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Breaking Away
Their first meeting was disastrous
Harriet Smith had accused the disreputable-looking, near-naked man of being a rapist. She'd refused his plea for help.
So it was highly embarrassing when Harriet discovered that the man was Rigg Matthews, her eminently respectable next-door neighbor.
Rigg appeared ready to forgive and forget, especially when Harriet forged a firm friendship with his young niece. But then disaster struck again--Harriet made the mistake of falling in love with him....
Harriet Smith had accused the disreputable-looking, near-naked man of being a rapist. She'd refused his plea for help.
So it was highly embarrassing when Harriet discovered that the man was Rigg Matthews, her eminently respectable next-door neighbor.
Rigg appeared ready to forgive and forget, especially when Harriet forged a firm friendship with his young niece. But then disaster struck again--Harriet made the mistake of falling in love with him....
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1990
29 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,129 books670 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 26, 2017
Re Breaking Away - Penny Jordan brings us a tale of emancipation as the 34 year old authoress h meets her match when she moves to Scotland.
This one starts with the nearly 35 yr old h being able to indulge her own wishes for the first time in years. Her younger leech sister and her two children became limpet parasites after the h's parent's died, and since the h was taught that she was second best to her more vivacious but tarty sister, the h supported the three of them for ten years by working as a teacher.
Finally the h's sister managed to get a leeching death grip on an American and she and her two kids moved to the States, it can only be hoped that they never come back and happily the girl never writes. While that was all going on, the h got her first book published and between her savings and her new four book contract, the h decides to buy a lovely cottage with a wild garden on the border of Scotland and a new colorful wardrobe, complete with shiny red moon boots.
On her first day there, she gets accosted by wet man running around in his tidy whities when he mistakes the h for his niece who played some sort of missing clothing prank on him. Naturally this h has read the Gift of Fear and heeds police warnings, cause she offers to call someone for him but refuses to give him a ride. She feels a tiny bit guilty but overall, I was proud of her - even if he did look very nice in his miniscule skivies, she did not know him and there could be stranger danger.
Later on the h meets the mischievous 17 yr old niece in question while having a ramble about the area. The H and h meet again when the h manages to lock her self out of her house and the H helps her get back in. The h soon settles into her new home and there is writing and gardening and thoughts about rag rolling as well healthy, home cooked meals.
The also has several idle daydreams about the Magnetic H in his little briefs, and via the medium of his precocious orphaned niece, we find out he has a sad past of being jilted at the altar by a woman who dumped him for a richer man. For some reason the h can't stop thinking about him and she even invests in brilliant red knit separates when they are all invited to a local vicarage party.
Unfortunately the H is delayed in getting to the party and the h is importuned into dinner by the local Lothario right in front of the H. The H does give the h a ride home and invites her to attend his niece's birthday dinner which will be coming up soon. The next evening the h had cancelled her date with the local Lothario and was hanging at home when the H wanders in thinking she might be being robbed. The h almost brains him with a poker, but tragedy is averted and in the aftermath there is big huge roofie kiss.
The H leaves right after and the h is embarrassed. There is quite a bit of h squrimy self mortification and some hopeless yearning when the h sees the H in the nearest market town. The h also gets in some wardrobe expansion clothing guaranteed to catch a man. Finally the niece's birthday arrives and afterwards, the H rolls up at three in the morning and he and the h wind up lurving it up. The next morning the H has to leave, but he promises to call the h. The h is in a little frenzy of anticipation, but the H never calls. The h assumes that she was a one off, and has herself a bit of a mopey moment and plans to sell her cottage and move away.
However the H was in an accident and he told the hospital to call the h, but she never showed up. So now he is cranky cause he thinks she was using him for studly do right services. Both of them are having sulks and the niece has to take charge. She calls the h up hysterical that her uncle has concussion and is acting funny. The h rushes right over, having no idear that there had been an accident. The niece locks the H and h together in the H's bedroom and big arguments are had.
