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Master of Pleasure
Sasha walked away from handsome millionaire Gabriel Cabrini to marry someone else—and he has never forgiven her. Now widowed, Sasha is shocked when Gabriel is named as heir to her late husband's wealth and guardian to her two young sons. She's completely in his power!
Sasha will not surrender, no matter how persuasive Gabriel might be. There is far too much at stake…especially the one thing that he must never know….
Sasha will not surrender, no matter how persuasive Gabriel might be. There is far too much at stake…especially the one thing that he must never know….
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 26, 2006
34 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,125 books668 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 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 1, 2017
I really hated this book!
The hero was a complete asshole who left her pregnant and alone then tries to blame her for the sorry state their relationship was in.
The fact that he has kids and does nothing to figure out about them, makes him worst then scum in my eyes.
She would have been better if her kids had been her husband's. He was no prize and she forgives him too easy!!!
I am raising kids myself and believe me if their father ran out on his responsibilities like this loser deadbeat did, I would not forgive in two pages.
Seriously woman, backbone not a wishbone!
The hero was a complete asshole who left her pregnant and alone then tries to blame her for the sorry state their relationship was in.
The fact that he has kids and does nothing to figure out about them, makes him worst then scum in my eyes.
She would have been better if her kids had been her husband's. He was no prize and she forgives him too easy!!!
I am raising kids myself and believe me if their father ran out on his responsibilities like this loser deadbeat did, I would not forgive in two pages.
Seriously woman, backbone not a wishbone!
October 21, 2017
Two guys meet in a bar. One is Penny Jordan’s Master of Pleasure Modern Romance Hero and the other is the archetypical Vintage Romance Hero who’s been giving him somewhat questionable advice on his love life.
Modern Romance Hero: Dude
Vintage Romance Hero: You look terrible. What’s up?
Modern Hero: You gave me some rotten advice, man. Be cruel. Act like a complete jerk. Chicks love that shit. Well, she didn’t. She left me, man! She left!
Vintage Hero: What?? You didn’t do it right. Was she a virgin? You’ve got to pick the virgins. That first mind-shattering orgasm is the key to everything.
Modern Hero: No, she wasn’t a virgin. She looked slutty, she seemed horny. And I’m always horny. It was a perfect fit. I’m pretty sure she had her first ever orgasm with me.
Vintage Hero: Did you tell her about your rotten childhood?
Modern Hero: Why on earth would I want to bring that crap up?
Vintage Hero: Listen. Listen very carefully. Times have changed. It’s not like before when you act like an arrogant dick-head and you’re The Man. You can’t do that anymore. You are not a prince from some God-forsaken land no one has heard of. You’ve got to have a reason for being that arrogant son of a bitch.
Modern Hero: I did tell her a bit about my childhood. Maybe that’s why we lasted a year. Anyway, I’m sure my sixty-year-old cousin, that meddling old fucker, told her all the gory details.
Vintage Hero: Who?
Modern Hero: I don’t want to talk about it. They got married.
Vintage Hero: What?? WTF!
Modern Hero: And they’re having twins.
Vintage Hero: What the… What the double fuck?
Modern Hero: The last time we were together, it was on her eighteenth birthday. I asked her what she wanted for a present. She said, just me. A future with me, a family, the works.
Vintage Hero: Whoa. Usually they throw out all these mixed signals. You mean this one came right out and told you exactly what she wanted?
Modern Hero: Yes! And I returned the favour. I told her in no uncertain terms that it was exactly NOT what I wanted.
Vintage Hero: See, you got greedy. Never ever be honest unless you’re ready to break it off, ready to propose or feel the Grim Reaper nearby.
Modern Hero: I should have known it was the end. The sex was always phenomenal but our last night together? She didn’t say a word, man, she just lay there like a block of wood during sex.
Vintage Hero: Ahh… I know that life. HEA is not all what it’s cracked up to be. But wait a second. Your cousin is sixty? Can he even shoot anything let alone blanks? How do you know the twins aren’t yours?
Modern Hero: Dude, we’re not like you old-timers. We use condoms, no matter how horny we get.
Vintage Hero: Really? Take a look around the bar at our billionaire friends with their pregnant mistresses and secretaries.
Modern Hero: Look, that’s not me. I took care of it. I don’t want a child. After what I went through with my mum, my dad, my grandfather …
Vintage Hero: Dude, save it for the ladies. In my time, we just owned being an asshole. We didn’t blame our parents or 25 relatives for our shitty behaviour. Now listen, just let it go. Have sex with as many girls as you can. Trust me. The HEA is for her, not you. Have fun and we’ll catch up maybe next year.
Modern Hero: Next year??
Vintage Hero: Look, I got the neurotic one, ok? I wasn’t celibate when we were apart, there was my secretary, my sister-in-law, shit even my own mother couldn’t stay out of it. So I only get to come out once in a while, ok?
10 years later…
Reunited story that centres solely on the main characters with an empowered heroine and a cruel but redeemable hero. Penny J unfolds the events between H and h where they meet up antagonistically after 10 years apart, to flashbacks of their first meetings and their breakup, told through their own very different perspectives. No cardboard OM/OW characters who create silly misunderstandings and make idiots out of the H and h. Well-written angst without the trainwreck.
For a more comprehensive review do check out KC, Dianna and Mary Delaney’s reviews. I just indulged in some silly fun with mine :)
Modern Romance Hero: Dude
Vintage Romance Hero: You look terrible. What’s up?
Modern Hero: You gave me some rotten advice, man. Be cruel. Act like a complete jerk. Chicks love that shit. Well, she didn’t. She left me, man! She left!
Vintage Hero: What?? You didn’t do it right. Was she a virgin? You’ve got to pick the virgins. That first mind-shattering orgasm is the key to everything.
Modern Hero: No, she wasn’t a virgin. She looked slutty, she seemed horny. And I’m always horny. It was a perfect fit. I’m pretty sure she had her first ever orgasm with me.
Vintage Hero: Did you tell her about your rotten childhood?
Modern Hero: Why on earth would I want to bring that crap up?
Vintage Hero: Listen. Listen very carefully. Times have changed. It’s not like before when you act like an arrogant dick-head and you’re The Man. You can’t do that anymore. You are not a prince from some God-forsaken land no one has heard of. You’ve got to have a reason for being that arrogant son of a bitch.
Modern Hero: I did tell her a bit about my childhood. Maybe that’s why we lasted a year. Anyway, I’m sure my sixty-year-old cousin, that meddling old fucker, told her all the gory details.
Vintage Hero: Who?
Modern Hero: I don’t want to talk about it. They got married.
Vintage Hero: What?? WTF!
Modern Hero: And they’re having twins.
Vintage Hero: What the… What the double fuck?
Modern Hero: The last time we were together, it was on her eighteenth birthday. I asked her what she wanted for a present. She said, just me. A future with me, a family, the works.
Vintage Hero: Whoa. Usually they throw out all these mixed signals. You mean this one came right out and told you exactly what she wanted?
Modern Hero: Yes! And I returned the favour. I told her in no uncertain terms that it was exactly NOT what I wanted.
Vintage Hero: See, you got greedy. Never ever be honest unless you’re ready to break it off, ready to propose or feel the Grim Reaper nearby.
Modern Hero: I should have known it was the end. The sex was always phenomenal but our last night together? She didn’t say a word, man, she just lay there like a block of wood during sex.
Vintage Hero: Ahh… I know that life. HEA is not all what it’s cracked up to be. But wait a second. Your cousin is sixty? Can he even shoot anything let alone blanks? How do you know the twins aren’t yours?
Modern Hero: Dude, we’re not like you old-timers. We use condoms, no matter how horny we get.
Vintage Hero: Really? Take a look around the bar at our billionaire friends with their pregnant mistresses and secretaries.
Modern Hero: Look, that’s not me. I took care of it. I don’t want a child. After what I went through with my mum, my dad, my grandfather …
Vintage Hero: Dude, save it for the ladies. In my time, we just owned being an asshole. We didn’t blame our parents or 25 relatives for our shitty behaviour. Now listen, just let it go. Have sex with as many girls as you can. Trust me. The HEA is for her, not you. Have fun and we’ll catch up maybe next year.
Modern Hero: Next year??
Vintage Hero: Look, I got the neurotic one, ok? I wasn’t celibate when we were apart, there was my secretary, my sister-in-law, shit even my own mother couldn’t stay out of it. So I only get to come out once in a while, ok?
