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He offered her marriage--but only in name
Inheriting a small cottage near London had allowed Claire Richards to achieve independence for herself and her young daughter, Lucy. So when Jay Fraser accused her of encouraging Lucy's friendship with his own motherless daughter just to trap him into marriage, she was outraged.
But then her cottage was damaged during a storm and Claire had to accept Jay's offer of shelter. She was surprised to find him a considerate, perceptive man, gentle and affectionate with the children. And when he proposed a loveless marriage of convenience, she agreed for her daughter's sake.
Too late Claire discovered that she wanted' Jay to be more than just a father for Lucy....
Inheriting a small cottage near London had allowed Claire Richards to achieve independence for herself and her young daughter, Lucy. So when Jay Fraser accused her of encouraging Lucy's friendship with his own motherless daughter just to trap him into marriage, she was outraged.
But then her cottage was damaged during a storm and Claire had to accept Jay's offer of shelter. She was surprised to find him a considerate, perceptive man, gentle and affectionate with the children. And when he proposed a loveless marriage of convenience, she agreed for her daughter's sake.
Too late Claire discovered that she wanted' Jay to be more than just a father for Lucy....
187 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1986
53 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,125 books666 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 3, 2016
What a sweet and lovely romance! Basically it's about a couple (Claire and Jay) who aren't interested in marriage but end up marrying mostly for the sake of their children, and end up falling for each other!
Another wonderful and heartwarming read by Penny Jordan! It was nice to see everyone get their "happy ever afters".
Another wonderful and heartwarming read by Penny Jordan! It was nice to see everyone get their "happy ever afters".
August 29, 2025
Such a nice story! I do love a child-in-peril story and this one starts out this way, with the hero's daughter being neglected by the housekeeper and the heroine and her daughter taking her in and making her life a little easier.
The hero is suspicious of the heroine's good intentions. He's had too many women trying to get to him through his daughter. After his ex cheated on him and left her daughter, he has trust issues. The heroine also has her scars. She was raped at 18 by a stranger and the result was her daughter and a lot of hang-ups about sex.
A helpful storm drives a tree through the heroine's thatched roof, so she stays with the hero who offers a MOC. The little girls are ecstatic and have a lovely Christmas. Then the whole family is off to Dallas in January for the hero's business. The H/h have to share a bed and after a few misunderstandings they sort out the hero's change of heart about falling in love and the heroine's change of heart about sex.
It's simplistic, but somehow PJ keeps this out of mindless fluff territory. A big part of my enjoyment were the clothing and house design descriptions - I went straight back to the 1980s. This is the second PJ story that has scenes from Dallas. I wonder how much her accountant let her write off of that trip. :)
This is a good one if you're in the mood for a nice story with a H/h who truly love their kids and find great happiness with each other.
The hero is suspicious of the heroine's good intentions. He's had too many women trying to get to him through his daughter. After his ex cheated on him and left her daughter, he has trust issues. The heroine also has her scars. She was raped at 18 by a stranger and the result was her daughter and a lot of hang-ups about sex.
A helpful storm drives a tree through the heroine's thatched roof, so she stays with the hero who offers a MOC. The little girls are ecstatic and have a lovely Christmas. Then the whole family is off to Dallas in January for the hero's business. The H/h have to share a bed and after a few misunderstandings they sort out the hero's change of heart about falling in love and the heroine's change of heart about sex.
It's simplistic, but somehow PJ keeps this out of mindless fluff territory. A big part of my enjoyment were the clothing and house design descriptions - I went straight back to the 1980s. This is the second PJ story that has scenes from Dallas. I wonder how much her accountant let her write off of that trip. :)
This is a good one if you're in the mood for a nice story with a H/h who truly love their kids and find great happiness with each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2016
Re Loving - PJ is up again with a very sweet and nice story about a traumatized h and almost as traumatized H who both have small daughters. They connect when the two little girls become BFF's and through acts of Divine PJ intervention we get a pretty decent romance.
The h is 24 and a single mum. Sadly her elderly parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was 18, and being a nice PJ h, she did not sue and get proper compensation, nor were her parents properly insured against unfortunate incidents. So no uni for our h as the house had to be sold to meet the parent's small debts and the h did not have much left after that. To make matters worse, our nice h was attacked, hit on the head and raped about six months after her parents deaths. She never saw her attacker, he dumped her in his car and then pushed her out and took off. She found out she was pregnant a few months later and decided to keep the baby, but she had few skills and no way to support herself. She is also very wary around men and has a LOT of issues with trust.
She was pushed to adopt her baby out, but she does have the excellent mum skills and old fashioned housekeeping skills of cooking, canning and decorating, so she got a council flat and a little subsistence allowance and kept her baby and loves her a lot. Her daughter is a very nice, very outgoing and friendly child and since the h recently inherited a lovely little cottage in the Cotswolds near Bath from a great aunt the h never met, she and the h are finally having a bit of space and lovely views to look at. The h's daughter Lucy is six and blooming in the country air and making little friends all over the place.
Lucy's very bestest friend is named Heather and she lives in a big Tudor house with little mullioned windows with a very mean Mrs. Danvers Reject who hates kids and her dad. Her mother ran off with her dad's business partner and kicked Heather to the curb in the process. Except Heather's dad has to travel a lot, his company does mastercraftsman reproductions of Adam's Style mouldings and Tudor panelings with some additional neoclassic designs. Since the partner that ran off with his wife was the salesman too, the H has to go to America a lot, in particular he visits Texas, cause those crazy cowboys are wild about the classic English look and want those mouldings Texas Sized. (Which means very, very BIG, if you don't believe me just google Texas Very Big Hair and know that Aquanet hairspray is still a big seller there.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-cultu...
- I provide a link to a valuable tutorial.)
Needless to say, after the wife running off with the business partner experience, plus the fact that she was a certified witch who wanted to terminate his daughter at conception and married the H under duress, the H isn't too down with the ladies for anything more than an occasional ride on the tower of power. He has a lot of trust issues too, and it doesn't help that all those Texas Ladies and all the Local Village Ladies are determined to find him a Mrs. Tudor Interior, cause everyone knows a dad just can't provide proper care for a little girl.
The h is a Good Mum, so she takes her daughter everyday to walk her to and from school and when the story opens, Lucy has dragged Heather along to come home with them for tea. It seems the Mrs. Danvers reject doesn't do soppy eggs and soldiers and that just isn't fair that Lucy gets to have them and Heather doesn't. The h is a bit unsure of just taking someone else's child home with them, but as Heather explains, her mom hates her and ran off and her dad is out of town and the MDR doesn't like her anyways and she is Lucy's VBFF and so could she please come have soppy eggs and soldiers. The h, who has a very soft heart, is so distressed by this sad little tale of woe and no toast strips, that she goes right up to Heather's house and gets the MDR to let Heather come to tea.
