A Bad Enemy

by Sara Craven

She wanted the impossible--his love!

Learning that her grandfather was critically ill was a severe shock for Lisle. Then she discovered that he planned to give Jake Allard control of their family business and arrange a marriage between her and Jake!

It would never work--Jake detested her. And yet he was willing to give the marriage a chance for convenience sake. "I want your social acumen and your body," he'd said.

But Lisle wanted more--she wanted his love. And that seemed to be reserved for another woman!

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience

187 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Anne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.

She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smitten hero hiding his 'love' with cruel taunts. A heroine with a undeserved bad reputation. An engagement of convenience. An OM, an OW. A playboy brother who likes to stir the pot. A dying grandfather who didn't care about the heroine's feelings - he just wanted her married to the hero.

All of these elements should have added up to a trainwreck, or a riveting read, or even an angst fest, but alas, this story didn't captivate me. The hero was kind of standard issue alpha - he was jealous of anything that moved near the heroine, he flaunted his OW, he taunted the heroine - usually after she put the brakes on sexy times. But he wasn't *that* cruel - or that interesting for that matter.

The heroine *was* a bit of a lightweight and I can see why everyone else who worked at the family business resented her when she only showed up at the office one day out of fourteen. The only time I liked her was when she was jealous of the OW and kept thinking all of these vicious thoughts and then realized she was a horrible person. LOL.

This is one for vintage/Sara Craven fans.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! I love jealous heroes and heroes who misjudge the heroine! He thought she was a whore and a party animal but he still wanted to marry her. He was so smitten and so was she. Great chemistry!

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel frustrated me over and over again. The heroine was constantly throw into each situation and it was beyond her control. It was as if she was a doll and unable to make her own decisions. So many times I would of loved to see her pull a gun and shoot the hero. He was malicious and cruel. I couldn't stand him, even at the end of the novel when he claimed he loved her. You don't act that way to people you love. Gosh, it was a bloody mess.

[Romance_reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Heart warming, wholesome romance from SC. h was a fairly interesting character as far as Harlequin heroines go - she 'charmed' clients for a living in her grandfather's company and had acquired quite a (false) reputation for that reason. H is alpha tycoon who loves her in spite of knowing about that 'reputation' of hers and the angst because of that is absolutely delicious. They have good chemistry together and I liked how the love story between them unfolded.

Recommended read for rainy day at home.

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisle is hosting a party at her swanky London flat, even though she maybe doesn’t like anyone at the party, including her roommate. Some pudgy drunk guy starts feeling her up, and Lisle is so over it, but she’s not allowed to punch him in the nose, because that makes Gerald mad.

Gerald, it turns out, is her brother. They’re both rich and heirs to their grandfather’s money and engineering firm, but the firm is starting to fail badly, and Gerald, who would be at the party were he not off making sweet love to a married lady on a tropical island, is sure that men touching Lisle’s tushie will eventually result in sweet cash for both siblings. But without, you know, Lisle actually resorting to transactional sex, because that would be appalling.

Lisle’s not as sure, but she’s got no alternate plan. Then Jake Allard shows up at Lisle’s party to imply that Lisle is useless and kinda slutty. ‘It’s so untrue that I’m slutty!’ Lisle would protest if she weren’t getting all butterfly stomach about how manly Jake is.

Oh, and by the way, Jake tells her, your grandfather just had a heart attack and is going to die. Which of course you won’t care about, seeing as how you’re a brat.

How outrageous, Jake. Of course Lisle cares deeply for her grandfather, and will do anything to make him happy. Even agree to marry Jake, who is buying out the family firm, and who she has only just met. ‘Great,’ says granddad, when she shows up at his bedside holding Jake’s hand. ‘Now that’s settled, go get me a scotch and something deep fried covered in cream sauce. For I am a loveably cantankerous old man! And once you’ve fed me more coronary-inducing food, off you toddle, leaving me to talk man stuff with Jake, there’s a love.’

I hate these old granddads or uncles or whatevers. I hate them passionately. This one has at least been vaguely affectionate, probably because Lisle is so pretty, but I have no patience for him because he’s clearly the most useless person in the story. First of all, I will NEVER forget that he’s the one who doesn’t know how to run his damn company, and has failed to do anything useful with either of his grandchildren. He is a manipulative old bastard and I enjoyed loathing him.

Lisle takes all this stupidity on the chin, because she has more hair than brains. It’s glorious red hair, because Lisle is a hot little piece of totty and destined to get herself in heaps of trouble unless a big strong man takes her in hand. She’s twenty-three, so obviously on the brink of doing something disastrous. Lisle is so classically hopeless in every single way. She has an excuse for everything – e.g. her swanky lifestyle, which she claims not to like, is funded by the nearly bankrupt family firm, and Gerald made her do it. She has a PR job with the firm but she rarely shows up because the other team members are mean about her being the boss’s granddaughter, and her manager gives her the boring non-jobs. And Gerald, who she does everything for, never supports her or anything. So it’s a pity party for Lisle.

Which makes Jake super crazy, because why can’t a useless, decorative woman just cop to the fact that she is useless, and get in his bed where she belongs? Jake initially says that sure, they’ll just pretend to be engaged while the old man’s getting better, but when he realises exactly how much he wants to get in Lisle’s pants, he’s all ‘no, it’s more convenient that we get married, because I need someone to organise my parties and lie in my bed while I impregnate her. Magnates must have heirs!’

I didn’t really dislike Lisle, I was just a bit frustrated by how everything made her miserable. Although that’s pretty typical of a Sara Craven heroine, they are as notoriously difficult to please as her heroes are notoriously difficult to get along with.

[Chantal ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So in the book the hero is not a very likeable guy in fact I hated him but I still enjoyed the book. She was a little immature and somewhat a victim. The story was good and the pace was adequate. It was a little distraction from the everyday and if you like an oldie with old fashion values you will like this book. Keep in mine it's over 30 years old here and the mind set was different then.

[DamsonDreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 as this had some tingling good moments and lots of potential but for me it just didn't quite rise to the anticipated heights. By which I mean SC harps on the h's unearned slut reputation vs actual virginity and then chickens out on letting the H find out the hard way despite lots of teasers so a bit anti-climactic. There is no actual consummation. Lisle is a rich man's grand daughter who is dangled as takeover bait to the H, Jake. He has some hot moments but is otherwise a tiny bit bland, maybe too much h introspection and agony time doesn't give him enough opportunities to really impress. Pity, as it really hit a lot of marks.

[Bukola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I happen to hate the Hero, if I had a gun and could see him face to face.. He'd be dead! You don't treat the people you love this way. The heroine was such a pain too.. No fire whatsoever! I wish she had made life very difficult for the Hero but nar.. This bish got on ma nerves. Would have loved this book if the the Author had made the Hero grovel ALOT. It was all too easy and I feel the ending was a bit rushed.

This is my first time reading a book by this Author.. I don't wanna be discouraged so I'll read more of her books just to see if I can get with her pattern of writing.

[Roub · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book was a definite 4 star. i liked it so much ! it lost 1 star along the way becoz jake was so mean, he was very much degrading wid lisle ! ofc he had heard rumors abt her. but dat does not justify his contemptuous attitude towards her. after all, they dunt react dat way 2 playboys. so y be contemptuous of a girl who plays the field ?;p but then maybe becoz he was asked 2 marry her. how lisle fell in love wid him dats unbelievable bcoz he was an ass 2her

[SassyLeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a “classic” Sara C.’s story: asshat but secretly besotted H, hate-love relationship, misunderstandings, sexual “harassment”, forced marriage etc.
A safe bet!! 😉

[RomLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

She wanted the impossible--his love!

Learning that her grandfather was critically ill was a severe shock for Lisle. Then she discovered that he planned to give Jake Allard control of their family business and arrange a marriage between her and Jake!

It would never work--Jake detested her. And yet he was willing to give the marriage a chance for convenience sake. "I want your social acumen and your body," he'd said.

But Lisle wanted more--she wanted his love. And that seemed to be reserved for another woman

[Grace Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another fantastic offering from the late, great Sara Craven, combining all the amazing things she brought to her Mills & Boon romances. The story is as follows: Lisle is the somewhat spoiled youngest granddaughter of a business tycoon, leading a lifestyle of parties and corporate entertaining (at the orders of her older brother) in the public relations arm of her grandfather’s electronics factory. Her odious brother (who is using her for her sex appeal to influence future clients – including horrible ones with clammy wandering hands) stands to inherit the factory – until Jake Allard arrives on the scene and stages a takeover of the factory. This is done with the full blessing of Lisle’s grandfather, as the factory isn’t doing too well because of the recession of the early 80s (and also probably because too much is being spent on company cars - her brother’s is a Porsche - and corporate ‘entertaining’ (when we first meet Lisle she is fighting off drunken clients who have been drinking too much champagne in her flat)).

Jake, believing that Lisle is little better than a high class hooker in her PR role (which admittedly does seem to involve not wearing many clothes and never turning up at the office), soon starts to restructure of the company (although bizarrely one of the conditions of the takeover is that Jake marries Lisle to keep the business in the family). Lisle gets absolutely no say in this whatsoever, however it soon becomes clear that Lisle is very attracted to Jake and starts to play her hand very well indeed in order to convince him to go through with a marriage that neither of them need to actually put into effect. Lisle is a convincing mixture of a heroine who really wants to continue her moneyed lifestyle, and wants to do it on her own terms (i.e. by driving Jake to his knees by blowing hot and cold and making sure he can’t do without her). She really is a very strong and cunning heroine indeed.

There are lots of other things going on in this book other than just Lisle’s performative role as ‘heroine’ in order to win the hero. Again, cars in the text are incredibly important (as they seem to be in many M&B novels) and this novel is also a fantastic rendering of social reality of the time (when the recession really was going on and driving companies to their knees). Like many of Sara Craven’s novels, this one has a gothic tinge to it, with the ‘gothic’ from the novel being derived from the suddenly impoverished heroine who is captured by the slightly forbidding hero and held captive in a ‘Priory’ whilst he swans off around London and does whatever he likes, leaving Lisle to do the gardening.

There’s also a hint at the history of this iconic publishing company in this novel. In 1971, Alan & John Boon effectively relinquished control of the company with the controlling interesting being passed to a Toronto based company (Harlequin). As Joseph McAleer reports in his history of the company: ‘Legally, the deal was not a ‘merger’, as the UK press release stated, but a ‘takeover’, as the Canadian release reported.’ (p. 139). So how did this family owned company survive with their family name still embedded within the brand? Mills & Boon remained although now being known as ‘Harlequin Mills & Boon’ because there was such goodwill attached to the familiarity of the name – just as in this novel, the Harlow Bannerman electronics company retains its name because ‘It’s a fine name, and there’s a lot of goodwill attached to it.’ (pp. 56-7). This tale of company wrangling seems just a little too close to the true history of the M&B brand to be coincidental – and I have noticed this type of company history being regurgitated in other novels from M&B, including Penny Jordan.

In short, this is a great example from the genre and definitely worthy of study (and although the heroine is initially quite horrible, she soon shapes up to be a strong, compelling character).

[More Books Than Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to Wife Against Her Will but misses the tension and strong emotions. Not clear why h and H love each other. The h’s brother is one of the most interesting characters and he’s a lightweight troublemaker. Grandpa schemes and manipulates, OW a nonentity and putative OM a plot device.

Still it’s from Sara Craven 1983 so it’s not one to miss.

[Mars G. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typical plot, typical ending. I was hoping for something refreshing, but it seems the only thing different about this novel was the extra layer of physical pain that the man inflicted on the lady. Grabbing someone and holding them down or so tightly that it bruises them has never been and will never be romantic.

[Ritsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost unfinished this book. All the good "ingredients" are there, but the execution was 'blah'! I keep waiting for the heroine to grow a backbone but no, all through the story she was being dragged along with some other person - if not the hero, then her brother, or even her sick grandfather!

[Presly Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

I disliked this one. Very poor execution from SC

[Lede · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sara Craven created a weak character with Lisle; she didn't have any principles, backbone, fire, ice or integrity. Her character was even overshadowed by minor ones like the heros mother, it's no surprise that Jake comes across as mean and horrid.

[Sapheron · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Josephine Lotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book reminded me of Octavia authored by Jill Cooper.. Even tho she was no prude but her wildness reflects that of heroine! And yes the hero was no Gareth but the whole business genius coming to save the company in a worse situation was a whole Lotta dejavu😇