10 years later…
Reunited story that centres solely on the main characters with an empowered heroine and a cruel but redeemable hero. Penny J unfolds the events between H and h where they meet up antagonistically after 10 years apart, to flashbacks of their first meetings and their breakup, told through their own very different perspectives. No cardboard OM/OW characters who create silly misunderstandings and make idiots out of the H and h. Well-written angst without the trainwreck.
For a more comprehensive review do check out KC, Dianna and Mary Delaney’s reviews. I just indulged in some silly fun with mine :)
August 16, 2018
The title has nothing to do with the story, so to remind myself what this is about:
This is the one where the hero had sex with a 17 year-old virgin (and didn't notice).
-He thought she a was a wannabe porn star based on a comment about her friends.
-He kept her in a relationship for a year and didn't notice she was pregnant and throwing up every morning.
-She married his elderly cousin for protection and he didn't notice that her twins were born a few months after.
-When the birth dates are spelled out for him (nine years later) he still doesn't get that the he could be the father.
-He doesn't understand that he is the father until the twin boys ask him about it.
This is one dim hero - I don't care how much of a "master of pleasure" he is - he needs a note pinned to him to find his way home.
Heroine was just as dim at 17, but she grew up with the help of therapy(!)
The H/h are still stupid together. That is - they fall in bed after the heroine's husband dies even though the hero is angry at the heroine for leaving him and the heroine is angry that the hero is named the twin's guardian.
The reader is subjected to the hero's painfully slow thought processes as he finally(!) realizes he might not be such a good judge of character because he is damaged goods. The heroine makes him work for his happy little family - there's about six months of courtship/good behavior. And this time hero notices she's pregnant.
PJ melds vintage tropes (secret baby, older husband that heroine never sleeps with, angry slut-shaming hero) with some of the naval gazing that is so popular in the newer stories. It kinda works. Hero really just wanted to be a vintage guy (As Sandra the Snarky One dramatizes in her wonderful review) - but he clutches his backstory like a security blanket. It's the only think keeping him from happiness - and we can't have that until the last ten pages.
This is the one where the hero had sex with a 17 year-old virgin (and didn't notice).
-He thought she a was a wannabe porn star based on a comment about her friends.
-He kept her in a relationship for a year and didn't notice she was pregnant and throwing up every morning.
-She married his elderly cousin for protection and he didn't notice that her twins were born a few months after.
-When the birth dates are spelled out for him (nine years later) he still doesn't get that the he could be the father.
-He doesn't understand that he is the father until the twin boys ask him about it.
This is one dim hero - I don't care how much of a "master of pleasure" he is - he needs a note pinned to him to find his way home.
Heroine was just as dim at 17, but she grew up with the help of therapy(!)
The H/h are still stupid together. That is - they fall in bed after the heroine's husband dies even though the hero is angry at the heroine for leaving him and the heroine is angry that the hero is named the twin's guardian.
The reader is subjected to the hero's painfully slow thought processes as he finally(!) realizes he might not be such a good judge of character because he is damaged goods. The heroine makes him work for his happy little family - there's about six months of courtship/good behavior. And this time hero notices she's pregnant.
PJ melds vintage tropes (secret baby, older husband that heroine never sleeps with, angry slut-shaming hero) with some of the naval gazing that is so popular in the newer stories. It kinda works. Hero really just wanted to be a vintage guy (As Sandra the Snarky One dramatizes in her wonderful review) - but he clutches his backstory like a security blanket. It's the only think keeping him from happiness - and we can't have that until the last ten pages.
March 28, 2013
Very well done. Emotionally gripping story about a young girl who falls in love with the wrong man. She winds up pregnant, hoping for commitment only to find that hero is only interested in the sexual aspect of their relationship. Destitute, alone and unhappy, she runs off to marry his much older cousin so that she can provide a stable and loving home for her children (turns out she has twins).
The story opens when she discovers that her now deceased husband has made the children wards of the hero forcing him back into their lives after a 10 year hiatus.
This was definitely a book of two halves. In the first half, I wanted to rip the hero in two for his ruthless and callous treatment of the heroine. But by the second half, I found myself wanting to hug him. The hero underwent a very slow metamorphosis. I liked that the author gave us many opportunities to get into his head and see his logic. It made for a much more interesting and credible story. I also enjoyed the heroine. I thought she was well written.
The story opens when she discovers that her now deceased husband has made the children wards of the hero forcing him back into their lives after a 10 year hiatus.
This was definitely a book of two halves. In the first half, I wanted to rip the hero in two for his ruthless and callous treatment of the heroine. But by the second half, I found myself wanting to hug him. The hero underwent a very slow metamorphosis. I liked that the author gave us many opportunities to get into his head and see his logic. It made for a much more interesting and credible story. I also enjoyed the heroine. I thought she was well written.
October 23, 2021
This is a sad book about a pedophile rapist.
The man seduces an underage disturbed teenager and make her his w***e keeping her for months, then basically throws her away when she tells him she loves him. She’s pregnant and marries his elderly cousin.
Ten years later he’s back slut shaming her and he’s all offended because she left him???
What kind of sick pervert Is he?
The kind only PJ was able to imagine.
I’m not even annoyed by the fact that he was a utter manwhore for all the ten years of their separation while she was completely celibate.
I’m sick and disgusted with the fact that he approached and seduced an underage teenager with issues and was never ever apologetic for this awful fact.
And I’d like to remind everyone that in Italy if a man has sex with an underage girl ( or boy) he can be prosecuted for rape.
And it’s still worse if he keeps her as his mistress as the awful man did.
The age gap between the partners when one is underage, to be safe from rape charge, must not be more than three years. In this case it’s 8, more than enough.
Even if the underage agrees, if she’s not deemed fit and has issues as in this case ( the heroine was under foster care) there can be a charge of rape, because she’s not able to understand what she’s doing.
That’s the law in Italy. I know this because unfortunately my job deals with similar cases.
I understand the H in this book is Italian, he should have known better.
He exploited a weak person not able to defend herself.
This really sickens me.
How can this book can be described as romance?
It’s an horror story.
I’m feeling really bad.
The man seduces an underage disturbed teenager and make her his w***e keeping her for months, then basically throws her away when she tells him she loves him. She’s pregnant and marries his elderly cousin.
Ten years later he’s back slut shaming her and he’s all offended because she left him???
What kind of sick pervert Is he?
The kind only PJ was able to imagine.
I’m not even annoyed by the fact that he was a utter manwhore for all the ten years of their separation while she was completely celibate.
I’m sick and disgusted with the fact that he approached and seduced an underage teenager with issues and was never ever apologetic for this awful fact.
And I’d like to remind everyone that in Italy if a man has sex with an underage girl ( or boy) he can be prosecuted for rape.
And it’s still worse if he keeps her as his mistress as the awful man did.
The age gap between the partners when one is underage, to be safe from rape charge, must not be more than three years. In this case it’s 8, more than enough.
Even if the underage agrees, if she’s not deemed fit and has issues as in this case ( the heroine was under foster care) there can be a charge of rape, because she’s not able to understand what she’s doing.
That’s the law in Italy. I know this because unfortunately my job deals with similar cases.
I understand the H in this book is Italian, he should have known better.
He exploited a weak person not able to defend herself.
This really sickens me.
How can this book can be described as romance?
It’s an horror story.
I’m feeling really bad.
July 8, 2020
"Master of Pleasure" is the story of Sasha and Gabriel.
Whew! What an emotional ride!
Come along to this angst and extreme passion filled journey of betrayal and love between a strong single mother and her ex.
Ten years ago, the hero and heroine were vigorous sex buddies. The 17 year old orphan girl had been charmed, and had eventually fallen in love with the much older and virile hero. However, the man had his own scars that had made him cynical, which is when the heroine confesses her love to him, he callously dismisses it. This leads to the heroine running away, and marrying his much older cousin..
At present, her beloved husband has passed away, leaving her destitute but not broken. Our heroine decides to become a independent working woman and provide for her growing sons- only for her ex to re-enter her life! The hero was named as the children's guardian by her husband on his deathbed. He accepts the role begrudgingly, and automatically assumes the heroine is an unfit mother. He also cant help but recollect the VERY lustful nights they spent together, lost in each other's bodies.