So things are going swimmingly and toast strips are being consumed by the hundreds and all is well for the little girls, they even go to wash up and brush their teeth when the h tells them too, cause she is a Good Mom. The h has a niggling worry about her cottage's roof, apparently it needs to be reshingled and it has to be in a listed building approved shingling, but the h has no job, no skillz and no more government allowance. Still everybody but Heather, who is a bit shy and withdrawn, is happy and loved and the h can worry about the roof later. Teeth brushing is preeminent at the moment, with washed shinning faces please.
Then the H shows up and he doesn't look to thrilled to see a cute red-headed single lady hugging his kid. In fact, the H is downright Mr. Crankypants with Earie Faces and he makes no bones about not being on the market for a second Mrs. Tudor Interior. Well, the h doesn't have all that red hair for nothing. She tells him off right proper and tells him that his MDR is horrible around Heather and that he should be looking into that. The H huffs off with Heather and the h wonders if the budding BFFdom is in jeopardy for little Lucy. The h doesn't see the H again for a bit, but she does walk both Lucy and Heather to school every day, cause evil doers lurk everywhere and no little six year old should be walking to school alone.
Then one day Heather doesn't show up for school, Lucy looks a bit guilty and there are several cookies missing from the cookie tin. The H shows up with the police in a panic and it appears that little Heather has run away. The h is very concerned but her tender heart goes out to the H, he is absolutely frantic and he was hoping the h knew where Heather was. She doesn't, but Lucy does and soon little Heather is restored to the safety of the h's cottage.
It turns out that the MDR told little Heather that she was going to have to go to home after the MDR locked her in her room for not coming home right after school, cause her parents do not want her. Heather is hysterical and very insistent that she is going to live with the h and Lucy. The H is now into the post traumatic parental heart attack shock mode and after throwing up, he asks the h if Heather can stay with her and Lucy while he travels. Heather is very afraid of him, but she loves Lucy's mum and wants her to be her mum too.
The h can't say no but refuses payment for keeping Heather, and things go on for a bit with the h doing homely domestic things like putting up preserves and baking and dropping off dinner and groceries for the now out of town H. She is frequently at the H's house when he is gone, but she feels intimidated by it's sterile white modern interior and doesn't like to hang out there too much, she is afraid something is going to get messed up and dirty. But one day a big October storm comes up and the H is expected back that evening, the h and Lucy and Heather all go to Heather's house with a nice casserole to wait for the H to return. He does and while the h is feeding him up, the sad story of the conception of Lucy is relayed. The H goes to drive the ladies home and in an act of PJness, we find that the h's lovely little cottage has been smashed by a large Elm tree branch - right over the girl's bedroom.
The h is in shock, the H is manly and authoritative and takes charge of the situation. He brings everybody back to his house and promises to look over the h's insurance policy, but he doesn't think it will be covered - because An Act of PJness has no coverage in HPlandia. So the h is now totally panicked and has no clue what to do, she doesn't want to move back into a London council flat, but it may be her only alternative. Not to worry tho, our H has a better solution. He wants the h to marry him in a marriage of convenience type deal with no boudoir bouncing included - tho there will be connecting doors between bedrooms to discourage potential late night wandering guests. The H figures that by marrying the h he is getting a built in nanny, cook and housekeeper as well as the big bonus of having a hostess and interior decorator. The cost savings will be in the thousands and the h and Lucy will have financial security because this H believes in unfortunate event planning and Texan's like to spend Big too.
He gives the h a week while he is out of town to think about it. The h can see all the positives, she finally has a market for her skillz, and since the H has assured her that no lurve clubbing will be involved, nor will he carry on with the other ladies in the area, she will be physically safe. The h does notice that she has a certain AWARENESS of the H, after all he is a hot bundle of manly perfection - especially in his bespoke three piece suit- so she just resolves to not become emotionally dependent on him as well as financially dependent.
Then the H returns and just to let us know that he isn't the Beta H we might think he is, he announces to the h and the girls that they are getting married. After all the village tongues are wagging and he doesn't want either of the girls subjected to malicious play area gossip. The h agrees, knowing that the H has the money to give Lucy the Very Best Sort of education but is a bit miffed that the H was so peremptory in taking her acceptance for granted. Words are spoken regarding this H action, and the H manages to convince the h to look at this as a business partnership.
Neither of them wants a loving, passionate marriage and the H has already had one wife who was great in bed but so manipulative that his noodle was only a doodle because of her antics. He likes the idear of the h being a great domestic engineer and if he can supply the cash for the h to continue engineering, he is happy to do it and getting a bargain to boot. This means that the h will have to go fashion shopping of course, and she better brush off those interior decorating skills of rag rolling, marbling and stenciling, cause the house needs a lot of decorating work. The h agrees reluctantly, but then is fired up at the potential new decor. She figures she can make the house a showcase of all things Mr. Tudor Interior and clients can come hang out and see the H's product line in a real actual living situation. There are untold possibilities here and the local library has all the books on hold in her name.
So we all traipse off to Bath for a shopping spree with toning colors and the wedding. There may be ponies to share for little girls for Christmas too, it is only a few months away. The H goes off on his trips and the h takes to wondering about the lurve club skillz of the former Mrs. Tudor Interior and if the H is being discrete in his liaisons with imaginary OW. Then she wonders why she is wondering this, but now she is getting funny feelings in her tummy when she thinks of the H's manly chest with it's little arrow of hair pointing down.
The h firmly represses these musings and begins on her decorating rejuvenation of the house - complete with toning colors. The H comes home again and we find out that he is paying for the cottage repairs for the h. He admits he could have just done that to begin with and the h wouldn't have had to marry him, but he was in a hurry to get her hitched and so he used the cottage destruction as a lever. He suggests the h let it out, that way she will still have a bolt hole and little income of her own. The h is flabbergasted and awed by the H's kindness and support, he gets things done with no shillyshallying around and is nice about it too.
Then it is Christmas and the H comes home early from his business trip, he sneaks a kiss from the h when she isn't looking and the h is blushingly aware of the H's potent masculinity. This awareness is only increased a bit later on when the H falls asleep and cuddles up to the h. Then he awakens and the h is so perturbed by where her naughty thoughts are going that she is sure the H doesn't want from her, she runs off to bed - leaving our very frustrated H to bang his fist on the mantle quite fiercely. He keeps his cool tho, and figures he will have another shot after the New Year, it seems there will be a family trip to Texas. Christmas happens and the h provides the girls with the little pastel ponies, much against her better judgement - she thinks they are quite revolting but the girls love them. The H gets her a loverly pearl necklace with an emerald heart, remarking that even if it had cost ten times as much, it would be worth it cause the necklace is as pure and beautiful as the h is. Then we are all off on a big jet plane to Texas.
The h is now increasingly aware of the way the H's suits pants cling to his manly thighs and feeling quite discomfited, especially when she compares herself to the ex Model Mrs. Tudor Interiors. This isn't helped by the fact that she and the H have to share a room and there is an almost passionate moment when the H climbs into bed with the h and she is cold and cuddles up against him but he apologizes for touching her. The h feels rejected but she does consider that the H is turning into a very attentive and devoted father, spending lots of time with the girls when he is home and reading them stories every night. She doesn't like the jealousy she feels tho, when she thinks about what the H would be doing in bed if the ex wife was in it, the intensity of the feeling shocks her a bit. The next morning, our jet lagged h is going naked to take a shower when a giant spider attempts to attack from the bathtub and her resultant scream has the H running in to save her.
He drags her out of the bathroom and the h is clinging in her post trauma, totally naked the h makes the H start to sweat and a passionate kissing moment ensues that ends when the H bites her lip cause she won't open her mouth. The H is shocked, the h is upset and mad that the H thinks she isn't any good compared to the ex wife and so with a sense of defeat, the H goes to get rid of the giant spider. The h gathers up her composure and the rest of the trip is carried out in a state of tense awareness between the two of them. This tension continues on for a few weeks after their return and finally the H makes the h sit down for a talk.
He announces that he loves the h and wants a full marriage with her, the h protests that he rejected her on the trip and that she is sorry she can't be his ex for him. The H thinks the h has a screw loose. He finally convinces her of what he has been saying all along, he never loved the ex - she was a fling who got preggers and then cheated on him and rejected his kid. The h is 180 degrees away from that tart and he loves her madly. The h finally admits she loves him right back just as madly and passionate lurve clubbing on the parlour floor ensues. The big HEA is the h realizing that the natural effects of the HP lurve club mojo means a baby in nine months and the H happily agrees as he sweeps her and the convenient duvet up the stairs to continue the avowals of lurve forever for the HPlandia rosy glow HEA.
This one is pretty sweet, the H is Alpha but not mean about it and the way the two learn to trust in themselves and each other is good to see. The little girls are cute and not plot moppets, so give this one a go if your in the mood for a nice, romantic love story with some home decorating thrown in.
The h is 24 and a single mum. Sadly her elderly parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was 18, and being a nice PJ h, she did not sue and get proper compensation, nor were her parents properly insured against unfortunate incidents. So no uni for our h as the house had to be sold to meet the parent's small debts and the h did not have much left after that. To make matters worse, our nice h was attacked, hit on the head and raped about six months after her parents deaths. She never saw her attacker, he dumped her in his car and then pushed her out and took off. She found out she was pregnant a few months later and decided to keep the baby, but she had few skills and no way to support herself. She is also very wary around men and has a LOT of issues with trust.
She was pushed to adopt her baby out, but she does have the excellent mum skills and old fashioned housekeeping skills of cooking, canning and decorating, so she got a council flat and a little subsistence allowance and kept her baby and loves her a lot. Her daughter is a very nice, very outgoing and friendly child and since the h recently inherited a lovely little cottage in the Cotswolds near Bath from a great aunt the h never met, she and the h are finally having a bit of space and lovely views to look at. The h's daughter Lucy is six and blooming in the country air and making little friends all over the place.
Lucy's very bestest friend is named Heather and she lives in a big Tudor house with little mullioned windows with a very mean Mrs. Danvers Reject who hates kids and her dad. Her mother ran off with her dad's business partner and kicked Heather to the curb in the process. Except Heather's dad has to travel a lot, his company does mastercraftsman reproductions of Adam's Style mouldings and Tudor panelings with some additional neoclassic designs. Since the partner that ran off with his wife was the salesman too, the H has to go to America a lot, in particular he visits Texas, cause those crazy cowboys are wild about the classic English look and want those mouldings Texas Sized. (Which means very, very BIG, if you don't believe me just google Texas Very Big Hair and know that Aquanet hairspray is still a big seller there.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-cultu...
- I provide a link to a valuable tutorial.)
Needless to say, after the wife running off with the business partner experience, plus the fact that she was a certified witch who wanted to terminate his daughter at conception and married the H under duress, the H isn't too down with the ladies for anything more than an occasional ride on the tower of power. He has a lot of trust issues too, and it doesn't help that all those Texas Ladies and all the Local Village Ladies are determined to find him a Mrs. Tudor Interior, cause everyone knows a dad just can't provide proper care for a little girl.
The h is a Good Mum, so she takes her daughter everyday to walk her to and from school and when the story opens, Lucy has dragged Heather along to come home with them for tea. It seems the Mrs. Danvers reject doesn't do soppy eggs and soldiers and that just isn't fair that Lucy gets to have them and Heather doesn't. The h is a bit unsure of just taking someone else's child home with them, but as Heather explains, her mom hates her and ran off and her dad is out of town and the MDR doesn't like her anyways and she is Lucy's VBFF and so could she please come have soppy eggs and soldiers. The h, who has a very soft heart, is so distressed by this sad little tale of woe and no toast strips, that she goes right up to Heather's house and gets the MDR to let Heather come to tea.
So things are going swimmingly and toast strips are being consumed by the hundreds and all is well for the little girls, they even go to wash up and brush their teeth when the h tells them too, cause she is a Good Mom. The h has a niggling worry about her cottage's roof, apparently it needs to be reshingled and it has to be in a listed building approved shingling, but the h has no job, no skillz and no more government allowance. Still everybody but Heather, who is a bit shy and withdrawn, is happy and loved and the h can worry about the roof later. Teeth brushing is preeminent at the moment, with washed shinning faces please.
Then the H shows up and he doesn't look to thrilled to see a cute red-headed single lady hugging his kid. In fact, the H is downright Mr. Crankypants with Earie Faces and he makes no bones about not being on the market for a second Mrs. Tudor Interior. Well, the h doesn't have all that red hair for nothing. She tells him off right proper and tells him that his MDR is horrible around Heather and that he should be looking into that. The H huffs off with Heather and the h wonders if the budding BFFdom is in jeopardy for little Lucy. The h doesn't see the H again for a bit, but she does walk both Lucy and Heather to school every day, cause evil doers lurk everywhere and no little six year old should be walking to school alone.
Then one day Heather doesn't show up for school, Lucy looks a bit guilty and there are several cookies missing from the cookie tin. The H shows up with the police in a panic and it appears that little Heather has run away. The h is very concerned but her tender heart goes out to the H, he is absolutely frantic and he was hoping the h knew where Heather was. She doesn't, but Lucy does and soon little Heather is restored to the safety of the h's cottage.
It turns out that the MDR told little Heather that she was going to have to go to home after the MDR locked her in her room for not coming home right after school, cause her parents do not want her. Heather is hysterical and very insistent that she is going to live with the h and Lucy. The H is now into the post traumatic parental heart attack shock mode and after throwing up, he asks the h if Heather can stay with her and Lucy while he travels. Heather is very afraid of him, but she loves Lucy's mum and wants her to be her mum too.
The h can't say no but refuses payment for keeping Heather, and things go on for a bit with the h doing homely domestic things like putting up preserves and baking and dropping off dinner and groceries for the now out of town H. She is frequently at the H's house when he is gone, but she feels intimidated by it's sterile white modern interior and doesn't like to hang out there too much, she is afraid something is going to get messed up and dirty. But one day a big October storm comes up and the H is expected back that evening, the h and Lucy and Heather all go to Heather's house with a nice casserole to wait for the H to return. He does and while the h is feeding him up, the sad story of the conception of Lucy is relayed. The H goes to drive the ladies home and in an act of PJness, we find that the h's lovely little cottage has been smashed by a large Elm tree branch - right over the girl's bedroom.
The h is in shock, the H is manly and authoritative and takes charge of the situation. He brings everybody back to his house and promises to look over the h's insurance policy, but he doesn't think it will be covered - because An Act of PJness has no coverage in HPlandia. So the h is now totally panicked and has no clue what to do, she doesn't want to move back into a London council flat, but it may be her only alternative. Not to worry tho, our H has a better solution. He wants the h to marry him in a marriage of convenience type deal with no boudoir bouncing included - tho there will be connecting doors between bedrooms to discourage potential late night wandering guests. The H figures that by marrying the h he is getting a built in nanny, cook and housekeeper as well as the big bonus of having a hostess and interior decorator. The cost savings will be in the thousands and the h and Lucy will have financial security because this H believes in unfortunate event planning and Texan's like to spend Big too.
He gives the h a week while he is out of town to think about it. The h can see all the positives, she finally has a market for her skillz, and since the H has assured her that no lurve clubbing will be involved, nor will he carry on with the other ladies in the area, she will be physically safe. The h does notice that she has a certain AWARENESS of the H, after all he is a hot bundle of manly perfection - especially in his bespoke three piece suit- so she just resolves to not become emotionally dependent on him as well as financially dependent.
Then the H returns and just to let us know that he isn't the Beta H we might think he is, he announces to the h and the girls that they are getting married. After all the village tongues are wagging and he doesn't want either of the girls subjected to malicious play area gossip. The h agrees, knowing that the H has the money to give Lucy the Very Best Sort of education but is a bit miffed that the H was so peremptory in taking her acceptance for granted. Words are spoken regarding this H action, and the H manages to convince the h to look at this as a business partnership.
Neither of them wants a loving, passionate marriage and the H has already had one wife who was great in bed but so manipulative that his noodle was only a doodle because of her antics. He likes the idear of the h being a great domestic engineer and if he can supply the cash for the h to continue engineering, he is happy to do it and getting a bargain to boot. This means that the h will have to go fashion shopping of course, and she better brush off those interior decorating skills of rag rolling, marbling and stenciling, cause the house needs a lot of decorating work. The h agrees reluctantly, but then is fired up at the potential new decor. She figures she can make the house a showcase of all things Mr. Tudor Interior and clients can come hang out and see the H's product line in a real actual living situation. There are untold possibilities here and the local library has all the books on hold in her name.
So we all traipse off to Bath for a shopping spree with toning colors and the wedding. There may be ponies to share for little girls for Christmas too, it is only a few months away. The H goes off on his trips and the h takes to wondering about the lurve club skillz of the former Mrs. Tudor Interior and if the H is being discrete in his liaisons with imaginary OW. Then she wonders why she is wondering this, but now she is getting funny feelings in her tummy when she thinks of the H's manly chest with it's little arrow of hair pointing down.
The h firmly represses these musings and begins on her decorating rejuvenation of the house - complete with toning colors. The H comes home again and we find out that he is paying for the cottage repairs for the h. He admits he could have just done that to begin with and the h wouldn't have had to marry him, but he was in a hurry to get her hitched and so he used the cottage destruction as a lever. He suggests the h let it out, that way she will still have a bolt hole and little income of her own. The h is flabbergasted and awed by the H's kindness and support, he gets things done with no shillyshallying around and is nice about it too.
Then it is Christmas and the H comes home early from his business trip, he sneaks a kiss from the h when she isn't looking and the h is blushingly aware of the H's potent masculinity. This awareness is only increased a bit later on when the H falls asleep and cuddles up to the h. Then he awakens and the h is so perturbed by where her naughty thoughts are going that she is sure the H doesn't want from her, she runs off to bed - leaving our very frustrated H to bang his fist on the mantle quite fiercely. He keeps his cool tho, and figures he will have another shot after the New Year, it seems there will be a family trip to Texas. Christmas happens and the h provides the girls with the little pastel ponies, much against her better judgement - she thinks they are quite revolting but the girls love them. The H gets her a loverly pearl necklace with an emerald heart, remarking that even if it had cost ten times as much, it would be worth it cause the necklace is as pure and beautiful as the h is. Then we are all off on a big jet plane to Texas.
The h is now increasingly aware of the way the H's suits pants cling to his manly thighs and feeling quite discomfited, especially when she compares herself to the ex Model Mrs. Tudor Interiors. This isn't helped by the fact that she and the H have to share a room and there is an almost passionate moment when the H climbs into bed with the h and she is cold and cuddles up against him but he apologizes for touching her. The h feels rejected but she does consider that the H is turning into a very attentive and devoted father, spending lots of time with the girls when he is home and reading them stories every night. She doesn't like the jealousy she feels tho, when she thinks about what the H would be doing in bed if the ex wife was in it, the intensity of the feeling shocks her a bit. The next morning, our jet lagged h is going naked to take a shower when a giant spider attempts to attack from the bathtub and her resultant scream has the H running in to save her.
He drags her out of the bathroom and the h is clinging in her post trauma, totally naked the h makes the H start to sweat and a passionate kissing moment ensues that ends when the H bites her lip cause she won't open her mouth. The H is shocked, the h is upset and mad that the H thinks she isn't any good compared to the ex wife and so with a sense of defeat, the H goes to get rid of the giant spider. The h gathers up her composure and the rest of the trip is carried out in a state of tense awareness between the two of them. This tension continues on for a few weeks after their return and finally the H makes the h sit down for a talk.
