All That Glitters

by Linda Howard

A classic romance about enemies who become lovers and battle their way into each other’s hearts.

Rumors swirled around Jessica Stanton. That the young widow had only married her husband to get her hands on the older man’s fortune. That she’s as cunning as she is beautiful. But that doesn’t stop Greek billionaire Nikolas Constantinos from wanting her the moment he lays eyes on her. Despite the adversarial business deal that brought them together. Despite her scandalous past. Because as it turns out, there’s only one thing the powerful tycoon can’t his passion for the woman who may be his undoing.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin, Audiobook, Fiction, Enemies To Lovers

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1982

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.

Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.

Reviews

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only this girl (Jessica) had put out before taking marriage vows, the book wouldn't fucking exist. What can I say? I'm glad she didn't... otherwise, how else would I have met a man of my dreams nightmares? 😏

5 +++ STARS for Linda Howard's lowest-rated book. The only book by her I have liked so far. *giggles uncontrollably scrolling through scathing reviews*

"You know I can't bear for you to cry," he whispered. "If I promise not to be such a beast, will you smile for me?"

This book has me IN TEARS. Literally.

✨¿YOU WANT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?✨



Nikolas (H) before he met Jess:

- Greek
- ruthless
- powerful
- unassuming billionaire busy making his 💵💰💵💰💵💰and launching takeover bids

Additional bonuses:

- speaks English, mutters in French, curses in Greek
- will help your dog deliver puppies
- gives zero fucks

In other words, such a cliché.

Jessica (h) before she met Nikolas:

-wealthy
- young
- pariah
- golddigger in the mouths of mudslingers
- sophisticated
- strongly opinionated
- ice queen
- black widow with 💰💸 and attitude

✨What Became of Them?✨

He was a rat, and she was a rat,
And down in one hole they did dwell.
And each was as black as your Sunday hat,
And they loved one another well.

He had a tail, and she had a tail,
Both long and curling and fine.
And each said, "My love's is the finest tail
In the world, excepting mine!"

NOW LET'S SING TOGETHER, KIDS

Postmeeting Each Other Stress Disorder's (PMEOSD) long-term consequences ⬇️

Nikolas now

- trespasser
- manipulator
- stalker
- rapist
- slut-shaming champion
- full-time psychopath volunteering to tenderly wipe away the tears he has caused 🥺

Yes, baby boy, don't be shy! Shake this horrendously thin veneer of civilization off your leather boots like the stuck dirt it is and let it all out.

Jessica

- stubborn like a mule
- hysterical 24/7
- apologetic about "provoking" sexual assaults 😔
- newly married
- the devil's spawn in her belly🤰🏼



Every time Nikolas did or said something inexcusable:



Me:




✨WHAT HAD ME ROLLING ON THE FLOOR✨

— Jessica asking him about getting married when she is sprawled ready and gloriously naked on his couch

— NIKOLAS NOT BEING ABLE TO FUCKING LIE to save his life 😂😭 and telling the bitch bluntly to get real: the honor of marrying him will only be bestowed upon a snow-white pure virgin! *insert exclamation marks* That's what any STDs walking manwhore with a sliver of self-respect deserves. The only thing high-priced whores like Jessica can expect from him is a 💰 shower. What a bummer.

🙇🏼‍♀️Honest, generous king🙇🏼‍♀️ (naïve in his erroneous belief too, poor thing)

His mouth twisted savagely. "You know I can't do that. No, you've got me so twisted inside that I've got to have you; I'll never be worth a damn if I can't satisfy this ache. It's not a wedding, Jessica, it's an exorcism."

"Damn you!" he whispered raggedly, jerking her head back with cruel fingers tangled in her hair. "You have me tied in knots; I can't even sleep without dreaming about you, and you say you don't care what I do? I'll make you care."

Don't settle for anything less than exorcism, ladies. 🙏🏻


Even though nothing that took place after their marriage did make sense, I felt like that was exactly the point. 🤡


Nikolas simmered his horrendous, toxic obsession to perfection.

You know the difference between reaction and response, don't you? THIS REVIEW IS A FUCKING REACTION! I'm incapable of providing response even a few days after finishing this book. 🙇🏼‍♀️ My intellectual and emotional capacities are stretched to the limit at the moment.

👹TW👹:

— a fade-to-black rape scene
— multiple non-con scenes involving the apologizing heroine 🤡
— the intention to cheat (🤡) (Nikolas planned to sleep with his former lover behind the h's back because the heroine wouldn't put out for months and he was getting restless. That being said, his pleasure device didn't cooperate + Jessica caught him red-handed. ❤️

MEANWHILE THE ANGST WHORE IN ME: 😌🙏🏻🥰

[Izzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me feel sick. I actually cried while reading this. This isn't a romance novel, it's a book on domestic abuse.

Nikolas, the "hero" is so controlling, emotionally abusive and is just an awful, awful man. He kisses another woman (he goes to this woman with sex in mind but they were interrupted so it didn't go any further) and accused Jessica of being at fault! He says that if only she would stop playing games and sleep with him then he wouldn't have to get sex somewhere else.

Jessica physically assaults him (mostly during scenes leading up to sex where, despite Jessica tells Nikolas "no" and is so scared that she freezes or starts to cry, he still continues to touch her. When he stops, he tries to make her feel guilty by basically calling her a tease.) and is just trapped in the relationship. He tells her that if she tries to ignore him and run away, he could make her life hell since he has money and power.

Already we have: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and the use of intimidation and threats. He insults her, makes her feel like crap and doesn't even listen to what she has to say. Nikolas calls Jessica a whore a number of times through the book and yet and the end of the book, he confirms his love for her.
I'm sorry but what?? How is this love? How is this right? Nikolas treats Jessica like a gold digging whore through the entire book and yet the reader is actually supposed to believe that he loves her?

I've read Linda Howard's books and this doesn't feel like a Linda Howard book. I'm aware that Howard often casts Alpha men as her heroes but there is a difference between an alpha and being abusive.

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

This must have felt so new and fresh when it came out in 1982:

*A virgin widow with a reputation as a golddigger.
*A hero who doesn’t want to lust after her but chases her remorselessly.
*A bonding moment over a dog giving birth to puppies.
*The hero offering heroine a position as a mistress.
*Then changing it to marriage with a pre-nup.
*Then secretly changing her wedding dress to peach since he didn’t know she was a virgin.
*Then the angry,drunk wedding night that turns heroine off of sex.
*A fall on wet rocks and a concussion.
*Hiding in the back of the hero’s helicopter to get off of his private island so she can have time to think.
*Heroine fainting because she’s pregnant.
*Hero’s mother helping the heroine understand her boy.

Just think of how many of those elements have been in HPs over the years. And they’re all here. But a collection of tropes doesn’t make a story, unfortunately. The H/h characterization was lacking. So while I enjoyed the drama, I didn’t care about them.

[Kiki · Rating 1 out of 5]

- he basically rapes the heroine not once but twice, to a point where once heroine goes and almost drowns herself and second time the family doctor all but castrates him!
- he NEVER ever apologised for the peach dress. He was proud as hell he scored himself a secret virgin and could see why she may have been entitled to a white dress. However he NEVER ACTUALLY apologises or makes up for that debacle.
- he doesn't really make up for ANY debacles, his knee jerk reaction to holding the lifeless body of the love of his life is "if she ever gets better ill bully her so bad and threaten her with more violent rape shed wish she was ACTUALLY dead" so basically he learnt nothing.
- let me stretch the point again, because he whines and cries SO much about "trying his damnest to make up for raping her twice", ummm, except for practicing celibacy which was brought on by direct threat of I'm assuming castration by the doctor and his mother, he did NOTHING! Rather the author felt heroine needed to grovel! the fuck?????
Let me make it clear. There wasn't inadequate grovelling, there was ZERO grovelling!
- mothers, STOP telling DILs that your sons love them. You don't know shit! Because you have failed epically in parenting. So STFU and sit down! You have raised a fucking blackmailer and rapist. Your point is like giving Brock turner character letter, which is fucking invalid! Do NOT enable his debauchery!