The h, cause the H never called and the H, cause he told the hospital to call the h and she never came. Then the H shouts out her phone number but he got the last digit wrong, so he realizes the h never got the call - the nurse called the wrong number. Then the H has another ranty moment about what kind of man does she think he is and the h bravely tells him she loves him and thinks he might be offended by that. In a very funny moment, the H utters a huge expletive, and I am not sure if it was over his stupidity or hers. The H loves her back just as madly of course and after they figure out the niece's machinations, they decide to get married and take the niece on a much wanted skiing trip as a reward for all her hard maneuvering.
This was pretty cute and fairly fluffy for PJ. The romance was sweet and we got all the PJ high points we love but sadly no sponging. I must admit I kinda wanted to see the leech sister try and land herself on the h again and then see the H kick her out, but that would have probably been too unpleasant for the h and she had a very romantic HEA going on in compensation.
Pick this one up for the lighter side of PJ, it has a nice story, some interesting thoughts about the writing process and is a cute little HPlandia outing.
This one starts with the nearly 35 yr old h being able to indulge her own wishes for the first time in years. Her younger leech sister and her two children became limpet parasites after the h's parent's died, and since the h was taught that she was second best to her more vivacious but tarty sister, the h supported the three of them for ten years by working as a teacher.
Finally the h's sister managed to get a leeching death grip on an American and she and her two kids moved to the States, it can only be hoped that they never come back and happily the girl never writes. While that was all going on, the h got her first book published and between her savings and her new four book contract, the h decides to buy a lovely cottage with a wild garden on the border of Scotland and a new colorful wardrobe, complete with shiny red moon boots.
On her first day there, she gets accosted by wet man running around in his tidy whities when he mistakes the h for his niece who played some sort of missing clothing prank on him. Naturally this h has read the Gift of Fear and heeds police warnings, cause she offers to call someone for him but refuses to give him a ride. She feels a tiny bit guilty but overall, I was proud of her - even if he did look very nice in his miniscule skivies, she did not know him and there could be stranger danger.
Later on the h meets the mischievous 17 yr old niece in question while having a ramble about the area. The H and h meet again when the h manages to lock her self out of her house and the H helps her get back in. The h soon settles into her new home and there is writing and gardening and thoughts about rag rolling as well healthy, home cooked meals.
The also has several idle daydreams about the Magnetic H in his little briefs, and via the medium of his precocious orphaned niece, we find out he has a sad past of being jilted at the altar by a woman who dumped him for a richer man. For some reason the h can't stop thinking about him and she even invests in brilliant red knit separates when they are all invited to a local vicarage party.
Unfortunately the H is delayed in getting to the party and the h is importuned into dinner by the local Lothario right in front of the H. The H does give the h a ride home and invites her to attend his niece's birthday dinner which will be coming up soon. The next evening the h had cancelled her date with the local Lothario and was hanging at home when the H wanders in thinking she might be being robbed. The h almost brains him with a poker, but tragedy is averted and in the aftermath there is big huge roofie kiss.
The H leaves right after and the h is embarrassed. There is quite a bit of h squrimy self mortification and some hopeless yearning when the h sees the H in the nearest market town. The h also gets in some wardrobe expansion clothing guaranteed to catch a man. Finally the niece's birthday arrives and afterwards, the H rolls up at three in the morning and he and the h wind up lurving it up. The next morning the H has to leave, but he promises to call the h. The h is in a little frenzy of anticipation, but the H never calls. The h assumes that she was a one off, and has herself a bit of a mopey moment and plans to sell her cottage and move away.
However the H was in an accident and he told the hospital to call the h, but she never showed up. So now he is cranky cause he thinks she was using him for studly do right services. Both of them are having sulks and the niece has to take charge. She calls the h up hysterical that her uncle has concussion and is acting funny. The h rushes right over, having no idear that there had been an accident. The niece locks the H and h together in the H's bedroom and big arguments are had.
The h, cause the H never called and the H, cause he told the hospital to call the h and she never came. Then the H shouts out her phone number but he got the last digit wrong, so he realizes the h never got the call - the nurse called the wrong number. Then the H has another ranty moment about what kind of man does she think he is and the h bravely tells him she loves him and thinks he might be offended by that. In a very funny moment, the H utters a huge expletive, and I am not sure if it was over his stupidity or hers. The H loves her back just as madly of course and after they figure out the niece's machinations, they decide to get married and take the niece on a much wanted skiing trip as a reward for all her hard maneuvering.
This was pretty cute and fairly fluffy for PJ. The romance was sweet and we got all the PJ high points we love but sadly no sponging. I must admit I kinda wanted to see the leech sister try and land herself on the h again and then see the H kick her out, but that would have probably been too unpleasant for the h and she had a very romantic HEA going on in compensation.
Pick this one up for the lighter side of PJ, it has a nice story, some interesting thoughts about the writing process and is a cute little HPlandia outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2021
"Breaking Away" is the story of Harriet and Rigg.
A very mature romance between pretty sensible character. Our characters meet when one is naked and stranded, and the other is understandably weary. Their second encounter has one locked out of home, and other to the rescue. They continue to cross paths due to his niece, and a sweet romance develops. There's a heartwarming confession, lovemaking, very short lived drama and a HEA.
Enjoyed it!
Safe
3.5/5
A very mature romance between pretty sensible character. Our characters meet when one is naked and stranded, and the other is understandably weary. Their second encounter has one locked out of home, and other to the rescue. They continue to cross paths due to his niece, and a sweet romance develops. There's a heartwarming confession, lovemaking, very short lived drama and a HEA.
Enjoyed it!
Safe
3.5/5
June 11, 2015
(Caution – spoilers in here!) After the most horrific day at work imaginable, there’s only one way to unwind and that’s with a bottle of Prosecco and a Penny Jordan romance – and this is Jordan at her very, very best.
In this one, 35 year old Harriet, who has spent her entire life pandering to the whims of her feckless sister, and looking after said feckless sister’s twins, suddenly finds herself free to pursue her own life when the sister ups sticks with the twins and decamps to America. Harriet, revelling in her new freedom, purchases a house in the Scottish borders and sets about living her new life as a children’s novelist. However, this is a Mills and Boon, so poor old Harriet is not destined to enjoy her new life for long. There is a wonderful passage in the book when Harriet is driving to her new abode and considering the brightness of her future before her:
“Yes, she was free for the first time since her parents’ death. Free to write... to daydream... to enjoy the countryside... to do all those things she had wanted to do for so long... to...
Her thoughts sheered off abruptly, and she braked instinctively, feeling her small VW protest as it squealed to a halt, only just missing the man who had so unexpectedly emerged from the trees shadowing the road and who was even now bearing down on her.” (p. 15)
This is the point of the protagonists’ first meeting and it’s an unusual one as “Rigg” (the hero) emerges out of the darkness wearing only his pants. It’s a fabulous scene but what really makes it interesting is the way that Jordan phrases it above – whilst contemplating all the things she is going to do with her newfound freedom, Harriet finds that what she is “missing” in her life, is “the man”. Obviously, this is not a feminist text; and yet, strangely this novel is all about women’s choices. Rigg, we find, is as romantically inclined as Harriet. After being disappointed in love himself, he wakes up one day to find himself “nearly forty” and unmarried. Unusually for a Mills and Boon, we get to see his thoughts for a small space, as he daydreams about Harriet, applauding her choices and way of life.
The front cover of the original 1990 edition of this text does nothing for the novel – Harriet (who bears an uncanny resemblance to a horse) appears to be fighting off a smugly grinning Rigg. I can only think that the cover illustrator read the back (which makes reference to Harriet’s initial fears that Rigg is a rapist – a perfectly natural conclusion being as he emerges from the darkness in only his undercrackers) and the section at the very beginning of the book (where Harriet acknowledges that she is not a traditionally attractive woman) and used that as a basis for his picture.
The love scenes are not too detailed (it’s a better book for it) and how they arise is worthy of note – after a dinner dance, Rigg tells Harriet that “they need to talk”, and asks if he can call around after he has dropped his niece home (“only to talk”). Well, when Rigg eventually polls up (at three in the morning!) Harriet is already in her dressing gown and talking is the last thing on Rigg’s mind. Harriet, who has never experienced love before, is then flung into anxiety and doubt about what has happened between them and whether Rigg will telephone her like he has promised. When he fails to do this, Harriet experiences a very teenage angsty episode (we’ve all done it) when she wonders why he hasn’t rung her and comes to the conclusion that he is no longer interested now he’s had what he wants from her. (Something very similar happened to me once with a dentist from Manchester. I reached the same conclusion as Harriet.) However, it transpires that Rigg couldn’t ring her because he’d had a blow to the head and been in hospital. Poor old romantic Rigg wakes up believing that Harriet will be waiting anxiously by his bedside. Meanwhile, poor old anxious Harriet believes that Rigg has done the dirty on her, seducing her and leaving her flat afterwards. Thank goodness for Rigg’s niece clearing up the misunderstanding by page 183. (For all I know, a similar thing could have happened to the dentist, but I just didn’t have an obliging extraneous character to help me out there. Without that external assistance, I guess, I’ll never know).
There’s a lot going on in this one – the more mature protagonists definitely add another facet to the story. The fact that Harriet is a writer and focuses upon the creative process as a writer (revealing a little about Jordan’s own creative process simultaneously)
is another point of interest. Also, the intended audience of this book seems quite clear in this one – not just through the advertising in the text (I was using the original 1990 version) but also in the escapism that is being offered here for all those women readers who, like Harriet, never have the time or freedom to have the luxury of just pleasing themselves. Definitely recommend this text as one of Jordan’s best.
In this one, 35 year old Harriet, who has spent her entire life pandering to the whims of her feckless sister, and looking after said feckless sister’s twins, suddenly finds herself free to pursue her own life when the sister ups sticks with the twins and decamps to America. Harriet, revelling in her new freedom, purchases a house in the Scottish borders and sets about living her new life as a children’s novelist. However, this is a Mills and Boon, so poor old Harriet is not destined to enjoy her new life for long. There is a wonderful passage in the book when Harriet is driving to her new abode and considering the brightness of her future before her:
“Yes, she was free for the first time since her parents’ death. Free to write... to daydream... to enjoy the countryside... to do all those things she had wanted to do for so long... to...
Her thoughts sheered off abruptly, and she braked instinctively, feeling her small VW protest as it squealed to a halt, only just missing the man who had so unexpectedly emerged from the trees shadowing the road and who was even now bearing down on her.” (p. 15)
This is the point of the protagonists’ first meeting and it’s an unusual one as “Rigg” (the hero) emerges out of the darkness wearing only his pants. It’s a fabulous scene but what really makes it interesting is the way that Jordan phrases it above – whilst contemplating all the things she is going to do with her newfound freedom, Harriet finds that what she is “missing” in her life, is “the man”. Obviously, this is not a feminist text; and yet, strangely this novel is all about women’s choices. Rigg, we find, is as romantically inclined as Harriet. After being disappointed in love himself, he wakes up one day to find himself “nearly forty” and unmarried. Unusually for a Mills and Boon, we get to see his thoughts for a small space, as he daydreams about Harriet, applauding her choices and way of life.
The front cover of the original 1990 edition of this text does nothing for the novel – Harriet (who bears an uncanny resemblance to a horse) appears to be fighting off a smugly grinning Rigg. I can only think that the cover illustrator read the back (which makes reference to Harriet’s initial fears that Rigg is a rapist – a perfectly natural conclusion being as he emerges from the darkness in only his undercrackers) and the section at the very beginning of the book (where Harriet acknowledges that she is not a traditionally attractive woman) and used that as a basis for his picture.
The love scenes are not too detailed (it’s a better book for it) and how they arise is worthy of note – after a dinner dance, Rigg tells Harriet that “they need to talk”, and asks if he can call around after he has dropped his niece home (“only to talk”). Well, when Rigg eventually polls up (at three in the morning!) Harriet is already in her dressing gown and talking is the last thing on Rigg’s mind. Harriet, who has never experienced love before, is then flung into anxiety and doubt about what has happened between them and whether Rigg will telephone her like he has promised. When he fails to do this, Harriet experiences a very teenage angsty episode (we’ve all done it) when she wonders why he hasn’t rung her and comes to the conclusion that he is no longer interested now he’s had what he wants from her. (Something very similar happened to me once with a dentist from Manchester. I reached the same conclusion as Harriet.) However, it transpires that Rigg couldn’t ring her because he’d had a blow to the head and been in hospital. Poor old romantic Rigg wakes up believing that Harriet will be waiting anxiously by his bedside. Meanwhile, poor old anxious Harriet believes that Rigg has done the dirty on her, seducing her and leaving her flat afterwards. Thank goodness for Rigg’s niece clearing up the misunderstanding by page 183. (For all I know, a similar thing could have happened to the dentist, but I just didn’t have an obliging extraneous character to help me out there. Without that external assistance, I guess, I’ll never know).
There’s a lot going on in this one – the more mature protagonists definitely add another facet to the story. The fact that Harriet is a writer and focuses upon the creative process as a writer (revealing a little about Jordan’s own creative process simultaneously)
is another point of interest. Also, the intended audience of this book seems quite clear in this one – not just through the advertising in the text (I was using the original 1990 version) but also in the escapism that is being offered here for all those women readers who, like Harriet, never have the time or freedom to have the luxury of just pleasing themselves. Definitely recommend this text as one of Jordan’s best.
April 5, 2023
Guilty pleasure this total puddle of mush!! I kind of really liked it. The MCs were a bunch of oldies (almost) so they were quite sensible and thought themselves absolved from the sin of burning lust.
The h is 35 and done with raising her bully of a younger sister. When the sister gets married she finally buys herself a reclusive cottage somewhere. She meets the H there while he’s almost naked and refuses to help him out of fear that he might be an offender. Soon enough she’s stranded herself and comes knocking at his door for help.
The gentleman that he is, the H moves a step ahead of her with his valiancy and gets the h out of her tight spot. Every time the h goes down tripping, the H is there with his arms wide open. I was jelly in my knees.
When desire finally consumes them, the h becomes a shivering, trembling mess while the H just keeps a frowny face. There isn’t much angst except what the h rambles about in her head. The H is pretty straight forward and isn’t in for playing at his age. He wants the h and he lets her know that as crystal as he could be.
The H has a niece who nudges the MCs into being together. She was a fun girl and said the most outrageously hilarious things about her strict uncle without a thought!! I was glad she was in their family. Really sweet easy reading that I’d recommend for a crappy day!
The h is 35 and done with raising her bully of a younger sister. When the sister gets married she finally buys herself a reclusive cottage somewhere. She meets the H there while he’s almost naked and refuses to help him out of fear that he might be an offender. Soon enough she’s stranded herself and comes knocking at his door for help.
The gentleman that he is, the H moves a step ahead of her with his valiancy and gets the h out of her tight spot. Every time the h goes down tripping, the H is there with his arms wide open. I was jelly in my knees.
When desire finally consumes them, the h becomes a shivering, trembling mess while the H just keeps a frowny face. There isn’t much angst except what the h rambles about in her head. The H is pretty straight forward and isn’t in for playing at his age. He wants the h and he lets her know that as crystal as he could be.
The H has a niece who nudges the MCs into being together. She was a fun girl and said the most outrageously hilarious things about her strict uncle without a thought!! I was glad she was in their family. Really sweet easy reading that I’d recommend for a crappy day!
June 8, 2018
This is kind of a Cinderella story. The heroine is a woman who had no control over her life because it was completely taken over by her sister - the evil kind. Her sister lived selfishly, taking up every opportunity she had, leaving the heroine fending for herself and taking care of all her sister's needs.
Our story begins when the sister finally gets to a place where she doesn't rely on the heroine much. It takes a bit of leap of faith from the reader to believe that the hero and heroine love each other because it is a love at first sight story.
Still, the way the book has been written and how closely we follow the heroine's every thought and mood helps us feel like the heroine is honest.
It's an enjoyable read. It took me a long time to get through because of ~life~, but to anyone else, it's a good rainy afternoon read.
Our story begins when the sister finally gets to a place where she doesn't rely on the heroine much. It takes a bit of leap of faith from the reader to believe that the hero and heroine love each other because it is a love at first sight story.
Still, the way the book has been written and how closely we follow the heroine's every thought and mood helps us feel like the heroine is honest.
It's an enjoyable read. It took me a long time to get through because of ~life~, but to anyone else, it's a good rainy afternoon read.
September 5, 2012
For me this was a decent and good read, however there was very little content that made the book stand out as better than that. I enjoyed the heroine and her perspectives. When she was trying to be 'serious' I couldn't help but laugh sometimes, okay a lot of the time..
December 5, 2018
I really liked this book. My only bit of criticism is that the h was neurotic. She’s a 3o something year old virgin and seems to tremble and shake every time the H is near. If you didn’t know better you’d think she was terrified of him.
She fell in love with him at first sight, which involved him, angry, near naked and barefoot in the middle of the street looking like a lunatic. Understandable why she would be nervous at the start, but she would shake like a leaf every. single. time. It got annoying.
The H seemed like a rational guy. I loved that he cared for his niece after the death of her parents. He’s over protective, but kudos to him for excellent parenting intuition.
My favorite character by far is Trixie, the niece. She makes the book. Her effervescence and charm kept the book alive for me. She made the story.
She fell in love with him at first sight, which involved him, angry, near naked and barefoot in the middle of the street looking like a lunatic. Understandable why she would be nervous at the start, but she would shake like a leaf every. single. time. It got annoying.
The H seemed like a rational guy. I loved that he cared for his niece after the death of her parents. He’s over protective, but kudos to him for excellent parenting intuition.
My favorite character by far is Trixie, the niece. She makes the book. Her effervescence and charm kept the book alive for me. She made the story.
June 24, 2019
This book is a little sappy, yet it struck a chord with me because I met my husband when I was 36, married for the first time at age 40! These facts led to a deep connection with me and I’ve read this book many, many times!
own-but-wont-read-or-wallbanger
November 8, 2019A new life…with a seductive stranger!
Escaping to the Scottish borders, Harriet Smith is shocked when she encounters a disreputable-looking, near-naked man on the roadside! Convinced his intentions are unsavory, she refuses his plea for help.
So it's highly embarrassing when Harriet discovers that the man is in fact Rigg Matthews, her eminently respectable new next-door neighbor!
Rigg is ready to forgive and forget, especially when Harriet forges a firm friendship with his young niece. But then disaster strikes: Harriet finds herself falling in love with this tempting stranger!
Escaping to the Scottish borders, Harriet Smith is shocked when she encounters a disreputable-looking, near-naked man on the roadside! Convinced his intentions are unsavory, she refuses his plea for help.
So it's highly embarrassing when Harriet discovers that the man is in fact Rigg Matthews, her eminently respectable new next-door neighbor!
Rigg is ready to forgive and forget, especially when Harriet forges a firm friendship with his young niece. But then disaster strikes: Harriet finds herself falling in love with this tempting stranger!
October 15, 2020
I like reading about older, not real pretty ladies finding someone to love; Penny Jordan has a nice little story here. Nothing much happens but the two people are dancing around each other, both attracted, both falling in love, and neither wanting to quite make the first move.
September 6, 2023
3.5 stars
November 18, 2024
I didn't like it. The story and characters were incredibly boring. Np.
May 20, 2015
Heroine is thirty-five years old.too old for a harlequin heroine
June 10, 2023
Most of the story takes place in the heroine's ludicrously oblivious self-deprecating internal monologue. Not my bag.
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