He announces that he loves the h and wants a full marriage with her, the h protests that he rejected her on the trip and that she is sorry she can't be his ex for him. The H thinks the h has a screw loose. He finally convinces her of what he has been saying all along, he never loved the ex - she was a fling who got preggers and then cheated on him and rejected his kid. The h is 180 degrees away from that tart and he loves her madly. The h finally admits she loves him right back just as madly and passionate lurve clubbing on the parlour floor ensues. The big HEA is the h realizing that the natural effects of the HP lurve club mojo means a baby in nine months and the H happily agrees as he sweeps her and the convenient duvet up the stairs to continue the avowals of lurve forever for the HPlandia rosy glow HEA.
This one is pretty sweet, the H is Alpha but not mean about it and the way the two learn to trust in themselves and each other is good to see. The little girls are cute and not plot moppets, so give this one a go if your in the mood for a nice, romantic love story with some home decorating thrown in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
Oy vey, this was uphill work. Both ways.
The h inherited a small cottage she's now raising her daughter her, happily leaving their old council flat behind. And who could blame her.
Her daughter is the product of a rape when the h was 18. She had lost her parents, then the rape, and has closed herself off emotionally to a certain extent except to her daughter.
She inadvertently gets involved with the H as his daughter is best friends with the H's daughter. Plus H's daughter has the housekeeper from hell that drives her away from her own house and father. The H's ex -wife was a piece of work. Crappy as a wife, she was relentlessly unfaithful, and at the very best an inattentive mother but more likely emotionally distant/abusive to her young daughter. The H makes it very clear how little he thinks of her in every way.
MOC that benefits the h when her roof caves in, and benefits the H because he has someone he can trust with his daughter and zzzzzz. The h tenses up every time the H gets near which isn't that often as he spends a lot of time in Dallas besides which he is very considerate of the way she freezes up due to her rape PTSD.
My level of apathy towards this annoyingly bland and boring heroine doesn't reflect well on me. She may be a fictional rape victim, but she is still a rape victim nonetheless. (She won't get counseling which the H, sanely, suggests.) However, if I read her inner monologue ONE MORE TIME about Susie, Susie, Susie and how much the hero must still love and desire her I was going to scream. I am not a big fan of angst fests, but I could see no real development of love or attraction other than proximity.
Example of her po faced, poor pitiful me inner thoughts: After coming back from the States early, the H tells her he never once took an early flight to come home to his first wife as he never knew what would await him: her cheating, out with another man, daughter abandoned, whatever. Then to continue the compliment he says he would never compare her to Susie the cheater. Her immediate reaction, yes IMMEDIATE, is poor pitilful me, “Of course he won't compare me to her. He loved miserable, cheating, lying, good-in-bed Susie and only married me to help with is daughter.” Aaarrrrgggghhh, Out of all the Charlie Browns, you are the Charlie Browniest of heroines. He just said.. Oh never mind.
The h inherited a small cottage she's now raising her daughter her, happily leaving their old council flat behind. And who could blame her.
Her daughter is the product of a rape when the h was 18. She had lost her parents, then the rape, and has closed herself off emotionally to a certain extent except to her daughter.
She inadvertently gets involved with the H as his daughter is best friends with the H's daughter. Plus H's daughter has the housekeeper from hell that drives her away from her own house and father. The H's ex -wife was a piece of work. Crappy as a wife, she was relentlessly unfaithful, and at the very best an inattentive mother but more likely emotionally distant/abusive to her young daughter. The H makes it very clear how little he thinks of her in every way.
MOC that benefits the h when her roof caves in, and benefits the H because he has someone he can trust with his daughter and zzzzzz. The h tenses up every time the H gets near which isn't that often as he spends a lot of time in Dallas besides which he is very considerate of the way she freezes up due to her rape PTSD.
My level of apathy towards this annoyingly bland and boring heroine doesn't reflect well on me. She may be a fictional rape victim, but she is still a rape victim nonetheless. (She won't get counseling which the H, sanely, suggests.) However, if I read her inner monologue ONE MORE TIME about Susie, Susie, Susie and how much the hero must still love and desire her I was going to scream. I am not a big fan of angst fests, but I could see no real development of love or attraction other than proximity.
Example of her po faced, poor pitiful me inner thoughts: After coming back from the States early, the H tells her he never once took an early flight to come home to his first wife as he never knew what would await him: her cheating, out with another man, daughter abandoned, whatever. Then to continue the compliment he says he would never compare her to Susie the cheater. Her immediate reaction, yes IMMEDIATE, is poor pitilful me, “Of course he won't compare me to her. He loved miserable, cheating, lying, good-in-bed Susie and only married me to help with is daughter.” Aaarrrrgggghhh, Out of all the Charlie Browns, you are the Charlie Browniest of heroines. He just said.. Oh never mind.
March 16, 2021
Wonderful old school HP.
Nice chemistry between Jay and Claire. It's all about the relationship with no artificially added ingredients like an evil OW, etc. It focuses on each of them learning to trust and care for the other.
Very nice!
Nice chemistry between Jay and Claire. It's all about the relationship with no artificially added ingredients like an evil OW, etc. It focuses on each of them learning to trust and care for the other.
Very nice!
June 14, 2017
Re-read...Still stands up to my original rating and review.
___________________________
One of my favorites by Penny Jordan. A must read!
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One of my favorites by Penny Jordan. A must read!
May 10, 2019
A marriage of convenience story between two emotionally damaged single parents that was really, really well done. Almost makes me want to forgive Penny Jordan for her other turkeys :)
December 4, 2024
Funny and sweet, but it’s mostly about miscommunication between a grumpy hero, a heroine battling body betrayal syndrome, and endless sexual and emotional frustration; only for the ending to give zero glimpse of their future, which is honestly the most frustrating part.
May 26, 2017
I liked this story. Heroine was raped when she was young and she had a daughter. Her daughter meets and befriends hero's daughter. Hero and heroine enter a marriage of convenience for the sake of their daughters but they soon develop deep feelings. As always Penny Jordan delivers a wonderful emotional story with nice, loving characters and a sweet HEA!
June 23, 2022
I love this one. It has the Cinderella beginning where the heroine is without any support system .. with a small child in a village setting. She struggles to take care of her daughter and manages to do quite a good job of it.
She tries to stay out of the hero’s child’s caregiver’s territory but finds herself taking care of the girl.
They both meet. Slowly she’s drawn into his world because he needs her help? A bit of time since I read this one.
But what I remember… she slowly starts helping out because he’s without a child minder and then circumstances happen that he offers her a home.. marriage.
She is afraid of the whole issue of physical closeness having been raped.
They find themselves falling for each other.
Happily ever after.
It gave one a happy warm cuddly feeling.
Two lost people.. finding each other. Happy children.
Also, they’re both exactly what the other person needed.
It’s a sweet one I think.
Re-reading this one. I love this on so many different levels.
Two troubled sad people, ending up supporting each other and realising that they love each other.
It’s set between autumn and new year.
Hero is a self made man. Has some money and hopes to make more.
The girl lost her parents at 18. Was raped. Had the baby.
She isn’t qualified to do anything. An aunt leaves her a cottage.
She moves in there. Her daughter befriends the hero’s troubled child. That’s how they meet.
It’s a very comfortable chicken soupy book to me.
You might find it regressive.
I found it very very comforting. Always do.
She tries to stay out of the hero’s child’s caregiver’s territory but finds herself taking care of the girl.
They both meet. Slowly she’s drawn into his world because he needs her help? A bit of time since I read this one.
But what I remember… she slowly starts helping out because he’s without a child minder and then circumstances happen that he offers her a home.. marriage.
She is afraid of the whole issue of physical closeness having been raped.
They find themselves falling for each other.
Happily ever after.
It gave one a happy warm cuddly feeling.
Two lost people.. finding each other. Happy children.
Also, they’re both exactly what the other person needed.
It’s a sweet one I think.
Re-reading this one. I love this on so many different levels.
Two troubled sad people, ending up supporting each other and realising that they love each other.
It’s set between autumn and new year.
Hero is a self made man. Has some money and hopes to make more.
The girl lost her parents at 18. Was raped. Had the baby.
She isn’t qualified to do anything. An aunt leaves her a cottage.
She moves in there. Her daughter befriends the hero’s troubled child. That’s how they meet.
It’s a very comfortable chicken soupy book to me.
You might find it regressive.
I found it very very comforting. Always do.
June 15, 2019
3.5 stars
So refreshing. The misunderstandings in the story were never prolonged or blown out of proportion. This was just a pleasant (low-drama, low-angst) story about two strangers who married for convenience but stay married for love. Jay and Claire's relationship developed at a steady pace, allowing them to fall in love as they became better acquainted.
I also liked how Claire didn't pity herself and play the martyr considering her past assault. Yes, Claire had avoided men prior to meeting Jay, but the experience hadn't crippled her to such an extent that she couldn't live a contented life. It's falling in love with Jay that transforms Claire's contented life into a blissful one—as she does the same for him!
So refreshing. The misunderstandings in the story were never prolonged or blown out of proportion. This was just a pleasant (low-drama, low-angst) story about two strangers who married for convenience but stay married for love. Jay and Claire's relationship developed at a steady pace, allowing them to fall in love as they became better acquainted.
I also liked how Claire didn't pity herself and play the martyr considering her past assault. Yes, Claire had avoided men prior to meeting Jay, but the experience hadn't crippled her to such an extent that she couldn't live a contented life. It's falling in love with Jay that transforms Claire's contented life into a blissful one—as she does the same for him!
November 18, 2020
"Loving" is the story of Claire and Jay.
A very heartwarming romance between two single parents. They meet due to their daughters forming a bond, and the hero accuses her of wanting to trap him. Things are revealed when it turns out that the heroine actually was providing love and care to the hero's neglected and traumatized daughter- and he is rightfully apologetic. As tragedy strikes, the heroine is almost left homeless, and soon finds herself moving in with the hero. Her independent daughter needs a father, his scarred daughter needs a mother. They soon enter a marriage of convenience, in which the hero slowly coaxes the heroine out of her shell and they provide a stable marriage for their kids.
I really enjoy single parent romances BUT there was barely one in this book- most things happened off the page- the hero was usually out on trips and the heroine was home taking care of kids or introspecting. We saw very little of their interaction, but I do understand that kindness would be a great factor in them falling in love. I hope the book was a bit longer and we had more scenes of the MC.
Anyways, a good read.
Safe
3/5
A very heartwarming romance between two single parents. They meet due to their daughters forming a bond, and the hero accuses her of wanting to trap him. Things are revealed when it turns out that the heroine actually was providing love and care to the hero's neglected and traumatized daughter- and he is rightfully apologetic. As tragedy strikes, the heroine is almost left homeless, and soon finds herself moving in with the hero. Her independent daughter needs a father, his scarred daughter needs a mother. They soon enter a marriage of convenience, in which the hero slowly coaxes the heroine out of her shell and they provide a stable marriage for their kids.
I really enjoy single parent romances BUT there was barely one in this book- most things happened off the page- the hero was usually out on trips and the heroine was home taking care of kids or introspecting. We saw very little of their interaction, but I do understand that kindness would be a great factor in them falling in love. I hope the book was a bit longer and we had more scenes of the MC.
Anyways, a good read.
Safe
3/5
September 15, 2019
A nice Marriage of Convenience story that had a bit too much misunderstanding for my taste. Two terrific MCs and their adorable daughters made up for any annoyance I felt. And the ending was swoony and romantic.
Safety
Safety
June 13, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
Claire is a strong character in this story about love, healing, second chances and forgiveness. She is discredited when she allows her personal tragedy to overshadow her accomplishments. Her relationship with Jay is a balm in her life and a safe haven for he and her daughter in countless ways. Jay is an amazing H. He is hard-working, intelligent, controlled, cautious, and generous. This strong-willed man knows who he is and is responsible and protective without being smothering. Claire's personal tragedy is quite unusual for this type of story and I appreciated and valued it. The plot moppets--Lucy and Heather-- are beyond adorable together and add liveliness when the story line stumbles.
There is extremism when it comes to Claire and Jay's ex-wife, Susie, their personalities. So much so, I did a double take when Claire started doubting Jay's feelings for her! I mean this giving, compassionate young woman who had endured so much was rungs above his former spouse who was an avaricious narcissist! Jay was always open about his former marriage and his feelings so basically Claire seemed daft when she kept using Susie as a wedge and crutch to keep her distance from him. Thankfully, their misunderstandings weren't used a long and drawn out plot device.
Overall, this was a truly nice, tidy and elegant read.
Claire is a strong character in this story about love, healing, second chances and forgiveness. She is discredited when she allows her personal tragedy to overshadow her accomplishments. Her relationship with Jay is a balm in her life and a safe haven for he and her daughter in countless ways. Jay is an amazing H. He is hard-working, intelligent, controlled, cautious, and generous. This strong-willed man knows who he is and is responsible and protective without being smothering. Claire's personal tragedy is quite unusual for this type of story and I appreciated and valued it. The plot moppets--Lucy and Heather-- are beyond adorable together and add liveliness when the story line stumbles.
There is extremism when it comes to Claire and Jay's ex-wife, Susie, their personalities. So much so, I did a double take when Claire started doubting Jay's feelings for her! I mean this giving, compassionate young woman who had endured so much was rungs above his former spouse who was an avaricious narcissist! Jay was always open about his former marriage and his feelings so basically Claire seemed daft when she kept using Susie as a wedge and crutch to keep her distance from him. Thankfully, their misunderstandings weren't used a long and drawn out plot device.
Overall, this was a truly nice, tidy and elegant read.
May 23, 2011
I liked this book. The h lives very quietly in a little cottage with her 6 year old daughter. The daughter befriends another little girl who although she's rich appears to be emotionally neglected. The rich girl is the daughter of the H, who only recently got custody and has had no relationship with her. The H decides that the h is befriending his daughter in an effort to attract him and is very rude. The h actually doesn't want a relationship with any man as she was brutally raped when she was 18 years old and her daughter was the result of that rape. The H has issues re women due to his exwife. So there's plenty of angst and obviously a HEA.
June 10, 2017
No "forced seduction"!!!!
Plot moppets get pony.
H gets h.
HEA!
Plot moppets get pony.
H gets h.
HEA!
February 7, 2014
This one is from 1986 and must have been written when Jordan was writing her best. The characters are lovely - Jay is not too forbidding but still attractive and the heroine, Claire, is the same sweetly vulnerable heroine which Jordan writes so well.
This time the couple are united over their two daughters who become friends in school. Jay's daughter, Heather, is as sensitive and vulnerable as Claire and not doing too well now that her mum has left her and she's been left in the charge of a rather austere and forbidding housekeeper. Lucy, Claire's daughter, is longing for a father figure in her life - so Jay and Claire get married - rather as a marriage of convenience than anything else. BUT, it's a Mills and Boon, and before you know it, they're in love.
It takes a little while for the hero and heroine to get their act together - a large spider in the bathroom helps because it means that Jay can do his knight in shining armour bit (and also get to see the heroine naked...) I've got to say this is a device which Jordan used repeatedly. I can think of at least three of her novels where ther heroine and the hero get together after an incident with a large spider.
There was also a passage in this where the hero and heroine visit a house in Dallas and the householder is explaining how she plays a tape of birds singing around her swimming pool to create ambience. Now Jordan got most of her inspiration, she revealed to her readers, from magazines and this particular nugget probably came from one of those magazines. As this dawned on me, it similarly struck me that Jordan wrote 187 novels for mills and boon but the characters are essentially the same in every one - it is only the backdrops that are changing - probably dependent upon which magazine Jordan was reading at the time - and, thus, more crucially, what was fashionable at the time. It is little wonder really that Jordan could be so accurately described as "a woman of her times" and how her fiction always seems to keep up with the times that she was writing within. These aren't just repetitive romances - they are a social record.
Even if you don't want to read all of the above into Jordan's work, this is an excellent example of her writing - well-written and heartwarming - can't recommend it enough.
This time the couple are united over their two daughters who become friends in school. Jay's daughter, Heather, is as sensitive and vulnerable as Claire and not doing too well now that her mum has left her and she's been left in the charge of a rather austere and forbidding housekeeper. Lucy, Claire's daughter, is longing for a father figure in her life - so Jay and Claire get married - rather as a marriage of convenience than anything else. BUT, it's a Mills and Boon, and before you know it, they're in love.
It takes a little while for the hero and heroine to get their act together - a large spider in the bathroom helps because it means that Jay can do his knight in shining armour bit (and also get to see the heroine naked...) I've got to say this is a device which Jordan used repeatedly. I can think of at least three of her novels where ther heroine and the hero get together after an incident with a large spider.
There was also a passage in this where the hero and heroine visit a house in Dallas and the householder is explaining how she plays a tape of birds singing around her swimming pool to create ambience. Now Jordan got most of her inspiration, she revealed to her readers, from magazines and this particular nugget probably came from one of those magazines. As this dawned on me, it similarly struck me that Jordan wrote 187 novels for mills and boon but the characters are essentially the same in every one - it is only the backdrops that are changing - probably dependent upon which magazine Jordan was reading at the time - and, thus, more crucially, what was fashionable at the time. It is little wonder really that Jordan could be so accurately described as "a woman of her times" and how her fiction always seems to keep up with the times that she was writing within. These aren't just repetitive romances - they are a social record.
Even if you don't want to read all of the above into Jordan's work, this is an excellent example of her writing - well-written and heartwarming - can't recommend it enough.
September 4, 2012
The hero was beyond arrogant and at times plenty annoying. The heroine was pretty innocent in this novel but the passion was pretty damn good. Although I don't necessarily approve the morals in the book, it was still a great read.
June 28, 2023
Sweet MoC book with a sensible relatable plot. More of a slow burn which PJ did her darnest to delay to bring you any joy of a budding relationship between the MCs. Every time I’d think there was progress the MCs would follow up with cold platonic comments on each other. Really but I was considering to DNF even beyond 80% cuz it was just not getting anywhere.
The h is a single mom with a sweet chatty little girl. Her best friend is another girl at her school who’s shy and timid and frightened all the time. The lil girl asks the h to always invite her frightened friend for a play date. The h realizes that they’d have to ask this girl’s parent before taking any such liberties.
The h and her girl approach the other girl’s family and find out (quite shocking disturbing) things about her family. The mom is MIA and the dad is a business man who travels much. The lil girl is raised by her house keeper who’s like Kathy bates from Misery. This housekeeper gave me serious chills and I could pull up a hundred different scenarios on how she might me torturing the little girl.
The H -this frightened lil girl’s dad- accused the h of encouraging this friendship so she can have for herself a loaded husband. The h is mortified and vehemently decides to keep a distance between her daughter and her friend and avoid future play dates.
Sadly there’s a day when this girl runs away from home. The dad is devastated and so is the h cuz she’d grown affectionate to her daughter’s friend. You’d have to read to see all the drama that happens and the eventual conclusion as suggested by the H is to have a MoC since his daughter was quite taken by the h and preferred her over her own father.
There’s a MoC. The problem I had is of a hundred different life situations that Penny takes us through but the romance doesn’t pick up. The h is jumpy and shaky and has some kind of fits each time someone touches her. She had a life altering experience when conceiving her own daughter aka rape.
I really had to see how much more the h could shudder and convulse before she shattered into a million pieces and be a bother for those who’d have to sweep her away.
What’s with PJ getting lost with her stuttering and quivering hs. There’s a convenient spidey scene but the h ruins it by shaking and shrieking.
There’s another grown up talk between the MCs where they finally decide to buy a double bed - they were twin-ing before this last page.
I’ve read better from PJ. But there is quite a nice plot to this story and not that much “loving” for when you’re craving a PJ.
The h is a single mom with a sweet chatty little girl. Her best friend is another girl at her school who’s shy and timid and frightened all the time. The lil girl asks the h to always invite her frightened friend for a play date. The h realizes that they’d have to ask this girl’s parent before taking any such liberties.
The h and her girl approach the other girl’s family and find out (quite shocking disturbing) things about her family. The mom is MIA and the dad is a business man who travels much. The lil girl is raised by her house keeper who’s like Kathy bates from Misery. This housekeeper gave me serious chills and I could pull up a hundred different scenarios on how she might me torturing the little girl.
The H -this frightened lil girl’s dad- accused the h of encouraging this friendship so she can have for herself a loaded husband. The h is mortified and vehemently decides to keep a distance between her daughter and her friend and avoid future play dates.
Sadly there’s a day when this girl runs away from home. The dad is devastated and so is the h cuz she’d grown affectionate to her daughter’s friend. You’d have to read to see all the drama that happens and the eventual conclusion as suggested by the H is to have a MoC since his daughter was quite taken by the h and preferred her over her own father.
There’s a MoC. The problem I had is of a hundred different life situations that Penny takes us through but the romance doesn’t pick up. The h is jumpy and shaky and has some kind of fits each time someone touches her. She had a life altering experience when conceiving her own daughter aka rape.
I really had to see how much more the h could shudder and convulse before she shattered into a million pieces and be a bother for those who’d have to sweep her away.
What’s with PJ getting lost with her stuttering and quivering hs. There’s a convenient spidey scene but the h ruins it by shaking and shrieking.
There’s another grown up talk between the MCs where they finally decide to buy a double bed - they were twin-ing before this last page.
I’ve read better from PJ. But there is quite a nice plot to this story and not that much “loving” for when you’re craving a PJ.
September 8, 2020
boogenhagen wrote a great plot review so just a few comments...
Really liked this book. Would’ve loved an Epilogue, or at the very least for it not to have ended where it did.
The girls were great and not plot moppets. This MOC was really to their benefit.
As other reviewers commented, the h thinking a self-doubting thought every single time he said anything was annoying as the story progressed and she should’ve known better. And “Susie,” who was never IN the story was on the page too darn much to the very end.
He was great in many ways, but there were times I thought he could’ve used some finesse and slow-burn seduction to get her past her issues... She was trying to move beyond her fears (she was raped as an innocent 18-year-old)... but he seemed to go from zero to aggressive at times. He wasn’t great at picking up her signals as she was evolving (him being the experienced one). The romance took a back seat in the story when it could’ve been woven in more.
They were perfect for each other and I’m glad they finally admitted it. HEA all the way.
Really liked this book. Would’ve loved an Epilogue, or at the very least for it not to have ended where it did.
The girls were great and not plot moppets. This MOC was really to their benefit.
As other reviewers commented, the h thinking a self-doubting thought every single time he said anything was annoying as the story progressed and she should’ve known better. And “Susie,” who was never IN the story was on the page too darn much to the very end.
He was great in many ways, but there were times I thought he could’ve used some finesse and slow-burn seduction to get her past her issues... She was trying to move beyond her fears (she was raped as an innocent 18-year-old)... but he seemed to go from zero to aggressive at times. He wasn’t great at picking up her signals as she was evolving (him being the experienced one). The romance took a back seat in the story when it could’ve been woven in more.
They were perfect for each other and I’m glad they finally admitted it. HEA all the way.
April 5, 2021
A sweet, feel good romance! Honestly, I was surprised with this nice little story, as it is very different from most of the other white-cover HPs I've read.
A young single mother is offered a marriage of convenience by a divorced single father. She needs financial security. He needs a woman to mother his child and run his household. What they both need, without realizing it, is someone to love and love them in return.
Heroine works on overcoming her issues with intimacy while hero is respectful and gives her the time/space she needs.
A young single mother is offered a marriage of convenience by a divorced single father. She needs financial security. He needs a woman to mother his child and run his household. What they both need, without realizing it, is someone to love and love them in return.
Heroine works on overcoming her issues with intimacy while hero is respectful and gives her the time/space she needs.
November 5, 2021
This is one of those stories that Penny Jordan does just right.
May 13, 2022
One of the rare instances that I actually liked a PJ h and H.
March 4, 2016
3.50 stars I liked the story. This is somewhat of a 180 from other HPs I read where the H/h exchanged witty verbal blows or super alpha controlling Hs, OW storylines/punishing kisses so I needed a little adjustment in reading this in regards to the pacing of the story (especially as I read "Loving"" right after the other HP I mentioned) The story was more like a "friends to lovers" kind of situation. That type of love affair usually sounds boring to me, but this story really brought the warm, toasty and awwww feeling in me. The H/h really opened each other up and their daughters were also adorable that they found each other. I love the h. She was a sweet, wonderful, generous woman. I was in awe of her big heart and I felt really bad for her traumatic past. The H I also loved because he was man enough to realize his mistake and apologize for his wrong assumptions. I gave only 3.5 stars because even though I understand that HPs have a maximum page count, I felt it took forever for the H/h to finally have that ya know sexy HEA times. But not just that, it took awhile for some sort of attraction between the too (whether its the touch of a hand or longing stares lol) But then again with what that h went I through it was probably best that way or it wouldn't be so believable. But otherwise it was a really sweet story and Im happy for the H/h and their daughters!
February 3, 2014
The ultimate Penny Jordan comfort read. The characters were just so easy to love.
April 26, 2015
I hated the hero. He was beyond arrogant, coercing Claire to marry him. And Claire was the typical hp heroine-sweet,gentle,obedient, and completely spineless.
November 12, 2017
This was a sweet book.
June 29, 2018
Claire never recovered from being raped but loved the daughter she got as a result. With that one experience she shied away from male contact. Through her daughter, Lucy, she met Heather who became Lucy's best friend. Claire felt empathy for the shy girl and allowed her to visit with Lucy. Then Heather's father, Jay, enters into Claire's life. Jay is divorced with full custody of his daughter, Heather. When a storm badly damages Claire's house, Jay offers his as a place to stay while she continues to look after his daughter and housekeeping. Over time they all grow comfortable with each other. Jay proposes a marriage of convenience and it soon happens. Claire finally heals from her past experience and falls in love with Jay. Jay returns her feelings but miscommunication gets in the way. When they finally talk, they confess their feelings for each other and act on them. The marriage looks to be in good shape from now on.
July 18, 2018
The h is truly a girl not a woman and the H took shameless advantage of the h as a babysitter and nanny first. I guess the unemployment benefits or the 'inheritance' was a lot larger than mentioned if the h was able to bring up her child and look after another one in H's absence. Dont know why the h kept bringing up Susie the ex-wife so bloody often in every chapter esp as the H had made it very clear he had moved on!
December 7, 2020
Claire is a wonderful mother to 5 year old Lucy, but she has a troubled past which makes it impossible for her to be intimate with men. Jay, father of 5 year old Heather, has also been burnt by the opposite sex. For the sakes of their daughters, they decide on a marriage of convenience. It all becomes very complicated when both develop emotions for the other; it's touch and go for a while, but eventually they manage to get over their trauma.
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