The book then proceeds to be a battle of wills between them, where the hero presumes the worst about the heroine- while she remains devoted to her children and proves him wrong. There is still mad attraction between them, but it is heavily colored by the lens of the hero's past. There is a point of realization where things take a turn, and a small portion of the book is dedicated to the hero groveling, trying to win the heroine's affection and love again.
This was a really, REALLY enjoyable read. I know there are potential problems with his behavior-especially during the separation- but we also have to understand their respective pasts and how abuse changes your perspective on things. I also liked that they did not vilify her ex husband, and that he was a genuinely nice and loving father to her children.
Unsafe
4.5/5
Whew! What an emotional ride!
Come along to this angst and extreme passion filled journey of betrayal and love between a strong single mother and her ex.
Ten years ago, the hero and heroine were vigorous sex buddies. The 17 year old orphan girl had been charmed, and had eventually fallen in love with the much older and virile hero. However, the man had his own scars that had made him cynical, which is when the heroine confesses her love to him, he callously dismisses it. This leads to the heroine running away, and marrying his much older cousin..
At present, her beloved husband has passed away, leaving her destitute but not broken. Our heroine decides to become a independent working woman and provide for her growing sons- only for her ex to re-enter her life! The hero was named as the children's guardian by her husband on his deathbed. He accepts the role begrudgingly, and automatically assumes the heroine is an unfit mother. He also cant help but recollect the VERY lustful nights they spent together, lost in each other's bodies.
The book then proceeds to be a battle of wills between them, where the hero presumes the worst about the heroine- while she remains devoted to her children and proves him wrong. There is still mad attraction between them, but it is heavily colored by the lens of the hero's past. There is a point of realization where things take a turn, and a small portion of the book is dedicated to the hero groveling, trying to win the heroine's affection and love again.
This was a really, REALLY enjoyable read. I know there are potential problems with his behavior-especially during the separation- but we also have to understand their respective pasts and how abuse changes your perspective on things. I also liked that they did not vilify her ex husband, and that he was a genuinely nice and loving father to her children.
Unsafe
4.5/5
April 7, 2022
Very emotional, strong heroine, I love this novel! 4.5 stars
Updated:
July/11/15
I just reread the book and I felt in love again with this story. One of the reviewers of this book says the evolution of hero's actions and way of thinking was amazing, and that is true. You CAN believe his remorse towards the heroine.
I love heroine's personality and the twins 💕
I don't know why I gave the book 4.5 stars, it deserves more than 5 in my opinion ñ_ñ and a gif image :D (let me find the correct one)
The last chapter and the epilogue are perfect 🤩
Loved it, loved it!
Re-read:
July/16/2020
This book always make me cry 😭 but I love it.
Re-read:
April 6/2022
It still made me cry 🥺 both main characters had tough experiences in their early years.
Note: There is one thing has always called my attention in Penny Jordan's books, and is about the meals she describes in their stories. To tell you the truth, everytime I read the descriptions of those meals a get hungry 😋😅 Have you paid attention to that detail? Also, some her heroines know how to cook 👩🏻🍳
Updated:
July/11/15
I just reread the book and I felt in love again with this story. One of the reviewers of this book says the evolution of hero's actions and way of thinking was amazing, and that is true. You CAN believe his remorse towards the heroine.
I love heroine's personality and the twins 💕
I don't know why I gave the book 4.5 stars, it deserves more than 5 in my opinion ñ_ñ and a gif image :D (let me find the correct one)
The last chapter and the epilogue are perfect 🤩
Loved it, loved it!
Re-read:
July/16/2020
This book always make me cry 😭 but I love it.
Re-read:
April 6/2022
It still made me cry 🥺 both main characters had tough experiences in their early years.
Note: There is one thing has always called my attention in Penny Jordan's books, and is about the meals she describes in their stories. To tell you the truth, everytime I read the descriptions of those meals a get hungry 😋😅 Have you paid attention to that detail? Also, some her heroines know how to cook 👩🏻🍳
September 7, 2015
Penny Jordan mush hate women. That's all that I can think at this point. The H whose name I can neither recall nor care to was SO MEAN!
Tragic childhood - check
Abandoned by mother - check
Cruel grandfather - check
Ass-hat to heroine - check
Groveling - Umm, not so much.