[Chantal ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 MORE GROVELLING NEEDED STARS

I read this book long ago and I forgot to review this book after.
However, this is one book that stayed with me.
In that, the hero was one messed up son of a (well his mother is actually not that bad) so he is just a bastard by nature not by definition.
The poor put upon heroine is a little stupid-sweet but she does see that he is trying to use her and she runs from him.
Now here is my major problem with this book, the hero sense of entitlement, that his marriage license give him a right to use and abuse the heroine.
I can't stress enough my relief as the author skipped over those raw/baser moments. For me, this read more like a rape and not really dubious consent.
I can't even find a good reason for his behaviour and her pushing him away sounds just about right!
In fact, I found it very extremely healthy when she shuts down completely after their sex session when he finds her again.
I am normally all for the baby and a sweet epilogue, but I was hoping for way more of a grovel and some more assertive behaviour from the heroine. I guess, that's not very realistic given the year it was written.
Oh well, once was enough for me.
Not reading this again and I would suggest those with triggers to stay away as well.

[KatieV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to rate this one. I suppose I'll go with a 3.5. There are parts that make me want to scream, but I couldn't stay away.

This is a Silhouette Romance from 1982, but for all intents and purposes it is a vintage Harlequin Presents.

The h is an American, but she is living in England. The hero is an ultra arrogant Greek Tycoon. The h was also an orphan, raised in poverty, with the reputation of being a opportunistic whore who sleeps with anyone. Actually, she's a virgin with lots of relationship fears/insecurities due to her background. Very HP, as I said.

Jessica meets a rich English man old enough to be her grandfather (she was 18). I think he's lonely, his wife is dead, and he has no kids. She's definitely lonely and has never had a family. It's a totally platonic relationship where the h is like is daughter/granddaughter. He only marries her because he knows that's the easiest way to ensure she gets his $ and is taken care of when he dies a couple of years later.

When the book begins Jessica is a 22-23 year-old widow, living quietly in the English countryside, trying to use the wealth she acquired in a way she believes her husband would be proud of. She votes some stock in a way that opposes the wishes of another powerful stockholder, Nikolas Constantino. No one ever does that!

The two meet and he tries to buy her stock... and his way into her bed. He says lots of horribly insulting things to our poor little orphaned virgin. Plus lots of punishing kisses and crushing grips. The hero is a cruel ass. The usual vintage HP stuff.

The heroine and what happens in the relationship is a bit hard to understand at times. For one thing the heroine is terrified of sex. Not just the usual virgin nerves, she's TERRIFIED. The hero even believes she's had a traumatic experience. However, supposedly she never did. So, her fear was a bit OTT, IMHO.

Also the first time between the two is very much fade to black, so we are left to draw our own conclusions about 'how bad it was'. That's a major plot point, so won't say much more. Just be aware that there are consent issues going on if you are sensitive to the subject. I enjoy the old school stuff, but was squicked when he fondled her breast in the hospital. Really?

Still the h was a bit overwrought by my standards. I think I'd have enjoyed it more if LH had dialed Jessica back a bit. She wasn't unlikeable, but she's such a wreck that she even ponders if she's going into a 'Victorian decline' at one point. I giggled and I think the heroine was even somewhat bitterly amused at herself.

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooh this is soooooo 1982 in all the best ways

✅ sweet submissive h

✅ rich, cold, mean, dominant, possessive, pushy asshat H

✅ Manhandling galore

✅ Misunderstandings

✅ Angsty

✅ Forced Seduction

✅ OW drama

✅ surprise virgin

✅ dramatic hospital visit

✅ runaway wife


This was highly entertaining. This hero would not fly nowadays, but boy was he fun for me to read. Most of the reviews clutch their pearls over him, but I loved his forceful bulldozery asshole behavior. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I loved the h too, but her rejections of him got a little tedious toward the end.

There are smexxy times, but they are vague and short. Not as descriptive as future Linda Howard books. The sexy in this book is all the smoldering angry tension and fighting and attempts at forced seduction.

Bottom Line? This gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for all the trashy soapy delicious entertainment. I think I found my all time favorite trope. The Virgin Widow. 😍😍😍😍




⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️

- cheating? Eh. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The H kisses OW at a party - before the h and H are intimate, but the H is aggressively pursuing the h… he says he wanted to get the h out of his system since she kept rejecting him, but found that his peen wasn’t interested in the OW, he only wants the h 😬😐 Pretty standard in an old school romance.

- no sharing

- OW drama, see first spoiler - nothing too outrageous, just a couple scenes.

- lots of dubcon and manhandling

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This H is the biggest asshat - domineering, abusive, insensitive, unscrupulous and a total control freak. He tries to railroad the h into his bed right from the word go. But nothing prepares you (and him) for this supposedly sweet h who takes 'it's a lady's prerogative to say no anytime' to just another level! And sorry girls but ultimately he had all my sympathies, with the way the mixed-up h keeps crying off at the crucial juncture-at least a dozen times! After a few times, I was cringing and waiting for that cruel cruel brush off, served with tears and fears ... and felt like howling to the moon on his behalf.
So round and round, on and on we go with this... even a ring doesn't get him much anywhere. And no, there is no sexual trauma in the past - at least if we can discount a sex-less marriage as one.
Lolz...poor sod, he should have saved himself some frustration and stuck with the willing ow.

If I didn't know, I wouldn't recognize it as a Linda Howard at all. One of her very early works, I know.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All That Glitters" is the story of Jessica and Nikolas.

If I could described this book in one word, it would be "volatile".

It certainly would not be for everyone- with it's insanely angry and jealousy hero and weepy heroine. But it had very good level of angst, hence I persevered.

The book has our hero, Greek billionaire playboy Nikolas Constantinos intended to trying to conclude a business deal with Jessica Stanton, a.k.a. The Black Widow by making her give up shares in her late husband's company. From their first meeting, sparks fly and they soon enter a game of chase in which the heroine becomes the hero's prey. He is obsessed with bedding her, and the book has multiple scenes of him pushing her beyond her comfort zone- be it by forcing his kisses, wills or decisions on her. The heroine fights him until she can, and soon her vulnerable heart gives into his manipulations. She surrenders to his wishes, only to be repeatedly accused of being a gold digger, and getting trapped in a relationship that might someday leave her lonelier and broken. The heartbreak in this book is immense- you get teary eyed from the first chapter, with the heroine's vulnerability, and the hero exploits it thoroughly throughout the book. I felt really sad for her, and don't even blame her for giving in as the hero repeatedly refused to accept her denials. The WHOLE book is a cat and mouse game between a reluctant heroine and an overbearing hero.

That being said, the hero was an absolute cad. We have alpha, possessive heroes, and then we have asshole tomcats, who don't respect consent, plan on sleeping with OW while simultaneously trying to seduce the heroine, vow to marry another respectable woman because whatever the heroine does- his opinions do not change and who has no control on his anger. Furthermore, his threats to abandon the heroine did not add anything to his growing list of vileness. I think he was mean to the heroine for no reason, and projected his own insecurities at her. He even changed her wedding dress's color! A control freak who thought of the heroine as his own possessive toy, definitely one of the worst heroes I've ever read.

The heroine was an orphan, married to a caring man first and a brute the second time. She desperately seeked love and validation, hence took all the crap the hero repeatedly put her through, while simultaneously crying up a river and playing yes-no-yes at every turn. I don't think she ever got time to mature, and her ability to wallow in self pity was commendable.

If it wasn't for Linda's wonderful writing and the buckets of tears this book made me cry- this would be rated lower thanks to the douche of a hero. But I'm a angst hoe, and this had tonnes of it, and I LOVED IT!

SWE
4/5

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you blind?" he demanded roughly. "All of Europe knew I took one look at you and went mad. Do you think I'm such a slave to lust that I'd have pursued you so single-mindedly if I'd only wanted you for sex?
Yes but that is what I want when I read a book : cruel hero with ego of a God but besotted with heroine that he tortured her because of it. (deranged)

[Siany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eugh what a good awful book!

For someone who usually loves Linda Howard, this was a major disappointment!

The 2 main characters of Nikolas and Jessica were absolutely awful !!
Nothing to endear them to me at all.

Both was annoying, jumping to conclusions...believing everything the Press write...I mean really?

He was an obnoxious, control freak who wouldnt take no for an answer. She panicked at every touch and kiss and went further EUGH! Yet supposedly she was in love with him. Was madness!

I think I will stick with LH's romantic suspense stories in the future as this was just EUGH!

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still an emotional read and I still hate the hero. He was so abusive emotionally I was repulsed by him. The intimate scenes were awful and thank goodness they were fade to black. The heroine annoyed me at times too but he was probably one of the worst heroes or should I say non-hero ever! It still made me cry alot. Especially when he basically raped her on their wedding night and changing the dress to peach. That was the ultimate insult. He was just crazy I have no idea why I read it again but I am putting myself in time out for it. Bad Debbie is heading to the corner. No more so called romances for a while. They hurt my heart.

[Shaikha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

“Scenes between herself and Nikolas could quickly become violent and always ended in the same manner, with him making love to her.”

This pretty much sums up Jesicca’s and Niko’s relationship, although the word ’trying’ was unceremoniously omitted in the last line, I was smart enough to infer the verb. It should have been ’… with him trying to make love to her.’ Because, boy, did he try!



As my Queen 👸🏻 Irunía said, this book would NOT exist if Jessica had put out before her marriage. All her BS about being scared of sleeping with Niko and YET doing absolutely 😃N A D A😃 to refute Nikolas’s claims of her being a whore and a scheming seductress and letting him think that her being terrified of sleeping with him was due to some bad past experiences with men and NOT because she was a virgin!?!?!??

And why, oh why, WHEN Nikolas rightfully tried—rightfully being the keyword— to seduce her into his bed did she just 👇🏻



And



After reading all the 1 star reviews and seeing everyone, not in so many words, calling Niko a brute and a rapist I’m convinced that I’m a little ⚡️open-minded⚡️than those people because if anything Niko was the innocent party in the whole I-want-to-bang-Jessica-and-I-would-do-that-at-any-cost fiasco.

Have you ever read about a heroine that would bully the hero into marrying her so she could give him the unrivaled gift of her chastity?

And have you read about a hero that would marry a heroine that he believed was nothing more than a teasing whore just because he wanted her body so badly that only SHE could slake his insatiable thirst for sex?

If any of the aforementioned things excite you, look no further, this is the book for you. 🙂👹

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one - I love Linda Howard and I love lots of angst and there was loads of that so it should have ticked all my boxes and been an excellent read right?...sadly, no!!

I really didn’t like the hero, he was a bully and the heroine left a lot to be desired too as she was just a stupid puppet!... I mean if a man that you only just met starts ordering you around and physically forcing you then you don’t accept it you either sort him out or get help from another source. At times he came across as borderline wife beater, he continually called her a whore and was then pressurising her to have sex despite the fact she was obviously very frightened. Their wedding night wasn’t too pleasant either - he was beyond control, had a load of booze and didn’t know she was a virgin, so needless to say her initiation to sex really wasn’t very pleasant at all!

Even after taking into account that this was originally written and published by Harlequin in the mid 80’s, I still struggled and often sat there cringing. I have given it an extra star purely for the fact that it was written by LH and it was an angst fest.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I've never considered making you my wife. I wouldn't insult my mother by taking a woman like you home to be introduced to her."

"Mother, do you remember the gold-digger who took Robert Stanton for all he was worth and ruined the last years of his life? I've just married her.' Were you really such a fool as to think that, Jessica?"

"..you should consider that you could gain even more by being my mistress than you did by marrying Robert Stanton. I'm prepared to pay well."

And this is the hero of this tale, Nikolas. A Greek billionaire who fell in lust with a young widow, Jessica, and because she couldn't give herself to him, he belittled her, humiliated her, and spoke in such a condescending and derogatory way with her out of (frustration and supposed love for her).

I think this story would have been perfect if the hero had a past animosity with her, for example if she was his enemy or grave reasons to make him force her and belittle her, instead of claiming he did all that out of love. It just didn't make sense to me in the end. I wish there were even groveling in the story, but his ego wouldn't allow it. The only one constantly apologizing was the heroine, and the things she said, were far less hurtful than the words he speared towards her with so much venom. Her saving shield was her virginity, there would be no story if she had given herself to him from the beginning.

"I suggest a quiet, quick divorce—" "No!" he gritted murderously. "You're my wife, and you'll stay my wife. I'm a possessive man, and I don't let my possessions go. You're mine, Jessica, in fact as well as in name, and you'll stay on the island even if I have to make you a prisoner."Don't make me lose my temper," he warned. "I might hurt you, Jessica. I'm aching with the need to possess you"

"when it comes to leaving me—we'll see. You're in my blood, and I'm in yours, and my marriage to Elena won't diminish the need I have to sate myself with your soft body, my dear"

Rating 2 virgin stars 🌟

[Yesmina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can forgive my grandma for any "backward thinking" like I can excuse Linda Howard for the most problematic novel I've ever read by her. And I liked it in a very twisted good way!

Jessica is an American orphan rescued by a wealthy kind English gentleman. He married her and taught her class and how to handle his wealth after his death.
He was 76 when he died while she was mere 23. Needless to say, she was shunned by society, regarded as a gold-digger and she dealt with a lot of false disgusting rumors tainting her name.

Nikolas, a wealthy Greek businessman knew about her "reputation" and he encountered her after her husband's death in a business meeting. He was instantly attracted to her and he wanted to be just another man who tasted what's like to have Jessica in bed. And he was honest about his intentions too.

Jessica the Virgin, fought him every step of the way. However never in her young life had she experienced romantic male attention. She liked how Niko perused her, kissed her, and was possessive of her.
Although she decided to never give him her body, Niko simply thought she had bad previous sexual experiences. He would promise and assure that he's going to be a gentle lover, but she would only tease him and then begin sobbing repeating the word "NO".

After a lot of mutual frustration, Jessica sees Niko kissing a former lover on a party. She breaks down in hysterics blaming him. Niko tells her that he though of using that former lover as a release since Jessica denied him over and over. However he couldn't get past a kiss because he only wanted Jessica.

That's when Jessica confesses she loves him. And they go to his penthouse to have sex for the first time. In Jessica's mind she'll sleep with him and he'll discover she's a virgin. That's when he'll marry her.
Marriage and kids have always been an end goal for her and while Niko was commencing the foreplay she said "Being your wife is going to be heaven."

Suddenly, Niko stilled and backed off. He told her not to delude herself with marriage because a woman of her "past" and "morals" is not suited to be his future wife nor to be acquainted to his mother.

Dejected, Jessica refused to be his mistress even though Niko made a good offer. She hid from him for 3 weeks I guess. She became sickeningly thin and she was still desperately in love with him.
Then she changed her mind. She would be his mistress in order to purge him out of her heart.

Niko was euphoric about it. He promised her a wonderful relationship that will last even after he gets married to a "proper" girl. However when they were about to have sex, Jessica panicked. She was really a scared virgin.
Astonished and perplexed Niko did not know what to do but to tell her "You won't sleep with any man but your husband. So be it. We'll get married".

But he was so furious with her and treated her coldly and harshly before the wedding. He enforced a cruel prenup stating for example she won't have any custody over kids.

His biggest mistake: is denying Jessica from wearing a white dress, because he made fun of her "unvirgin status". That's why Jessica broke down on their wedding night and told Niko that she'll never forgive him.
Niko was drunk due to all the celebrations prior to the wedding night and when he finally had sex with Jessica he had no regards for softness or for her panicked state.

Our scared virgin was now scarred for life. The virginity she saw as a key to her happiness was now discarded for a man who only took what he wanted and then went to sleep.

That's why Jessica fell from a cliff on her wedding night. The drama did not stop here y'all. Suddenly Jessica did not want to fight anymore for her marriage. She sparred with Niko and tried to run away and get divorce multiple times. That part tired me and I skipped a bit to know that Jessica ended up pregnant on her wedding night.

And of course: the couple made up! YaY! Happy ending, everyone.

[Anita · Rating 1 out of 5]

WOW!! This book is bad, really, really bad and not in a good way. My Friends in the Linda Howard Book Junkies told me it was bad, but I figured if Linda Howard wrote it how bad can it be? Not to Self: Trust your friends. We have an alphole hero and a totally clueless heroine who spouts tears like a fountain. I mean the girl must be seriously dehydrated. I need to reread Mr. Perfect in order to wash the memory of this book from my mind. BAD

[Melanie♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read. I originally rated this one three stars. After reading two horrible "new school" HPs, I could easily give this one an extra star.

[Raffaella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m usually a fan of ms Howard, I like her books and her heroes who are usually sob but eventually they change and reform themselves.
Here’s not the case.
And it’s also very very messy.
The hero should be a Greek proud billionaire, very chauvinist and possessive and very double standard minded.
But he results a psycho stalker who wants only to f**k the heroine.
And I apologize for my dirty talking, but that’s how it seems.
- the heroine is a 23 virgin widow of a rich elderly man and of course everyone thinks she’s a gold digger.
- no, she’s not. She was an orphan and her husband wanted to adopt her, but then decided it was easier if they marry.
-the hero becomes obsessed by her immediately. He pursues her ruthlessly, it should be romantic but it’s only creepy because she keeps refusing him, and not only because she plays hard, she really doesn’t want to have sex with him because she’s scared of intimacy since she has no experience.
And the hero keeps sniffing around her to have sex with her.
He spends weeks, months, trying and she is always reluctant.
But why??? What’s in his mind? Is he in love?
He should be, but instead, when she eventually gives up and she’s having sex with him, he tells her bluntly he would never marry a woman like her, because he has a betrothed, a virgin Greek girl who will marry him and have his children, while she the heroine, will only be his mistress because she’s not good enough.
He also makes her sign a contract where she won’t ask any more than what he would give.
Basically he treats her like a paid w***e.
So the possessive obsessed hero becomes only a spoilt child who wants a new toy.
Luckily the heroine leaves him after this, but sadly she has second thoughts and comes back to him and accepts the mistress role, only to draw back when she’s in his bedroom and he expect to have sex with her.
At this point I began to feel sorry for the chap, because she kept him like that for months with this no/yes/no/yes story. She was really unpleasant.
I don’t know why he waited for so long, since she was really a cold fish.
Oh, then they get married but he’s angry and their wedding night he’s drunk and so big bad man is only able to hurt her.
And now I really felt sorry for him, making a fool of himself after all those months of wanting and waiting.
A real failure even in the bedroom.
Then there are other drama moments that I didn’t care for, and eventually she apologizes.
For what?
For refusing him sex?
And him?
He never apologizes. Nor for gaslighting her, not for slut-shaming her, not for misjudging her or almost cheating on her and always treating like an object without a will.
I don’t know who I hated most, him with his stupid prejudiced ways or her with her passive aggressive ways and her inability to stand for herself.
And the story, too long and full of inconsistencies.
If you noticed I used very often the should be mode because i felt like the author was trying to give us another type of h/H and failed.
I didn’t like it.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the angsty oldschoolness but if you're offended by asshat heroes and doormat heroines you'd probably only give it a one. She was absolutely the most frightened wimpy virgin I have ever read about. She practically fainted if he touched the side of her breast. She went into hysterics if he asked to make love to her. He on the other hand, other than reluctantly accepting a no sexually, never paid the slightest attention to what she wanted. I wanted to hit him over the head with a skillet. This book however, is a product of its time, If you're not willing to accept that then just don't read category romance books from the 70s and 80s.

[TinaNoir · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, so this book.....





It got increasingly WTF am I reading here? As I went on.

[Sapheron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5 really. It seems very different from any other LH book I've read (much more Presents like), and while it did give me heart-burn, in a good way, I still can't quite get past how ARROGANT - with a capital ANT (I don't know what that means) - Niko is. He pursues her like a stalker would and then proceeds to sexually molest her, even when she is verbally saying no - but what to do, the girl's body (whorish as it looks with her begging breasts and her many blushes) so obviously wants it.

