Alien Corn

by Rachel Lindsay

Fight as she might against her feelings for Rafael Rodriguez, Lorna had to admit them in the end. But the two of them were separated by barriers of nationality, language, and two completely different backgrounds. Lorna was in the position of having to accept an alien way of life for herself, or give up the man who had become so dear to her. Should she back out while there was still time, or could there be a future for them together?

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Romance

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Rachel Lindsay is the pen name of an author who also published as Roberta Leigh, Janey Scott, and Rozella Lake. See the "Roberta Leigh" entry for full biographical information.

Reviews

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very surprising book. The h falls in love with a Portuguese H and is expected to get used to living in a very conservative setting with a future mother-in-law who loathes her, an OW whose predatory and malicious behavior she is supposeed to tolerate for the rest of her life because the OW is an old friend of the family, and a society where blatant infidelity is widespread and tolerated. The likelihood of the H remaining faithful seems quite low despite the H's protestations and occasionally grudging reassurances. The h reaches her breaking point when the h has to go and retrieve her BF's husband from his mistress at a casino when the BF goes into labor and is on the verge of dying. When she gets there, she sees her husband with the OW.

After not receiving satisfactory answers from the H (he says that he was there entertaining clients and the OW just happened to be there, which I believe, but it really wasn't the point -- the H should have recognized how fed up the h was with anything that even hinted of unfaithfulness, and instead he's prickly and defensive), and more clashes with the OW and future MIL, the h returns to England and gets her life back slowly, although she's still pining for the H. After a few months*, he turns up, and here's where it gets surprising -- he has left his family in Portugal and has moved to England to be with her. He's transferred his business headquarters from Lisbon to London. They'll stay there for the forseeable future, until their love is cemented by years of happiness and nothing can come between them. (Although if I were the h I would only visit for my MIL's funeral.) I was really stunned it ended up that way -- I was sure she'd end up going back to live in an intolerable environment because she was so in love with the H that he was all that was important.

*I actually understand why he didn't get in touch with her during those months. They had talked everything to death, and he needed to prove his love through actions.

To answer the really important question, the phrase "alien corn" comes from Keats' "Ode to Nightingale" means someone who is alone in a foreign land or alien surroundings. I had to look that up.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 Stars ~ While working at a London hotel, Lorna runs into a friend she'd lost touch with. Amalia, newly pregnant, invites Lorna to come and stay with her and her husband in Portugal until the baby is born. Arriving Portugal, Lorna is taken with the beauty of the country but alarmed at the backward customs regarding married women. The Portuguese wife is expected to remain in the home, while it is perfectly acceptable for the husband to go out, and even to have affairs. Amalia is stricken when her husband follows custom. Raphael is the head of the family, and everyone, except for his mother, seems to be in awe of him. He defends his country's customs and demands that Lorna not interfere in his cousin's marriage. When he takes an interest in Lorna, she finds herself falling in love with him, and much to her surprise he tells her that he loves her too and proposes. Raphael's mother disapproves of the engagement and sets out to undermine their bond. With the help of a woman who had expected to marry Raphael, they cleverly seed her with doubts on her ability to be happy with the restrictive lifestyle she is marrying into.

This story was originally published in 1954. While it is written from the heroine's POV, we do see how frustrated Raphael becomes each time Lorna doubts the strength of their love. Lorna isn't normally a silly woman, however her tendency to waffle made me want to shake her. I was rather surprised with the end resolution which made their HEA very satisfying.

[Jeanne Hardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in a goody bag at a writers workshop. The mother of a fellow writer had boxes of these old books in her garage and she was kind enough to share them with us. I found the title a little 'corny' to say the least, but recently sat down and read it cover to cover. And speaking of the cover ... The copy I have is very different from the one shown here. On my cover the heroine is wearing a contemporary (for the time) dress and is sitting in a wicker chair holding a sketch book. The hero is nowhere in sight.
The book was originally published in 1968 and then put into Harlequin's line in 1973. I'd never read a Harlequin that old and was both curious and intrigued by the story as well as the format.
This little book kept my attention and what I discovered was a well-written story. It was set at a time when the heroine called her hero,'darling,' the hero frequently lit up a cigarette, and all the women wore dresses. Oh, how times have changed!
The other major difference in this romance novel was the extent of the passion on the page. I was caught up in the attraction between this unlikely pair. They shared a few steamy kisses and nothing more, but honestly, I wasn't at all disappointed. The plot kept my interest. What a great concept! It was so enjoyable stepping back in time. This book felt more like a historical romance to me even though it's less than fifty years old.
So glad I read it...

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This HP has so many twists and turns that it keeps you reading.

The way they speak and they think, it is as if you’re reading a 19th century book.

And the ending, what the H does for the h, is mega romantic.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vintage Harlequin can be so melodramatic and this was one of them. I had to read this one in fits and starts because the heroine, while being a smart gal, was a silly widget with her Portuguese hero.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 2 out of 5]

😳 Batshit crazy...from the WTF title to the dithering ninny of a heroine. This one was a bit of a trainwreck.

[Beebs]

That title tho

[RomLibrary]

Fight as she might against her feelings for Rafael Rodriguez, Lorna had to admit them in the end. But the two of them were separated by barriers of nationality, language, and two completely different backgrounds. Lorna was in the position of having to accept an alien way of life for herself, or give up the man who had become so dear to her. Should she back out while there was still time, or could there be a future for them together?

[PAINTED BOX]

Fight as she might against her feelings for Rafael Rodriguez, Lorna had to admit them in the end.

But the two of them were separated by barriers of nationality, language, and two completely different backgrounds. Lorna was in the position of having to accept an alien way of life for herself, or give up the man who had become so dear to her.

Should she back out while there was still time, or could there be a future for them together?