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The Leaping Flame
He had no right to interfere! Drina had saved a long time for her cruise on the 'Andromeda.' And it would have been perfect if Scott Carlyon hadn't been aboard, with his low opinion of women, and Englishwomen in particular. When his grandfather offered her a job, Scott even dared to accuse Drina of taking unfair advantage. In fact, he bluntly ordered her not to accept it. But what was a challenge Drina couldn't ignore!
- GenresHarlequin Romance
191 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 1972
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 16, 2024
Hero meets heroine on a cruise ship and immediately starts tart-shaming her because OF COURSE he is, that is his job description as an Old Skool, mysoginist, shit-for-brains, donkey-faced, rude pig.
Heroine is outraged and upset and resentful and HATES, HATES, HATES him so she IMMEDIATELY accepts a live-in job at his home because there are NO OTHER jobs available for a young, female secretary in all of England, and even the world.
It didn't get better.
Ultimately, h and H's HEA hinged on a third party's interference to finally clear up the Great, Big, Terrible Misunderstanding between them: It was heroine's deadbeat twin sister, not the heroine, who was making out with the OM.
AND, as if that wasn't hilarious enough, the most unintentionally comical development in the story is that the OW paid her gardener to surreptitiously siphon all the gas from OM's car tank, causing the Huge Escandalo of heroine and OM being stranded together on some country back road all night long.
Heroine was too dim to defend herself and hero was not even bothered to investigate further or exert himself in any way.
When two protagonists are so passive, it doesn't scream love to me.
The concluding love declaration was also mediocre and totally unconvincing.
Hero, in the midst of his ILY declaration to the heroine, admitted he was crazily in love with OW in his youth and that he STILL felt that wild attraction when she came back into town. He didn't want to involve himself with her because now that he is older and more mature, he saw through the surface to her selfish personality. Sounds to me like he is still into OW but afraid to get hurt again, so the meek mouse heroine is a surer bet.
Note to heroes: Do NOT mention your ex's name during your proposal to your new "love of your life"!!!
Heroine is outraged and upset and resentful and HATES, HATES, HATES him so she IMMEDIATELY accepts a live-in job at his home because there are NO OTHER jobs available for a young, female secretary in all of England, and even the world.
It didn't get better.
Ultimately, h and H's HEA hinged on a third party's interference to finally clear up the Great, Big, Terrible Misunderstanding between them: It was heroine's deadbeat twin sister, not the heroine, who was making out with the OM.
AND, as if that wasn't hilarious enough, the most unintentionally comical development in the story is that the OW paid her gardener to surreptitiously siphon all the gas from OM's car tank, causing the Huge Escandalo of heroine and OM being stranded together on some country back road all night long.
Heroine was too dim to defend herself and hero was not even bothered to investigate further or exert himself in any way.
When two protagonists are so passive, it doesn't scream love to me.
The concluding love declaration was also mediocre and totally unconvincing.
Hero, in the midst of his ILY declaration to the heroine, admitted he was crazily in love with OW in his youth and that he STILL felt that wild attraction when she came back into town. He didn't want to involve himself with her because now that he is older and more mature, he saw through the surface to her selfish personality. Sounds to me like he is still into OW but afraid to get hurt again, so the meek mouse heroine is a surer bet.
Note to heroes: Do NOT mention your ex's name during your proposal to your new "love of your life"!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2013
This was a nice old fashioned romance. Drina meets the hero and his grandfather on a cruise she saved hard for and when the older man offers her a job, she takes it, despite the heroes animosity.
Scott Carlyon had good reason to mistrust women and when his grandfather is obviously matchmaking again, he resents it and the girl he believes to be a gold-digger.
Complications came from her sister Lois who puts Drina in a false position, egged on by the selfish Vanessa who was engaged to Scott years ago. A very sweet ending.
Scott Carlyon had good reason to mistrust women and when his grandfather is obviously matchmaking again, he resents it and the girl he believes to be a gold-digger.
Complications came from her sister Lois who puts Drina in a false position, egged on by the selfish Vanessa who was engaged to Scott years ago. A very sweet ending.
February 25, 2025
Doormat h who’s none too sharp, a vague H lacking any real personality, plodding plot and lacklustre chemistry between the characters… Second star added for the author including a *sorta* comeuppance for the OW.
January 30, 2026
Heroine (21) is drippy, love bitten and ends up with terrible and sanctimonious hero (30s), although he's really still in love/lust with his old lover.
Written like a bad melodrama as well.
Written like a bad melodrama as well.
May 24, 2022
He had no right to interfere! Drina had saved a long time for her cruise on the 'Andromeda.' And it would have been perfect if Scott Carlyon hadn't been aboard, with his low opinion of women, and Englishwomen in particular. When his grandfather offered her a job, Scott even dared to accuse Drina of taking unfair advantage. In fact, he bluntly ordered her not to accept it. But what was a challenge Drina couldn't ignore!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews