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Winner Take All
HE WAS A MAN USED TO VICTORY
An unhappy marriage had cured Carrie Spencer of love forever. All she wanted from life was to control the small firm of Elliot Bay Electronics and be left strictly alone.
But powerful entrepreneur Matt Lyle had other ideas. He loved nothing better than taking over companies --- and women. The harder they resisted, the more he enjoyed the fight.
When he went after EBE, and Carrie, she swore to resist. But he boxed her in and made resistance impossible. And suddenly she wondered: Did she want to escape him after all?
An unhappy marriage had cured Carrie Spencer of love forever. All she wanted from life was to control the small firm of Elliot Bay Electronics and be left strictly alone.
But powerful entrepreneur Matt Lyle had other ideas. He loved nothing better than taking over companies --- and women. The harder they resisted, the more he enjoyed the fight.
When he went after EBE, and Carrie, she swore to resist. But he boxed her in and made resistance impossible. And suddenly she wondered: Did she want to escape him after all?
189 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2020
The h is 24 year old Carrie Spencer. She has inherited an electronics company from her dead elderly husband. She married him when she was about 20 because he was sick and needed care. (yes this is a virgin widow story) Also because he took care of her when her father died so she feels she owes him.
Its been discovered that the company is at risk of being bought up by Matt Lyle, the H. He gobbles up companies and then dismantles them. Carrie tries to get an appointment with him but he is apparently very busy. But she runs in to him at a convention (I think) He immediately asks her out and won't take no for an answer. She gives him her maiden name and thinks this is a perfect opportunity to get some revenge or at least make a fool of him. So she accepts a date with him. At the end of the date he pushes his way into her home in the usual alpha male manner. After some forceful kisses from the H and body betrayal from the h. Matt reveals that he knows who she is. He blackmails her into a weekend at his cabin. He says he will settle for 2 chairs on the board of the company and won't do anything for 12 months or some such stuff ( I kind of tuned out all the business and company stuff so her is a quot)
'Your Company Appeals to Me, Carrie,
but I've found something else that appeals to me even more." He paused, then continued with businesslike crispness, "Spend a weekend with me and I'll settle for two seats on the board and an audit. In return, I won't take any farther action for twelve months." Caroline was absolutely livid. What did he
take her for? A piece of high-class
merchandise that he could purchase at whim?
"Get out of here! I'd die before I'd let you
touch me."
"That comment is going to cost you, Carrie.
When you change your mind—and you
will—you can come to my office- and ask me very nicely if the offer is still good."
After some soul searching and confiding in her closest confidant Maggie (who's first question is if he is good looking (give me strength!) And after Maggie basically endorses prostitution, the h decides to give in to the blackmail. She acknowledges that she is more afraid of herself (the body betraying syndrome) than Matt. She has built up a wall to protect herself since her husband, as I interpret it, use to verbally abuse her.
During the trip to his cabin he tries to coax her in to talking. But she is pretty stubborn. She is very nervous about how she will cope emotionally after sleeping with Matt. Turns out she needn't have worried. She gets drunk on champagne and motion sickness pills and the H very sweetly takes care of her. The next morning the H puts the moves on her and she blurts out her unicorn grooming status. Matt immediately interprets this as she married her husband for his money and denied him sex. Needless to say there is no sexy times and the trip is cut short.
That same weekend she is playing basketball when on of her teammates asks her to coach his sisters team. She agrees but it turns out that the sister is the daughter of the H's cousin (got it?). Now the story becomes boring for a while. Then about a month later Carrie gets flowers from the Matt. Then when Carrie gives the daughter of the H's cousin (got it?) a lift home Matt is there. She gives him a lift home and he proposes in the car. He can't stop thinking of her and blah blah. He does apologize for what he said at the cabin. Somewhere along the way Carrie seems to have fallen in love with the H. I must have missed it. Anyhoo. They end up marrying and after some initial problems in the marriage bed all is hunkydory.
Remember how I tuned out the business talk? Well now it seems a colleague of Carrie has bribed some people. Carrie knows about this but after the fact. I think it had something to do with voting or selling shares. (as I said I didn't pay attention). But anyhoo, Matt gets voted in as chairman of the board (or what ever) and decides to check all the old files where apparently the bribing is documented. I don't really understand how It works but just go with it. He had promised Carrie not to touch anything so she feels betrayed. Plus she just got voted of as chairman of the board. H ends up sleeping in the guest room.
The worst happens. The h overhears the H confront the bribing colleague. Who implicates Carrie. She hears Matt saying that it doesn't mater cos he is going to divorce her (or something to that effect). Carrie runs and hides at the H's cousins house with the help of the cousins wife. The next day the H comes there and has been looking for the h all day and night. Carrie is sitting in one room listening while Matt is ranting how much he cares for her to his cousin in another room. (the cousin has figured out that the h is at his house and got the H there. Carrie confronts him and explanations ensues. The H talked of divorce to the bribing villain to protect the h. If the BV knew how much Carrie meant to Matt it could be used as a weapon etc. Mutual declarations of love HEA
This is great for the first part with the H chasing the h and the blackmailed to be mistress trope. Love me some blackmailed mistresses! But then it fizzes out and gets boring with all the business talk. If you like a h that can withstand the H's seduction but still have some body betraying syndrome you will like this. The love scenes is fade to black.
Ohh and the friend Maggie is a bit creepy.
Its been discovered that the company is at risk of being bought up by Matt Lyle, the H. He gobbles up companies and then dismantles them. Carrie tries to get an appointment with him but he is apparently very busy. But she runs in to him at a convention (I think) He immediately asks her out and won't take no for an answer. She gives him her maiden name and thinks this is a perfect opportunity to get some revenge or at least make a fool of him. So she accepts a date with him. At the end of the date he pushes his way into her home in the usual alpha male manner. After some forceful kisses from the H and body betrayal from the h. Matt reveals that he knows who she is. He blackmails her into a weekend at his cabin. He says he will settle for 2 chairs on the board of the company and won't do anything for 12 months or some such stuff ( I kind of tuned out all the business and company stuff so her is a quot)
'Your Company Appeals to Me, Carrie,
but I've found something else that appeals to me even more." He paused, then continued with businesslike crispness, "Spend a weekend with me and I'll settle for two seats on the board and an audit. In return, I won't take any farther action for twelve months." Caroline was absolutely livid. What did he
take her for? A piece of high-class
merchandise that he could purchase at whim?
"Get out of here! I'd die before I'd let you
touch me."
"That comment is going to cost you, Carrie.
When you change your mind—and you
will—you can come to my office- and ask me very nicely if the offer is still good."
After some soul searching and confiding in her closest confidant Maggie (who's first question is if he is good looking (give me strength!) And after Maggie basically endorses prostitution, the h decides to give in to the blackmail. She acknowledges that she is more afraid of herself (the body betraying syndrome) than Matt. She has built up a wall to protect herself since her husband, as I interpret it, use to verbally abuse her.
During the trip to his cabin he tries to coax her in to talking. But she is pretty stubborn. She is very nervous about how she will cope emotionally after sleeping with Matt. Turns out she needn't have worried. She gets drunk on champagne and motion sickness pills and the H very sweetly takes care of her. The next morning the H puts the moves on her and she blurts out her unicorn grooming status. Matt immediately interprets this as she married her husband for his money and denied him sex. Needless to say there is no sexy times and the trip is cut short.
That same weekend she is playing basketball when on of her teammates asks her to coach his sisters team. She agrees but it turns out that the sister is the daughter of the H's cousin (got it?). Now the story becomes boring for a while. Then about a month later Carrie gets flowers from the Matt. Then when Carrie gives the daughter of the H's cousin (got it?) a lift home Matt is there. She gives him a lift home and he proposes in the car. He can't stop thinking of her and blah blah. He does apologize for what he said at the cabin. Somewhere along the way Carrie seems to have fallen in love with the H. I must have missed it. Anyhoo. They end up marrying and after some initial problems in the marriage bed all is hunkydory.
Remember how I tuned out the business talk? Well now it seems a colleague of Carrie has bribed some people. Carrie knows about this but after the fact. I think it had something to do with voting or selling shares. (as I said I didn't pay attention). But anyhoo, Matt gets voted in as chairman of the board (or what ever) and decides to check all the old files where apparently the bribing is documented. I don't really understand how It works but just go with it. He had promised Carrie not to touch anything so she feels betrayed. Plus she just got voted of as chairman of the board. H ends up sleeping in the guest room.
The worst happens. The h overhears the H confront the bribing colleague. Who implicates Carrie. She hears Matt saying that it doesn't mater cos he is going to divorce her (or something to that effect). Carrie runs and hides at the H's cousins house with the help of the cousins wife. The next day the H comes there and has been looking for the h all day and night. Carrie is sitting in one room listening while Matt is ranting how much he cares for her to his cousin in another room. (the cousin has figured out that the h is at his house and got the H there. Carrie confronts him and explanations ensues. The H talked of divorce to the bribing villain to protect the h. If the BV knew how much Carrie meant to Matt it could be used as a weapon etc. Mutual declarations of love HEA
This is great for the first part with the H chasing the h and the blackmailed to be mistress trope. Love me some blackmailed mistresses! But then it fizzes out and gets boring with all the business talk. If you like a h that can withstand the H's seduction but still have some body betraying syndrome you will like this. The love scenes is fade to black.
Ohh and the friend Maggie is a bit creepy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2018
See full review at ROMANCE NOVELS FOR FEMINISTS:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blog...
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blog...
March 4, 2017
3,5/5.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews