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Pagan Encounter
When Leigh accepted the job of secretary to Matt Hume, it was with the idea of punishing him for his selfishness to her young cousin - and to all the other girls he had so callously encouraged and then tossed aside.
But Matt turned the tables on her by declaring that he intended to make her his property - and skilfully wearing down her resistance. Would she be able to get out of the situation before it was too late?
But Matt turned the tables on her by declaring that he intended to make her his property - and skilfully wearing down her resistance. Would she be able to get out of the situation before it was too late?
186 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1978
7 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books313 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 17, 2021
I kneel and worship at the shrine that is that lift scene...
'You wouldn't dare,' she said jerkily.
He laughed at that. 'I always take a dare, especially from a mouth like yours,' he told her tauntingly.
I feel pity for my previous self, unknowingly devoid of the chemical explosion this book had no business providing me with:/
'I've waited for this moment for months,' he said unsteadily, is the citadel mine, Leigh?'
Absolutely love all those creative euphemisms of old times. A fat chance of coming across anything that is not a P-word and a C-word in modern day books we have (^_-)
3. 5 stars bEcAuSe it was very tAmE, almost... ALMOST... I'm deeply regretful I have to spell the blasphemy out... politically correct. 😭👍🏻
Ms. Lamb could do so much better than that. 🤪
All the irrelevant complaints aside, I loved both main characters: Leigh is an ice queen whose road is fraught with broken men's hearts and Matt is this ruthless, unapologetic pursuer who won't let you come alive out of his clutches. 😇
They were both sort of players and manipulators when it came to other people. As Matt was a more jaded, experienced one of the couple, you might guess the kind of siege her citadel had to endure:D
'You wouldn't dare,' she said jerkily.
He laughed at that. 'I always take a dare, especially from a mouth like yours,' he told her tauntingly.
I feel pity for my previous self, unknowingly devoid of the chemical explosion this book had no business providing me with:/
'I've waited for this moment for months,' he said unsteadily, is the citadel mine, Leigh?'
Absolutely love all those creative euphemisms of old times. A fat chance of coming across anything that is not a P-word and a C-word in modern day books we have (^_-)
3. 5 stars bEcAuSe it was very tAmE, almost... ALMOST... I'm deeply regretful I have to spell the blasphemy out... politically correct. 😭👍🏻
Ms. Lamb could do so much better than that. 🤪
All the irrelevant complaints aside, I loved both main characters: Leigh is an ice queen whose road is fraught with broken men's hearts and Matt is this ruthless, unapologetic pursuer who won't let you come alive out of his clutches. 😇
They were both sort of players and manipulators when it came to other people. As Matt was a more jaded, experienced one of the couple, you might guess the kind of siege her citadel had to endure:D
March 22, 2019
Heroine is a poised, beautiful heartbreaker who really doesn’t want to break hearts. Hero is a poised, handsome heartbreaker who really doesn’t care if he breaks hearts.
These are problems I will never have.
Charlotte Lamb gives the h the backstory of how the hero broke her cousin’s heart, then adds in a devoted fiancé and the heroine’s doubts before she meets the hero in an elevator. A just like the Aerosmith song, this hero takes one look at the heroine, slaps the stop button in between floors and proceeds to kiss and maul the heroine into submission.
Heroine feels alive for the first time and hates the hero for it.
This is a robo hero who has no off switch, so he follows her to her hotel room and manages to slip in while the heroine is in the shower. More kissing and mauling on the bed while the heroine tries to keep her towel in place. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the fiancé walks in on them and the engagement is over.
To give the heroine credit, she kept trying to end the engagement and to send the fiancé to Saudi Arabia for job opportunity. Fiancé wouldn’t listen. He gets a bit of revenge back in a subsequent meetings when he manhandles and bruises her.
In the first showing of any feeling for the heroine, the hero is appalled that the heroine tried to apologize in person. Even he knew a wounded beta was dangerous.
The action then shifts to the hero maneuvering the heroine to be his secretary. The heroine is determined to keep it all business and the hero is determined to . . . ?
Yes, he’s obsessed, yes he’s controlling, yes, he jealous. But is he in love?
I don’t think the heroine really cares – she just likes the heat and light the hero keeps throwing off. She finally sees him as human when he has to deal with a worker’s strike and is up all night and tired and worried. That vulnerability lets her see him as human and then she finally lets down her guard for a happy ending.
These two bigger-than-life characters were a matched set. I never worried for the heroine even as the angst stacked up against her. However, if slaps, bruises and snarling foreplay are triggers, stay away from this one. This is Charlotte Lamb, after all.
These are problems I will never have.
Charlotte Lamb gives the h the backstory of how the hero broke her cousin’s heart, then adds in a devoted fiancé and the heroine’s doubts before she meets the hero in an elevator. A just like the Aerosmith song, this hero takes one look at the heroine, slaps the stop button in between floors and proceeds to kiss and maul the heroine into submission.
Heroine feels alive for the first time and hates the hero for it.
This is a robo hero who has no off switch, so he follows her to her hotel room and manages to slip in while the heroine is in the shower. More kissing and mauling on the bed while the heroine tries to keep her towel in place. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the fiancé walks in on them and the engagement is over.
To give the heroine credit, she kept trying to end the engagement and to send the fiancé to Saudi Arabia for job opportunity. Fiancé wouldn’t listen. He gets a bit of revenge back in a subsequent meetings when he manhandles and bruises her.
In the first showing of any feeling for the heroine, the hero is appalled that the heroine tried to apologize in person. Even he knew a wounded beta was dangerous.
The action then shifts to the hero maneuvering the heroine to be his secretary. The heroine is determined to keep it all business and the hero is determined to . . . ?
Yes, he’s obsessed, yes he’s controlling, yes, he jealous. But is he in love?
I don’t think the heroine really cares – she just likes the heat and light the hero keeps throwing off. She finally sees him as human when he has to deal with a worker’s strike and is up all night and tired and worried. That vulnerability lets her see him as human and then she finally lets down her guard for a happy ending.
These two bigger-than-life characters were a matched set. I never worried for the heroine even as the angst stacked up against her. However, if slaps, bruises and snarling foreplay are triggers, stay away from this one. This is Charlotte Lamb, after all.
August 25, 2021
The M&B cover by Spanish artist Manfred Sommers is splendid, perhaps not as I imagine heroine Leigh, but as far as I can tell in this era M&B often chose images from the secondary market—after they had graced the pages of one of the many British women's magazines for instance—rather than commissioning art directly. The Harlequin cover by Bob Kebic would likely have been a direct commission with some basic descriptors supplied though it's not one of my favorites of his.
on to the book...
