver. But Penny Jordan continues to remain one of my favorite authors.
December 17, 2020
Sienna is working at a temp agency in London, she'd been persuaded to come to London by her Brother Rob after the death of their father. Then into the agency walks Alexis Stefanides looking to hire a multi lingual secretary while he's in town, of course Sienna is the obvious candidate. Sienna is immediately bowled over by Alexis, but little does she realise that everything that is to come is part of a well engineered plan.
I almost gave up on this while reading the first chapter, it was obvious from the get go that Sienna who's a virgin in her twenties but going on 12 is as dumb as a bucket of rocks. Within the first few pages she's already in love with Alexis and is almost brought to tears by wishing she knew everything about him. What she doesn't know is that he's out for revenge they say revenge is a dish best served cold, but in this case the fact that it came with so much cheese was a bit OTT. After exacting his revenge Sienna grew up pretty fast. Further drama arrives when Alexis discovers he's made a mistake. There follows an accident, amnesia and a marriage. All in all I'm glad I persevered as this was highly entertaining.
I almost gave up on this while reading the first chapter, it was obvious from the get go that Sienna who's a virgin in her twenties but going on 12 is as dumb as a bucket of rocks. Within the first few pages she's already in love with Alexis and is almost brought to tears by wishing she knew everything about him. What she doesn't know is that he's out for revenge they say revenge is a dish best served cold, but in this case the fact that it came with so much cheese was a bit OTT. After exacting his revenge Sienna grew up pretty fast. Further drama arrives when Alexis discovers he's made a mistake. There follows an accident, amnesia and a marriage. All in all I'm glad I persevered as this was highly entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2017
An HP Greek tragedy!
Alexis went out of his way to meet Sienna because he believed that her brother Rob raped his sister. So, to get back at Rob be emotionally rapes Sienna; makes her fall in love with him, takes her virginity and tells her that's all her wanted from her because of the rape of his sister.
Sienna is devastated. She leaves London and returns home in the Cotswold. Alexis eventually follows her, they argue, she runs from him and ends up getting hit by a car. And then it all gets worse!
I hated Alexis! How could anyone be so damn cruel. His sister's explanation of why he behaved the way he did was no longer excuse. He deliberately set out to hurt an innocent person for a crime he believed her brother committed. And he did so without getting proof that her brother actually commuted the heinous crime.
This was a tale about vengeance gone wrong and how it came back to bite Alexis in the ass. It was awesome!!
Alexis went out of his way to meet Sienna because he believed that her brother Rob raped his sister. So, to get back at Rob be emotionally rapes Sienna; makes her fall in love with him, takes her virginity and tells her that's all her wanted from her because of the rape of his sister.
Sienna is devastated. She leaves London and returns home in the Cotswold. Alexis eventually follows her, they argue, she runs from him and ends up getting hit by a car. And then it all gets worse!
I hated Alexis! How could anyone be so damn cruel. His sister's explanation of why he behaved the way he did was no longer excuse. He deliberately set out to hurt an innocent person for a crime he believed her brother committed. And he did so without getting proof that her brother actually commuted the heinous crime.
This was a tale about vengeance gone wrong and how it came back to bite Alexis in the ass. It was awesome!!
June 7, 2015
This novel was so wacky... And then all of a sudden towards the end I fell in love with the hero!
On a completely different note: The word response and it's variation been mentioned for 75 times! I counted them although I may have missed a couple. LOL
On a completely different note: The word response and it's variation been mentioned for 75 times! I counted them although I may have missed a couple. LOL
August 20, 2017
"Response" is the story of Alexis and Sienna.
Alexis, the billionaire Greek tycoon swoops Sienna off the floor.. literally- but her happiness bubble is burst when she realizes he did it as form of revenge from her brother for his alleged wrongdoings.
As she runs away, she is hit by a car..amnesia.. marriage.. lovemaking.. no more amnesia.. angst.
This was a below average book for me. I didn't like the hero at all and found him to be narcissistic and uncaring.
He was emotionless throughout the book, and even at the end I was unconvinced by him.
Meh
Safe
2/5
Alexis, the billionaire Greek tycoon swoops Sienna off the floor.. literally- but her happiness bubble is burst when she realizes he did it as form of revenge from her brother for his alleged wrongdoings.
As she runs away, she is hit by a car..amnesia.. marriage.. lovemaking.. no more amnesia.. angst.
This was a below average book for me. I didn't like the hero at all and found him to be narcissistic and uncaring.
He was emotionless throughout the book, and even at the end I was unconvinced by him.
Meh
Safe
2/5
May 15, 2022
This may be a 3rd time for me on this one. I have never written a review. The cruelty of the hero and the angst still makes this a 4 star read for me.
This is a revenge story. (OK)
Instigated by the hero. (I see)
The hero will be taking his revenge on the h, an innocent, because of something her brother might have or might have not done.(sounds about right)
He realizes his mistake and decides he needs to make reparations. Oh, and he loves the h.(of course 🙄)
How he chooses toMangle Fix his mistake is, at times, hard to read(and at times believe)
But that is why this is a 4 star for me, because I can’t not read it.
To read this book one really has to forego reality. I just never knew what PJ was going to come up with next. It reminded me a little of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show….
This is a revenge story. (OK)
Instigated by the hero. (I see)
The hero will be taking his revenge on the h, an innocent, because of something her brother might have or might have not done.(sounds about right)
He realizes his mistake and decides he needs to make reparations. Oh, and he loves the h.(of course 🙄)
How he chooses to
But that is why this is a 4 star for me, because I can’t not read it.
To read this book one really has to forego reality. I just never knew what PJ was going to come up with next. It reminded me a little of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show….
June 17, 2013
(Spoilers contained in this review) Originally published in 1984, this book contains just about everything I love about Penny Jordan's books and the reason why she is my all time fave M&B author.
Not only is "Response" full of the stuff that escapist dreams are made of (including dashingly handsome Greek billionaires, who happen to possess their own island and are quite willing to make inventive use of the white sandy beaches at their disposal, private helicopters and men who pine away for their lost wives) but it's also full of great characters and is wittily and compellingly narrated.
The story relates how Sienna (basically a temp in an office) becomes entangled with Alexis Stefanides, a ruthless Greek businessman. Alexis employs the rather naive Sienna to work for him, but before she's even set a finger to the electric typewriter (1984 remember... not too many of those new fangled computer thingies around in offices then, although Alexis has got one - but he doesn't let Sienna use it) he's seduced her. She's so touchingly vulnerable and naive (a trait of many of Jordan's heroines) that she believes utterly that he is in love with her. However, after seducing her in a cottage in the New Forest, stripping her of her virginity, he then reveals that he's only done it because he believed her brother has raped his sister and therefore he felt compelled to strip her brother's sister of her honour (if that makes sense).
No, it didn't to me either, being as he doesn't actually rape Sienna and they both rather enjoy the experience (if the five pages of bosom-heaving and tingling nerve endings are anything to go by). Poor old Sienna is rejected after this, however, and she suddenly seems to grow up, and fast. Ironically, she becomes a much better heroine for this - suddenly she is acerbic and witty and one almost feels sorry for poor old Alexis, especially as she adopts the rather clever course of not telling her brother what has happened to her, so Alexi's "revenge" hasn't actually achieved anything at all. Perhaps with this in mind, Alexis, when he discovers that her brother hasn't actually raped his sister after all, pursues Sienna to her home in the Cotswalds, where he inadvertently causes her to get run over by a car, fracturing her skull and then, as if this wasn't bad enough, lies to hospital staff and gets them to condone their marriage whilst Sienna is in a coma. AND, if this wasn't bad enough, when it transpires that Sienna has lost her memory, he plays on this and lies to her some more. AND, if this wasn't bad enough, when Sienna does regain her memory and is furious about the whole car accident/fractured skull/enforced marriage whilst in a coma thingy, he drugs her and refuses to let her leave his island.
Yes, this is one of the most ridiculous story lines I have ever encountered from a M&B (and that's saying something) but somehow, it works. It's brilliantly funny and very, very romantic. The hero positively sizzles off the page (despite his predilection for dastardly plots against amnesia-suffering women) and the heroine remains very likeable indeed.
I loved this book - the details were fantastic - the way Alexis not only steals Sienna's life, but gets rid of all her clothes as well (well, she was wearing a lot of tweed) replacing all her stuff with silky things which barely cover her necessaries. It's brilliant. It's so funny - definitely, definitely read it!
Not only is "Response" full of the stuff that escapist dreams are made of (including dashingly handsome Greek billionaires, who happen to possess their own island and are quite willing to make inventive use of the white sandy beaches at their disposal, private helicopters and men who pine away for their lost wives) but it's also full of great characters and is wittily and compellingly narrated.
The story relates how Sienna (basically a temp in an office) becomes entangled with Alexis Stefanides, a ruthless Greek businessman. Alexis employs the rather naive Sienna to work for him, but before she's even set a finger to the electric typewriter (1984 remember... not too many of those new fangled computer thingies around in offices then, although Alexis has got one - but he doesn't let Sienna use it) he's seduced her. She's so touchingly vulnerable and naive (a trait of many of Jordan's heroines) that she believes utterly that he is in love with her. However, after seducing her in a cottage in the New Forest, stripping her of her virginity, he then reveals that he's only done it because he believed her brother has raped his sister and therefore he felt compelled to strip her brother's sister of her honour (if that makes sense).
No, it didn't to me either, being as he doesn't actually rape Sienna and they both rather enjoy the experience (if the five pages of bosom-heaving and tingling nerve endings are anything to go by). Poor old Sienna is rejected after this, however, and she suddenly seems to grow up, and fast. Ironically, she becomes a much better heroine for this - suddenly she is acerbic and witty and one almost feels sorry for poor old Alexis, especially as she adopts the rather clever course of not telling her brother what has happened to her, so Alexi's "revenge" hasn't actually achieved anything at all. Perhaps with this in mind, Alexis, when he discovers that her brother hasn't actually raped his sister after all, pursues Sienna to her home in the Cotswalds, where he inadvertently causes her to get run over by a car, fracturing her skull and then, as if this wasn't bad enough, lies to hospital staff and gets them to condone their marriage whilst Sienna is in a coma. AND, if this wasn't bad enough, when it transpires that Sienna has lost her memory, he plays on this and lies to her some more. AND, if this wasn't bad enough, when Sienna does regain her memory and is furious about the whole car accident/fractured skull/enforced marriage whilst in a coma thingy, he drugs her and refuses to let her leave his island.
Yes, this is one of the most ridiculous story lines I have ever encountered from a M&B (and that's saying something) but somehow, it works. It's brilliantly funny and very, very romantic. The hero positively sizzles off the page (despite his predilection for dastardly plots against amnesia-suffering women) and the heroine remains very likeable indeed.
I loved this book - the details were fantastic - the way Alexis not only steals Sienna's life, but gets rid of all her clothes as well (well, she was wearing a lot of tweed) replacing all her stuff with silky things which barely cover her necessaries. It's brilliant. It's so funny - definitely, definitely read it!
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