Little miss did say no... even when we were more than 3/4ths of the way home, she repeatedly told him he had the wrong impression of her, and she did make a half-assed attempt to leave. But I honestly think, while still rooting for them, that a restraining order/some head doctor type help for our greek/texan/caveman hero might have been called for. A 4... it did make my heart burn after all, and if it gets an emotional response these days then, why bite the hand?

[Alexis-Morgan Roark · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hero was too mean and the heroine (ha!) was a bona fide doormat. Welcome to '80s "female literature." I couldn't get passed the sexism, and I just kept wishing for it to end.

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this really Linda Howard? Idiotic characters, a really frustrating read.....!!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

LD is a good author but this book was filled with one-dimensional characters! Not her best work!

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this was simply horrible 😂😂😂😂😂😂 I guess it's a product of it's time, but still 🤦

[DamsonDreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'm sorry, darling. I wanted to ease myself with her, to relieve the tension that you arouse and won't satisfy, and instead I found that she leaves me cold."
I'm sorry what?!

Up to this point (about 150 pages into 350 - why is this so long??) I was shrugging off all the manhandling and uber-alphaing on account of the vintage but that was a hard no from me. I like a virginal h and a dommy H but when my h's come across the H and evil OW snogging in the garden and he flat out admits it (rather than the usual - but frankly also sus -"she was kissing me" or other misapprehension) with an extra side order of blame then I am afraid he's lost his Heroness badge.

It then got worse. He openly says she's not fit to marry and is a gold digger (despite the weeks of charm and forced seduction) when she is naked on his bed and about to succumb. When she flees for several weeks, he doesn't come after her so she goes back to him (honestly this is such a retelling of the classic abusive and controlling relationship). And when he does grudgingly propose and dictates a prenup in her presence which includes "She's not to leave the island without my personal escort, or with my permission and a substitute escort that I have chosen. She will also turn over the handling of all her income from her first husband to me." What does she think?: 'Her business affairs would be in marvelously competent hands with Nikolas, and she had no fears of him cheating her.' 😱😱😱😱

Later, after treating her like dirt and reducing her to tears: 'You know I can't bear for you to cry...if I promise not to be such a beast will you smile for me.' Ah yes. The classic blowing hot and cold. I mean, come ON. It's not even subtle. Her response: it wasn't in her to deny him anything when he was being so sweet, even if he had been as cold as ice only a moment before.' 😱😱 It's clearly narcissistic psycho meets his ideal mark territory. That poor girl.

There are psychologists (and mothers, sisters, girlfriends - of which Jessica has none) the length and breadth of the land jumping up and down screaming. Run, girl, run! I feel like I need therapy just from reading this relationship,never mind living it.

Five stars as a case study in the development of an abusive and controlling relationship. One star as a romance - for the first few chapters of passionate obsession (but that's how they creep in under your radar, isn't it?).Three stars for the writing as this was a new to me author. I'll give her another chance (which is more than I would give him).

[♡︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 absolutely disgusting toxic stars! Their relationship was so toxic lmao I just could not put the book down.
ALSO, this book should have been titled "All That Quivers" because if I decided to start a drinking game from the amount of times the word "quiver" was used in the book I would blackout every time I played the game. ARE THERE NO SYNONYMS FOR QUIVER? ARE THERE NOT??!! ARE THERE NOT???!!! I was ready to pull my hair out of my head and had my breath held hoping, just hoping - in fact I was quivering myself- that the author would choose a different word other than "quiver" every time she wanted to state that a character quivered, before the book ended. But alas, it never happened.

I was gonna give this book 3 stars but decided to give it 4 instead because it was so intense and toxic I know I will not be forgetting about it anytime soon.

[Thenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Old school romance, with domineering hero, doormat heroine, a few misunderstandings and a timely accident that makes their feelings clear.

Linda Howard's first book and not a good sample of her writing, which thankfully improves a lot.

[wolfiebella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was throughly entertained