If you read this through your special Hqn glasses with the set of interchangeable lenses and were careful to insert the ones marked CL (they're kind of fiddly) everything will be fine. I did. And with all the great scenes between the MCs—each one fraught with wit, sizzle, and violence—and the lengthy final ILY scene where H isn't stingy about revealing his motivations or feelings it's like I didn't even notice the problems!
Except for that one (still fascinating) scene where Matt, who basically just wants Leigh to stop interacting with any man not named Matt, tries to convince her that her beauty is intrinsically evil and dangerous because it makes men crazy. I noticed that one and Matt you are wrong and a knob besides cause Femme Fatales are awesome! It's not their fault if men are weak.
on to the book...
If you read this through your special Hqn glasses with the set of interchangeable lenses and were careful to insert the ones marked CL (they're kind of fiddly) everything will be fine. I did. And with all the great scenes between the MCs—each one fraught with wit, sizzle, and violence—and the lengthy final ILY scene where H isn't stingy about revealing his motivations or feelings it's like I didn't even notice the problems!
Except for that one (still fascinating) scene where Matt, who basically just wants Leigh to stop interacting with any man not named Matt, tries to convince her that her beauty is intrinsically evil and dangerous because it makes men crazy. I noticed that one and Matt you are wrong and a knob besides cause Femme Fatales are awesome! It's not their fault if men are weak.
February 6, 2017
This book could easily be renamed as 'Love is a Battlefield'. No seriously. There were terms like 'taking of the citadel', 'total surrender', 'conquests' and 'private war' and other combat references. And it still felt romantic!
Now, CL is the author I generally turn to when I'm looking for some angst and boy, did she deliver the goods with this book! In fact, this was angst on acid. The H Matt and the h Leigh were well matched and perfectly capable of giving it as good as they got and that made for some of the 'angst-iest' scenes I've read in recent times . When Matt first sees Leigh; she's on date with her 'fiancé' - one of the two OM (yes, two) in this book and she's completely in control of the situation and has only to crook her little finger to get the poor besotted sod falling at her feet in reverence. Of course, as our super alpha dominant male, the H can hardly allow her to get away with such behaviour. Tame her he must, and he sets about doing so by engaging in some old school/stalkerific seductions routines.
But our h isn't a mousy little woman with deep insecurities either. She's a good looking woman of the world and knows it; and is a bit of a smooth operator as well. So even while she's going out of her mind with the passion that only the H can evoke in her; she has no qualms allowing her jilted fiance (or the man she casually chats up while working for the H) from swooping in for a kiss or two - nothing too heavy mind you - but still, it was very charitable of her. She presumably feels sorry for the men and so just lies back and thinks of England/ or whatever, while the men try and force her to feel things she can only feel for her beloved Matt.
Of course, as bullheaded as she is; she doesn't really recognise or accept her love for the H till the last part of the book and even then holds out for as long as she can under the circumstances. And their strife is absolutely delicious to read about. This is one read where you can really see the H wear down the h's defences and getting under her skin. There's no sudden capitulation or epiphany that feels absurd or abrupt. It's all very natural and gradual instead- their falling in love. And that's what makes this so special and I'm reminded yet again, why, Ms. Lamb continues to be one of my favourite romance authors of all time.
Great read and I totally recommend it!
Now, CL is the author I generally turn to when I'm looking for some angst and boy, did she deliver the goods with this book! In fact, this was angst on acid. The H Matt and the h Leigh were well matched and perfectly capable of giving it as good as they got and that made for some of the 'angst-iest' scenes I've read in recent times . When Matt first sees Leigh; she's on date with her 'fiancé' - one of the two OM (yes, two) in this book and she's completely in control of the situation and has only to crook her little finger to get the poor besotted sod falling at her feet in reverence. Of course, as our super alpha dominant male, the H can hardly allow her to get away with such behaviour. Tame her he must, and he sets about doing so by engaging in some old school/stalkerific seductions routines.
But our h isn't a mousy little woman with deep insecurities either. She's a good looking woman of the world and knows it; and is a bit of a smooth operator as well. So even while she's going out of her mind with the passion that only the H can evoke in her; she has no qualms allowing her jilted fiance (or the man she casually chats up while working for the H) from swooping in for a kiss or two - nothing too heavy mind you - but still, it was very charitable of her. She presumably feels sorry for the men and so just lies back and thinks of England/ or whatever, while the men try and force her to feel things she can only feel for her beloved Matt.
Of course, as bullheaded as she is; she doesn't really recognise or accept her love for the H till the last part of the book and even then holds out for as long as she can under the circumstances. And their strife is absolutely delicious to read about. This is one read where you can really see the H wear down the h's defences and getting under her skin. There's no sudden capitulation or epiphany that feels absurd or abrupt. It's all very natural and gradual instead- their falling in love. And that's what makes this so special and I'm reminded yet again, why, Ms. Lamb continues to be one of my favourite romance authors of all time.
Great read and I totally recommend it!
October 25, 2022
One of those little masterpieces of dear aunt Charlotte.
Those two are a wonder.
The heroine is a cold bitch who, because she once was in love with a man and he betrayed her, is now unwilling to love any man.
She keeps a fiance she isn't in love with and the poor sod is besotted to her.
Then comes the hero.
Who is her male counterpart.
And as soon as he sees her he thinks "mine".
The kiss in the elevator was one of those moments you would like to experience once in your life.
Imagine a sexy stranger with you in an elevator.
He sees you, he wants you and after some smooth talk he kisses you as if he wants to suck the life out of you.
This kiss is an example of how a good writer can make a kiss far more sexy and hot than all the descriptions of explicit fetish sex in the world.
Then the hero offers her a dream job, of course with him.
And she accepts.
Because she's tempted.
And because she can.
Bye bye fiance.
Both hero and heroine are surrounded by people who finds them irresistible.
His boss' young daughter is besotted with him and the heroine, far from being jealous, watches her with pity because she understands she's a lost cause and the hero is only playing with her as a cat with a mouse.
So, no victim heroine here, but a hard woman who is at the same level with the hero and can accept his game.
They get married and eventually she declares his love.
The hero has loved her all along.
This is a book to read.
Aunt Charlotte has the one of the highest level of psychological kinks in all hp world and beyond.
She can write a book about people who seem very normal and ordinary and are far from it.
The result is a dark fascination, a story with so many not politically correct people you feel disturbed- pleasantly disturbed- in the end of the book.
Those two are a wonder.
The heroine is a cold bitch who, because she once was in love with a man and he betrayed her, is now unwilling to love any man.
She keeps a fiance she isn't in love with and the poor sod is besotted to her.
Then comes the hero.
Who is her male counterpart.
And as soon as he sees her he thinks "mine".
The kiss in the elevator was one of those moments you would like to experience once in your life.
Imagine a sexy stranger with you in an elevator.
He sees you, he wants you and after some smooth talk he kisses you as if he wants to suck the life out of you.
This kiss is an example of how a good writer can make a kiss far more sexy and hot than all the descriptions of explicit fetish sex in the world.
Then the hero offers her a dream job, of course with him.
And she accepts.
Because she's tempted.
And because she can.
Bye bye fiance.
Both hero and heroine are surrounded by people who finds them irresistible.
His boss' young daughter is besotted with him and the heroine, far from being jealous, watches her with pity because she understands she's a lost cause and the hero is only playing with her as a cat with a mouse.
So, no victim heroine here, but a hard woman who is at the same level with the hero and can accept his game.
They get married and eventually she declares his love.
The hero has loved her all along.
This is a book to read.
Aunt Charlotte has the one of the highest level of psychological kinks in all hp world and beyond.
She can write a book about people who seem very normal and ordinary and are far from it.
The result is a dark fascination, a story with so many not politically correct people you feel disturbed- pleasantly disturbed- in the end of the book.
December 19, 2021
Intense and not pc. I disliked both the MCs but they were well matched for once.
Plot: What happens when a man-slut goes after a cold femme fatale who’s engaged to a nice man🤭….
**********************
“You're staying as my secretary, and you won't be going out with other men. You're my property. Is that understood?'
'No,' she said defiantly.”
***********************
Plot: What happens when a man-slut goes after a cold femme fatale who’s engaged to a nice man🤭….
**********************
“You're staying as my secretary, and you won't be going out with other men. You're my property. Is that understood?'
'No,' she said defiantly.”
***********************
February 7, 2023
This is my third book by Charlotte Lamb.Her dramatic writing style,the passionate characters and the angstfilled romance captured my heart,and she has now come to be one of my favourite authors.
The emotional warfare between the hero and the heroine intrigued me,a war about the hero who will do everything to force heroine to submission,but thats what the heroine thinks,when all the hero actually wants..is her love.
Leigh West was a interesting heroine.Her first meeting with the hero was so sexy,how he insolently checked her out and how she showed him the cold shoulder.The scene in the lift was so so so sexy!!!Mattieson Hume is one of the most sexy Alpha heroes ever!Like ever!!!His stubborness,determination,wildness,his crazyness,his passion,his precious love. Everything excited me!The intensity of this book shook me,and the romantic love-story between Matt and Leigh truly is a epic one.
The emotional warfare between the hero and the heroine intrigued me,a war about the hero who will do everything to force heroine to submission,but thats what the heroine thinks,when all the hero actually wants..is her love.
Leigh West was a interesting heroine.Her first meeting with the hero was so sexy,how he insolently checked her out and how she showed him the cold shoulder.The scene in the lift was so so so sexy!!!Mattieson Hume is one of the most sexy Alpha heroes ever!Like ever!!!His stubborness,determination,wildness,his crazyness,his passion,his precious love. Everything excited me!The intensity of this book shook me,and the romantic love-story between Matt and Leigh truly is a epic one.
October 4, 2021
If I was ever gonna be ravished in an elevator, I pray it would be by Mattieson Hume. Lawd Jebus does he know how to take control. 😈💕😍🤡
Matt is aggressive, jealous, possessive, relentless, and not at all afraid of the long game. He’s got baaaallzzzz. After ravishing poor unsuspecting Phillip’s fiancé in a hotel elevator, Matt allowed the man to offer him a seat at their table and buy him a drink. And Matt just sat down and acted like nothing was amiss. Then when the h, Leigh, tried to escape the scene, he demanded that she dance with him, while Phillip, the fiancé, watched and fumed. It was GLORIOUS. 😈
He doesn’t give up until he’s removed Phillip from the picture, by creating a SCANDALOUS scene, and basically taking over Leigh’s life, all but forcing her to work as his secretary.
This book includes loads of j/p scenes and manhandling. Matt is manipulative and controlling and he is not messing around. He wants Leigh, and he’s gonna do whatever it takes to make her his. 😈
My only 2 complaints were:
- he goes from SUPER OTT aggressive to oddly willing to wait for months for Leigh to give in. Hardly touching her at all once he has her in his clutches as his secretary. He’s still up in her business, especially in his j/p rages, but he won’t smexx her up until she *gives in*, and I didn’t think this really fit with all his other actions.
- there’s a young girl in his office that has a crush on him and he seems to encourage her, even while he’s actively pursuing the h. He swatted her rear in front of the h, and I was not impressed. I know it is likely not that odd for the time period, but… He kept taking her to dinner… I assume because her dad was his boss, but I never felt like this relationship was explained. The h wasn’t really jealous… she more felt sorry for the girl, I just thought it was odd to have that story line there but never really put it to bed.
Bottom Line? I really like this one! Probably one of my favorites, but I really don’t like unresolved OW drama, even when it’s unlikely he slept with her, and I didn’t like the H hamstrung with a PC straight jacket. He was perfect just as he started, IMHO. 👀🤷🏼♀️🤡 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- I’m pretty sure there’s no cheating - there an ambiguous relationship but I think by the end of the book it’s pretty clear this man was head over heels in love with the h and completely obsessed from the start. I doubt he would have been smexxing anyone else. But it’s never explicitly confirmed. 😐🤷🏼♀️
- no sharing
- OW drama - the office gossip assumes that the H and his boss’ daughter are in a relationship but it seems more like a one-sided infatuation on her part that he indulges to make her dad happy - the h is not jealous
- OM drama - the h is engaged at the beginning of the book and she tries to date someone at her office - both situations are ruthlessly ended by the H 🥵
- dubcon - the H forces sexual embraces, kisses, and touches on the h, but never intercourse
- the H slaps the h after warning her that if she hit him, he’d hit back
- the h’s (ex)fiancé attempts to force himself on her twice in a jealous rage
- the h is a virgin (early 20’s??)
- the H is old enough to have silver in his hair (late 30’s maybe??) and he is considered a manwhore, but it’s implied that maybe his reputation has been exaggerated
Matt is aggressive, jealous, possessive, relentless, and not at all afraid of the long game. He’s got baaaallzzzz. After ravishing poor unsuspecting Phillip’s fiancé in a hotel elevator, Matt allowed the man to offer him a seat at their table and buy him a drink. And Matt just sat down and acted like nothing was amiss. Then when the h, Leigh, tried to escape the scene, he demanded that she dance with him, while Phillip, the fiancé, watched and fumed. It was GLORIOUS. 😈
He doesn’t give up until he’s removed Phillip from the picture, by creating a SCANDALOUS scene, and basically taking over Leigh’s life, all but forcing her to work as his secretary.
This book includes loads of j/p scenes and manhandling. Matt is manipulative and controlling and he is not messing around. He wants Leigh, and he’s gonna do whatever it takes to make her his. 😈
My only 2 complaints were:
- he goes from SUPER OTT aggressive to oddly willing to wait for months for Leigh to give in. Hardly touching her at all once he has her in his clutches as his secretary. He’s still up in her business, especially in his j/p rages, but he won’t smexx her up until she *gives in*, and I didn’t think this really fit with all his other actions.
- there’s a young girl in his office that has a crush on him and he seems to encourage her, even while he’s actively pursuing the h. He swatted her rear in front of the h, and I was not impressed. I know it is likely not that odd for the time period, but… He kept taking her to dinner… I assume because her dad was his boss, but I never felt like this relationship was explained. The h wasn’t really jealous… she more felt sorry for the girl, I just thought it was odd to have that story line there but never really put it to bed.
Bottom Line? I really like this one! Probably one of my favorites, but I really don’t like unresolved OW drama, even when it’s unlikely he slept with her, and I didn’t like the H hamstrung with a PC straight jacket. He was perfect just as he started, IMHO. 👀🤷🏼♀️🤡 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- I’m pretty sure there’s no cheating - there an ambiguous relationship but I think by the end of the book it’s pretty clear this man was head over heels in love with the h and completely obsessed from the start. I doubt he would have been smexxing anyone else. But it’s never explicitly confirmed. 😐🤷🏼♀️
- no sharing
- OW drama - the office gossip assumes that the H and his boss’ daughter are in a relationship but it seems more like a one-sided infatuation on her part that he indulges to make her dad happy - the h is not jealous
- OM drama - the h is engaged at the beginning of the book and she tries to date someone at her office - both situations are ruthlessly ended by the H 🥵
- dubcon - the H forces sexual embraces, kisses, and touches on the h, but never intercourse
- the H slaps the h after warning her that if she hit him, he’d hit back
- the h’s (ex)fiancé attempts to force himself on her twice in a jealous rage
- the h is a virgin (early 20’s??)
- the H is old enough to have silver in his hair (late 30’s maybe??) and he is considered a manwhore, but it’s implied that maybe his reputation has been exaggerated
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 17, 2021Not rating a popular book by a much loved writer where I’m clearly not in her reader demographics. I’ve to say this much, I guess she writes and roots for bad girls.. (I might get things hurled at me here) but really, I expect the norm in an HP, vintage all the more.
Sadly I had to DNF half way through. The h has been around a bit. The H, well let’s not go there. The h was indifferent and cold to her beta fiancé and needed a real man to force her out of her apathy. Dear lord but I’ve seen my bit of share of marriages falling apart with that hateful state of existence.
So yes. I could barely stand this strangely patronizing h who was too willing to send her fiancé to an offshore long assignment and questioned him enough times if he really really wanted to marry her. If he came back to point fingers the h would accuse him of not accepting her the way she was, cold and calloused.
So apart from all this baggage, the H has also left in his trail of broken hearts a young sweet girl who is cousins and close friends with the h. So here’s my point: how can you kill your conscience when you’re carving a happy ending with someone who broke your dear cousin’s heart.
I will just say CL writes the kind of romance that would never work for me unless I started to wear horse blinkers for the rest of my life.
Sadly I had to DNF half way through. The h has been around a bit. The H, well let’s not go there. The h was indifferent and cold to her beta fiancé and needed a real man to force her out of her apathy. Dear lord but I’ve seen my bit of share of marriages falling apart with that hateful state of existence.
So yes. I could barely stand this strangely patronizing h who was too willing to send her fiancé to an offshore long assignment and questioned him enough times if he really really wanted to marry her. If he came back to point fingers the h would accuse him of not accepting her the way she was, cold and calloused.
So apart from all this baggage, the H has also left in his trail of broken hearts a young sweet girl who is cousins and close friends with the h. So here’s my point: how can you kill your conscience when you’re carving a happy ending with someone who broke your dear cousin’s heart.
I will just say CL writes the kind of romance that would never work for me unless I started to wear horse blinkers for the rest of my life.
June 10, 2020
Lots of great reviews on this one, so I won't rehash too much. What a barn burner this one was! Very much enjoyed it--despite the "battle royale" between the hero and heroine, this was actually one of CL's "nicer" alpha heroes (hahahah--not saying much given that she writes absolute bastards a lot of the time, and this hero was no soft touch but had some redeeming qualities). The thing I like about CL's heroes is that as bad and handsy as they are, they are at least completely besotted with the heroines from the beginning and all their bad behavior is usually driven by their obsessive need to have her body, heart, and soul. It's not just revenge or lust driving them, they are usually besotted, way more than the heroines usually are at the beginning.
The hero in this one is a newspaper mogul and as tough and ruthless as you might imagine. He sees the heroine, falls hard, needs to have her, assaults her in the elevator (he jams the panel and stops it between floors, and she fights but succumbs to treacherous body syndrome immediately), breaks up her engagement, and begins a relentless pursuit. She goes to work for him, (and the casual acceptance of potential workplace sexual harassment is pretty shocking from 40 years later, although they really are pretty much all business when they are working together). He keeps "storming her twin citadels" of body and heart, making out with her but stopping short of having sex with her, leaving her bewildered and frustrated. He removes all possibility of OM drama quickly and ruthlessly, and the potential OW is a young girl that the heroine feels sorry for, so all of the drama comes from the tension between the hero and heroine.
The heroine is one of CL's classic icy blonde beauties, a reluctant heartbreaker who is able to keep all men, even her fiance, at a cool distance, until the hero firestorms into her life, crashing all her defenses and forcing an irresistible response. He's fallen for her from the moment he saw her, but plays a cool, long game to get her to fall for him. She does pretty quickly (and it's believable, because they are good together both professionally and personally), but she hides it. But she soon sees the level of stress and weariness he deals with professionally on a daily basis, particularly after grueling strike negotiations, and when she gives in, it's because she loves him enough to put him first--he needs someone to protect and care for him in the face of the demands he faces every day, and she's that person.
They marry before either has declared their love, and on their wedding night, both of them are anguished and angry and willing (but not happy) to accept less than what they each want: love. But the truth comes out, they admit their mutual undying love, and finally go to bed together, starting off their HEA with a fine resolution of all the conflict that came before.
An excellent one from CL, with flawed characters that I really enjoyed and rooted for and a love story that is romantic despite the battles and anachronistic (but kinda hot) declarations of ownership and conquest. Pity the title is awful (shades of Greek alphas, which is not the case), but a real winner in my book.
The hero in this one is a newspaper mogul and as tough and ruthless as you might imagine. He sees the heroine, falls hard, needs to have her, assaults her in the elevator (he jams the panel and stops it between floors, and she fights but succumbs to treacherous body syndrome immediately), breaks up her engagement, and begins a relentless pursuit. She goes to work for him, (and the casual acceptance of potential workplace sexual harassment is pretty shocking from 40 years later, although they really are pretty much all business when they are working together). He keeps "storming her twin citadels" of body and heart, making out with her but stopping short of having sex with her, leaving her bewildered and frustrated. He removes all possibility of OM drama quickly and ruthlessly, and the potential OW is a young girl that the heroine feels sorry for, so all of the drama comes from the tension between the hero and heroine.
The heroine is one of CL's classic icy blonde beauties, a reluctant heartbreaker who is able to keep all men, even her fiance, at a cool distance, until the hero firestorms into her life, crashing all her defenses and forcing an irresistible response. He's fallen for her from the moment he saw her, but plays a cool, long game to get her to fall for him. She does pretty quickly (and it's believable, because they are good together both professionally and personally), but she hides it. But she soon sees the level of stress and weariness he deals with professionally on a daily basis, particularly after grueling strike negotiations, and when she gives in, it's because she loves him enough to put him first--he needs someone to protect and care for him in the face of the demands he faces every day, and she's that person.
They marry before either has declared their love, and on their wedding night, both of them are anguished and angry and willing (but not happy) to accept less than what they each want: love. But the truth comes out, they admit their mutual undying love, and finally go to bed together, starting off their HEA with a fine resolution of all the conflict that came before.
An excellent one from CL, with flawed characters that I really enjoyed and rooted for and a love story that is romantic despite the battles and anachronistic (but kinda hot) declarations of ownership and conquest. Pity the title is awful (shades of Greek alphas, which is not the case), but a real winner in my book.
January 24, 2022
The story begins with Leigh’s cousin telling her what a womaniser the hero, Matt Hume is. He took the cousin out for dinner a few times and then transferred her to another part of his organisation.
The heroine as a seventeen year old had fallen wildly in love with a man who it turned out was married. So she’s lost trust in her own judgement and is afraid of loving anyone too deeply for fear of being hurt. Very understandable. She’s keeping herself safe by maintaining a distance from men emotionally.
She has acquired a tame young man, Phil as a fiancé. He is crazy about her. She is fond of him. She loves him vaguely.
They go to a work conference of Phil’s at some hotel. There the heroine sees the hero across the room.
He has silvery hair. Much older than her? The hero makes eye contact twice. 😊
He follows her into the lift when she is going upstairs to her room and almost assaults her. This was a bit strange to me.
He gets out of the lift with her and stalks her to her room and says it is to return her earring.
Next day he almost kidnaps her to go to a park with him and tries to get to know her. He suggests he doesn’t have any intention but to employ her as his secretary as his secretary is leaving soon.
Then he makes sure the fiancé catches heroine in compromising position with him.
Engagement broken.
He finally persuades heroine to go work for him as his secretary in London.
He doesn’t allow her to get close to any other man. He makes sure people know she is his mistress though he never consummates that relationship. Drawing back always.
His method of showing love was pretty abusive but back in the day apparently it was much appreciated if the hero hits the heroine or drags her into his arms and assaults her.
The heroine decides to run away in the end but she realises he needs her as there is a strike among his workers union.
He proposes though he is sad that she feels nothing beyond lust for him.
She decides she is going to mother him and take care of him and so on because she loves him.
Finally after they’re married on their wedding night she confesses she loves him and he heaves a sigh of relief and admits he fell for her at sight.
They plan for the babies to start arriving soon.
The way CL writes, one keeps reading to know what develops further.
There is a maturity in the love that people feel for each other and greater depth of emotion than in any of the new harlequin books.
One gets a glimpse of what life was like in those times and the descriptions of nature and birds and animals is always very nice.
All in all, a good read.
The heroine falls deeply in love after having been scarred before. She is scared so she tries to avoid admitting it even to herself. The hero waits patiently for her to realise the truth.
The hero was much older than the heroine. She was his trophy wife basically.
Do read. Better than anything the new lot churn out. Any day.
The heroine as a seventeen year old had fallen wildly in love with a man who it turned out was married. So she’s lost trust in her own judgement and is afraid of loving anyone too deeply for fear of being hurt. Very understandable. She’s keeping herself safe by maintaining a distance from men emotionally.
She has acquired a tame young man, Phil as a fiancé. He is crazy about her. She is fond of him. She loves him vaguely.
They go to a work conference of Phil’s at some hotel. There the heroine sees the hero across the room.
He has silvery hair. Much older than her? The hero makes eye contact twice. 😊
He follows her into the lift when she is going upstairs to her room and almost assaults her. This was a bit strange to me.
He gets out of the lift with her and stalks her to her room and says it is to return her earring.
Next day he almost kidnaps her to go to a park with him and tries to get to know her. He suggests he doesn’t have any intention but to employ her as his secretary as his secretary is leaving soon.
Then he makes sure the fiancé catches heroine in compromising position with him.
Engagement broken.
He finally persuades heroine to go work for him as his secretary in London.
He doesn’t allow her to get close to any other man. He makes sure people know she is his mistress though he never consummates that relationship. Drawing back always.
His method of showing love was pretty abusive but back in the day apparently it was much appreciated if the hero hits the heroine or drags her into his arms and assaults her.
The heroine decides to run away in the end but she realises he needs her as there is a strike among his workers union.
He proposes though he is sad that she feels nothing beyond lust for him.
She decides she is going to mother him and take care of him and so on because she loves him.
Finally after they’re married on their wedding night she confesses she loves him and he heaves a sigh of relief and admits he fell for her at sight.
They plan for the babies to start arriving soon.
The way CL writes, one keeps reading to know what develops further.
There is a maturity in the love that people feel for each other and greater depth of emotion than in any of the new harlequin books.
One gets a glimpse of what life was like in those times and the descriptions of nature and birds and animals is always very nice.
All in all, a good read.
The heroine falls deeply in love after having been scarred before. She is scared so she tries to avoid admitting it even to herself. The hero waits patiently for her to realise the truth.
The hero was much older than the heroine. She was his trophy wife basically.
Do read. Better than anything the new lot churn out. Any day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2021
These are two of the coldest MCs I have encountered. He sees her and experiences the WASP version of the thunderbolt -- inside he is in as much agony as his Mediterranean counterparts, but he keeps up his icy facade except when he's vowing to break her via their physical chemistry, the only weapon he thinks he has.
She feels a great deal for him even though she doesn't give it a name, but she remains aloof. While he makes inroads with his bodily passion campaign, she is ready to walk away rather than surrender. Only when she sees him vulnerable does she start to show her love.
REALLY enjoyable.
She feels a great deal for him even though she doesn't give it a name, but she remains aloof. While he makes inroads with his bodily passion campaign, she is ready to walk away rather than surrender. Only when she sees him vulnerable does she start to show her love.
REALLY enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2019
2011 review:
It’s another solid 4 star CL read for me.
The hero was the typical CL hero.
The only time I really disliked him was when Cathy attacked Leigh and he allowed Leigh to run off while he stayed to comfort Cathy. He did have some of the expected CL flaws. I think he did behave in a misleading manner to not only Ann, but Cathy. In front of Leigh, he calls Cathy “minx” and pats her on the bottom; he gives Ann flowers and takes her out to dinner. What’s up with him and these young girls??
I wanted more on why the heroine was the way she was. I wanted to know more about the past that created this supposedly cold and aloof woman. Her 17 year old brush with a married man did not seem to warrant her cold detached manner. Perhaps more explanation of how it wounded her would have made more sense.
Classic Harlequin moments:
The elevator scene.
When she finds him waiting in her apartment.
I also liked his concern for her when he realized she went back to Phil’s room to explain after the hotel room incident.
It’s another solid 4 star CL read for me.
The hero was the typical CL hero.
The only time I really disliked him was when Cathy attacked Leigh and he allowed Leigh to run off while he stayed to comfort Cathy. He did have some of the expected CL flaws. I think he did behave in a misleading manner to not only Ann, but Cathy. In front of Leigh, he calls Cathy “minx” and pats her on the bottom; he gives Ann flowers and takes her out to dinner. What’s up with him and these young girls??
I wanted more on why the heroine was the way she was. I wanted to know more about the past that created this supposedly cold and aloof woman. Her 17 year old brush with a married man did not seem to warrant her cold detached manner. Perhaps more explanation of how it wounded her would have made more sense.
Classic Harlequin moments:
The elevator scene.
When she finds him waiting in her apartment.
I also liked his concern for her when he realized she went back to Phil’s room to explain after the hotel room incident.
April 3, 2014
I disliked the hero and the heroine immensely! The hero was an egoistical swine. The heroine was an insensitive woman. She played with her fiance's emotions, hurt him badly by cheating behind his back with the hero. She let the hero make love to her while she was engaged to another man. Her impassioned "I hate you" won't excuse her behavior. I just could relate to her. Neither could I sympathize with her. The hero was absolutely right when he said that they both were alike in nature and I agree with his assessment. They both are insensitive and selfish and deserve each other.
Both Matt and Leigh make it to my list of most hateful hero / heroine.
Both Matt and Leigh make it to my list of most hateful hero / heroine.
September 20, 2020
I love, love, love the older Charlotte Lamb romance novels. Her romances are so not politically correct. They are all about dominant, sexy, handsome, powerful, rich, besotted men who will do anything to capture the woman and that seems to work for me, lol.
Immediately at their first encounter in the elevator (he followed her, so no coincidence that they happened to be in the same elevator) he makes sure they are stuck in the elevayor and he starts making out with her. So passionate.
The book is all about this chasing man who does not take no for an answer and who is so hot for her that he relentlessly pursues her. She is the cold, beautiful lady who tries to keep him at bay. He breaks all her barriers.
The dialogue between the man and woman is breathtaking. The book is so well written. His jealousy, his passion, his love, his lust for her, you can feel it. He tells her she is his and he tells other men to back off.
That fire in him is irresistible.
Swept me off my feet. Books like this one are the reason why I like the older Harlequin books so much (more than the modern books) and why I keep re-reading them.
Immediately at their first encounter in the elevator (he followed her, so no coincidence that they happened to be in the same elevator) he makes sure they are stuck in the elevayor and he starts making out with her. So passionate.
The book is all about this chasing man who does not take no for an answer and who is so hot for her that he relentlessly pursues her. She is the cold, beautiful lady who tries to keep him at bay. He breaks all her barriers.
The dialogue between the man and woman is breathtaking. The book is so well written. His jealousy, his passion, his love, his lust for her, you can feel it. He tells her she is his and he tells other men to back off.
That fire in him is irresistible.
Swept me off my feet. Books like this one are the reason why I like the older Harlequin books so much (more than the modern books) and why I keep re-reading them.
October 27, 2022
Curl up your toes and takes you to a fantasy land ,CL babes one of the best
August 20, 2021
A rather interesting Charlotte Lamb. Two heartbreakers find one another, one falls in love at first sight, the other not so much, and requires convincing, a lot of convincing.
March 22, 2015
CL really has the knack for writing about totally besotted heroes, bordering on the obsessive side. matt was insanely in lust and in love wid leigh. this was a hot pursuit wid lots of angst and a heroine who appeared cold most of the time. but she was definitely not cold wid matt. i especially loved the scene where phil found them in bed. bcoz this was so out-of-character for leigh ! the lil bitch was not cold at all after all! hats off to CL! this was another captivating and seriously entertaining read!
September 25, 2013
Full Review here: Full Review: Pagan Encounter
December 31, 2021
God they don't write them like that any more. And if they do, please someone point me in that direction. A masterclass from CL.
November 11, 2021
Thank you so much @Irunia and my other book friends for bringing this book to my attention .This is easily a top ten😍
Gone are the days of blushing virgin with Alpha male romance Now we have cold haughty ice queens with Alpha domineering males.😍😍😍
Gone are the days of blushing virgin with Alpha male romance Now we have cold haughty ice queens with Alpha domineering males.😍😍😍
June 17, 2013
i'm almost speechless.
i got confused when the hero acted so bad because of jealousy, while he had done the same thing to throw the fiancee of heroine away.
i think this is the only hero that i find so, what to describe it, like living in his own rule. he's so infuriating.
hmm..i guess i can say this story is pretty much like a thief accused someone a thief too, if you know what i mean. yap, the thieves are the hero and the fiance.
the hero's behavior was very similar with the OM that i got difficult to differ them. you can't blame me though. and what is it with all the sexual abuses??? i'm getting sick of it!
but with that strong feeling of hero and the angst, i give it 4 stars.
oh i don't like the heroine too, i think she's a little bit slut. i know this days kissing means nothing, but i could make sure that she's too easy. going to a date? okay. with other man? okay (because she's not in a relationship at the time). kissing? okay. kissing briefly on the lip? okay. kissing passionately or at least long enough than a sec? not okay. more than once? really not okay. with 2 different men you feel casually? definitely not okay! what? you don't have any pride, woman? oh i know you have, you only like to play, of course.
you know what i felt every time the hero kissed her (after she'd been kissed by other men!)? i felt disgusted! yuck! why don't you get a practice kissing on a pan or orange? that's less disgusting you know.
bleh. i hate the heroine. she's a cheap bimbo. so it cuts 2 stars. the final is 2 stars.
i got confused when the hero acted so bad because of jealousy, while he had done the same thing to throw the fiancee of heroine away.
i think this is the only hero that i find so, what to describe it, like living in his own rule. he's so infuriating.
hmm..i guess i can say this story is pretty much like a thief accused someone a thief too, if you know what i mean. yap, the thieves are the hero and the fiance.
the hero's behavior was very similar with the OM that i got difficult to differ them. you can't blame me though. and what is it with all the sexual abuses??? i'm getting sick of it!
but with that strong feeling of hero and the angst, i give it 4 stars.
oh i don't like the heroine too, i think she's a little bit slut. i know this days kissing means nothing, but i could make sure that she's too easy. going to a date? okay. with other man? okay (because she's not in a relationship at the time). kissing? okay. kissing briefly on the lip? okay. kissing passionately or at least long enough than a sec? not okay. more than once? really not okay. with 2 different men you feel casually? definitely not okay! what? you don't have any pride, woman? oh i know you have, you only like to play, of course.
you know what i felt every time the hero kissed her (after she'd been kissed by other men!)? i felt disgusted! yuck! why don't you get a practice kissing on a pan or orange? that's less disgusting you know.
bleh. i hate the heroine. she's a cheap bimbo. so it cuts 2 stars. the final is 2 stars.
August 23, 2013
For some reason I expected the hero to be Greek as Pagan Greeks was a common thing in the 70's romances. He is however English, a young Rupert Murdoch so to speak, running a major publishing company. The heroine is a secretary, engaged to a nice unassuming young man who is madly in love with her. Only trouble is that she is not in love with him. She isn't even that physically attracted to him. Since an incident at 17 when Leigh fell in love with a married man and only just escaped the worst, she has avoided emotional extremes.
Matt Hume arouses more than just anger the first time they meet. He wakes her up with a vengeance but of course she is going to fight all the way.
He comes across as a typical rapey hero, a trope Charlotte used with quite good effect in her time. But surprisingly he doesn't although the second time she slaps his face he does slap her back. Ungentlemanly but after all she wants equality.
This is a fast paced read and while the power disparity appears old fashioned, the important role the heroine plays in his workplace and throughout a crisis is very empowering.
I enjoyed the read. Not perhaps as much as some of her more angsty ones but it kept me enthralled to the end.
Matt Hume arouses more than just anger the first time they meet. He wakes her up with a vengeance but of course she is going to fight all the way.
He comes across as a typical rapey hero, a trope Charlotte used with quite good effect in her time. But surprisingly he doesn't although the second time she slaps his face he does slap her back. Ungentlemanly but after all she wants equality.
This is a fast paced read and while the power disparity appears old fashioned, the important role the heroine plays in his workplace and throughout a crisis is very empowering.
I enjoyed the read. Not perhaps as much as some of her more angsty ones but it kept me enthralled to the end.
February 6, 2023
I felt like smoking a cigarette after reading this book(I actually don’t smoke, but it really was satisfying!) This is a vintage Harlequin book. I repeat this is a VINTAGE harlequin. When this was written, the only “me-too” movement going on was the one your littlest child used anytime the older child was going to do something without them. Seriously, slapping is used as foreplay in this story. At times violence is even used by milder characters out of frustration and/or disappointment. SO, you best pass this one by if that is not your cup of tea.
There are really excellent reviews for this one. Naksed gives some of the best lines here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Raffaella’s overview here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Iris’s insight here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Stmargarets synopsis here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... And so many more… So I will try to remain brief…
First I like alpha ott heroes who are even jealous at the mention of previous loves(not lovers, because our h is a virgin) but the h made the mistake of falling for a married man(unbeknownst to her) at the tender age of 17 and has never recovered from it.
She is engaged to Phillip because quite frankly he doesn’t irritate her. She is “fond” of him. She divvies out her kisses to him like my grandma does mints from her purse. She controls the relationship and her fiance and he laps it up like a cat with a bowl of cream. At this point I feel rather bad for the woebegone Fiancé, but later I lose what little fondness I had for him.
Anyway, while on a weekend trip with said Fiancé (separate rooms of course) she meets the Hero. He takes quite a bit of interest in the h and she pays him no attention. That is until he forces her attention on him when he stops the elevator.
From here on out we have a story of a besotted, jealous H who stops at nothing to get his girl. She ends up working for him, and the story takes place over a few months. CL randomly puts in sentences here and there to let us know that over time these 2 work very well with each other and are attuned to each other. The H plays a cat and mouse game with the h. He knows that he needs to get under her defenses before she realizes what is happening and has time to erect a stronger defense.
In this story you will get an immature wannabe ow who could never be up for the challenges of the hero. In addition to the fiancé om, who ends up leaving for a job, there is another wannabe om that the H has to cut out quickly. This is some of the things I like about these older stories. The jealous H’s get all intense and upset if they think they have any viable competition. The story also clears up some misunderstandings the h had about the H. He actually is a stand up guy who has done good things.
Some of the best interactions happen within the office as we see the h is a competent assistant to the H in his time of need.
CL leaves us with a satisfying enough ending for me, as some of these older stories just tend to end. In her ending, we see some plans for the future.
There are really excellent reviews for this one. Naksed gives some of the best lines here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Raffaella’s overview here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Iris’s insight here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Stmargarets synopsis here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... And so many more… So I will try to remain brief…
First I like alpha ott heroes who are even jealous at the mention of previous loves(not lovers, because our h is a virgin) but the h made the mistake of falling for a married man(unbeknownst to her) at the tender age of 17 and has never recovered from it.
She is engaged to Phillip because quite frankly he doesn’t irritate her. She is “fond” of him. She divvies out her kisses to him like my grandma does mints from her purse. She controls the relationship and her fiance and he laps it up like a cat with a bowl of cream. At this point I feel rather bad for the woebegone Fiancé, but later I lose what little fondness I had for him.
Anyway, while on a weekend trip with said Fiancé (separate rooms of course) she meets the Hero. He takes quite a bit of interest in the h and she pays him no attention. That is until he forces her attention on him when he stops the elevator.
From here on out we have a story of a besotted, jealous H who stops at nothing to get his girl. She ends up working for him, and the story takes place over a few months. CL randomly puts in sentences here and there to let us know that over time these 2 work very well with each other and are attuned to each other. The H plays a cat and mouse game with the h. He knows that he needs to get under her defenses before she realizes what is happening and has time to erect a stronger defense.
In this story you will get an immature wannabe ow who could never be up for the challenges of the hero. In addition to the fiancé om, who ends up leaving for a job, there is another wannabe om that the H has to cut out quickly. This is some of the things I like about these older stories. The jealous H’s get all intense and upset if they think they have any viable competition. The story also clears up some misunderstandings the h had about the H. He actually is a stand up guy who has done good things.
Some of the best interactions happen within the office as we see the h is a competent assistant to the H in his time of need.
CL leaves us with a satisfying enough ending for me, as some of these older stories just tend to end. In her ending, we see some plans for the future.
October 1, 2017
"Pagan Encounter" is the story of Leigh and Matt.
Now if you've read CL before, her stories can either make you raving mad or fall in love with them- this was both? none?
A LOT was going on.
Basically our heroine Leigh is this super mature, dominant femme fatale who is engaged to Phil, her coworker. She comes to know her guardian Anna has been misled and fired by her boss Matt and silently vows revenge.
As she and Phil go on a conference, she runs into the aforementioned Matt, who is smitten. He relentlessly pursues her until her life is turned upside down and she ends up working for him.
So..
This was a roller coaster ride. It was obvious the H was crazy (jealous) about her, but too much drama was happening for me to love.
However, as much as it gave me heartburn in the first 3/4th, I really liked the way it ended (until kiss assault #4248), especially for both of them getting a semblance of sanity.
Phew
Safe with major exceptions
3/5
Now if you've read CL before, her stories can either make you raving mad or fall in love with them- this was both? none?
A LOT was going on.
Basically our heroine Leigh is this super mature, dominant femme fatale who is engaged to Phil, her coworker. She comes to know her guardian Anna has been misled and fired by her boss Matt and silently vows revenge.
As she and Phil go on a conference, she runs into the aforementioned Matt, who is smitten. He relentlessly pursues her until her life is turned upside down and she ends up working for him.
So..
This was a roller coaster ride. It was obvious the H was crazy (jealous) about her, but too much drama was happening for me to love.
However, as much as it gave me heartburn in the first 3/4th, I really liked the way it ended (until kiss assault #4248), especially for both of them getting a semblance of sanity.
Phew
Safe with major exceptions
3/5
January 4, 2026
0.5 Star
I went into this knowing I might have an issue with safety which I do but the 1 star rating is not based on that, it’s based on the fact that the MMC physically hit the FMC back because she slapped him and threatened to do it again if she slapped him again. Equality or not, it’s the strength difference between male and female that I would never be ok with any MMC physically hitting the FMC unless it’s for sparring/training purposes.
Safety
There’s kisses with OM after MCs meeting
MMC was viewed as dating OW, at the end he stated that she was nothing to him but it’s not clear if he slept with her while pursuing the FMC (he did slap her ass in from of MMC)
FMC fiancée caught the MCs together in bed
I went into this knowing I might have an issue with safety which I do but the 1 star rating is not based on that, it’s based on the fact that the MMC physically hit the FMC back because she slapped him and threatened to do it again if she slapped him again. Equality or not, it’s the strength difference between male and female that I would never be ok with any MMC physically hitting the FMC unless it’s for sparring/training purposes.
Safety
There’s kisses with OM after MCs meeting
MMC was viewed as dating OW, at the end he stated that she was nothing to him but it’s not clear if he slept with her while pursuing the FMC (he did slap her ass in from of MMC)
FMC fiancée caught the MCs together in bed
July 13, 2024
What a hateful H!! I wonder how I managed to finish this book with such a brute of a hero. He was too much, a walking red flag. Did not buy their happily ever after at all.
October 30, 2024
This one was really good. They deserve each other and they are equally matched. One good scene after the other. The hero is absolutely hot and charming in a stalker crazy way. He's the guy you would call security on in real life but somehow works in the novel :P His lines are so cool and the things he does are soooo out there. The heroine now... oh boy! Let's just say she's no delicate flower.
I have to say that it was one book where I felt the MCs were really compatible. The scenes in the latter part in her apartment are sweet and heartwarming. Didn't expect that. I enjoy when the MCs are shown to actually spend time / work together and these guys take months before their HEA. I like that the heroine feels protective of the hero and gets into a mine-all-mine insane mentality of her own. And the ending... aaaawww!
I have to say that it was one book where I felt the MCs were really compatible. The scenes in the latter part in her apartment are sweet and heartwarming. Didn't expect that. I enjoy when the MCs are shown to actually spend time / work together and these guys take months before their HEA. I like that the heroine feels protective of the hero and gets into a mine-all-mine insane mentality of her own. And the ending... aaaawww!
April 24, 2015
Ughh!! I hated both the H and h with a passion, I flung this book so far! The h was an insensitive, selfish wishy-washy bitch and the H was an egotistical moron. CL does her best sometimes to make women seem like helpless idiots, I mean she couldn't even stop blundering when the H touch her enough to tell the cop he was molesting her? This was a frustrating read, the trifling weak ass bitch and the caveman deserved each other.
November 20, 2014
The heroine, Leigh, was definitely different than most other Harlequin heroines (she was a cold bitch). She didn't mean to be cruel, but I felt really sorry for her fiance, Phil. Of course, if he's gonna let a woman yank him around emotionally, maybe he's asking for it. Loved the hero, Matt, and the amusement he found in pissing the heroine off. He was perfect for her.
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