The h whose name I can not recall and I finished this last night (yes, apparently I can't look away from car crashes either)..falls for the H, don't know, but it must be the magic penis at work again. She is smart enough to figure out when she gets pregnant that if he's this mean now, what will he be like when the baby comes. She ends up married to his older cousin.
Ten years later, the h is in the H's evil clutches and the magic penis once again enraptures her. I had this checked at one star, but she does grow somewhat of a backbone so bumped to two stars.
Tragic childhood - check
Abandoned by mother - check
Cruel grandfather - check
Ass-hat to heroine - check
Groveling - Umm, not so much.
The h whose name I can not recall and I finished this last night (yes, apparently I can't look away from car crashes either)..falls for the H, don't know, but it must be the magic penis at work again. She is smart enough to figure out when she gets pregnant that if he's this mean now, what will he be like when the baby comes. She ends up married to his older cousin.
Ten years later, the h is in the H's evil clutches and the magic penis once again enraptures her. I had this checked at one star, but she does grow somewhat of a backbone so bumped to two stars.
October 2, 2015
Meh. It was a tried and true plot, but all the navel gazing and amateur psychology drove me nuts. What is up with all the constant psychoanalysis in HPs these days? Definitely not one of Penny's old school greats.
June 24, 2016
Widow Sasha watches her 9 year old twin sons play on the beach. She’s lost her husband, and he, unfortunately, had lost his small chain of boutique hotels and has left his family penniless. Sasha reflects that everything is about to get a little tricky. She doesn’t know the half of it.
Gabriel prowls down the beach, Sasha in his sights. Once, she was a cheap hussy who talked her way onto his yacht and into his bed. Then, she left him for his elderly cousin. No woman leaves Gabriel, he does the leaving! Sasha owes him a debt to his pride.
Surprise, Sasha! Gabriel, the lover you left ten years in your past is now the legal guardian of your twin sons. Oh, there’s sure to be some bitter drama ahead.
And yes, there is. Gabriel has a terrible childhood story, and knows women are wicked. All mothers, given half the chance, will desert their children to marry rich men. Then they have affairs and destroy their husband’s businesses with their outrageous demands for baubles. He lets Sasha know at every opportunity that he’s onto her.
‘Are you off to bleed another man dry? Better go quick, now you’re nearing 30 you are a dried up husk of a woman and will no longer have your pick of men!’ he says, whenever she leaves the room. ‘Yeah, thanks,’ Sasha says. ‘If I see any men on my way to the toilet I’ll be sure to seduce them.’
Ok, so maybe she doesn’t reach that level of sarcasm, but after her initial burst of fear and loathing, and her ongoing irritation over what an idiot he’s being, Sasha is pretty focused on behaving as much like an ordinary adult human being as she can. Her biggest barrier to success is that she really wants to climb all over Gabriel’s hot naked body. She always has, and faces the fact that she always will. It’s a terrible flaw.
Sasha also had a bad childhood. When she met Gabriel at 17 she invested her entire being into loving him. When she found out from her future husband that Gabriel also had a bad beginning, she was so happy! They had so much in common, and there would have a close bond forever!
No.
I have complaints about characters in romance doing no self-analysis on how their own behaviours are influencing poor outcomes. I complain that mother heroines often come off incredibly badly. Heroes are intensely critical of their failure to provide children with champagne lifestyles, and if the mother works, of her terrible abandonment of her children, and whether she works or not, of the terrible co-dependency inherent in their mother-child relationship. It’s never difficult to convince a mother that she’s doing a terrible job. That vulnerability is a source of huge angst in many novels.
Sasha is an awesome mother. She’s also an incredibly well put-together person. She’s worked on herself, she’s had counselling. She knows she doesn’t always make the right decisions, but it’s so refreshing that she doesn’t need the hero to come in and financially and emotionally rescue her. She's independent, and confident in her ability to build her own future and care for her boys.
I don’t need sensible people each time I read M&B (in fact, I do really like them to not be sensible), but I liked the way this came together.
I also adored her for being such an idiot at seventeen. She obsessed over Gabriel before meeting him, and her opening gambit was to tell him she was escaping from a porno. She hoped this would make her sound sexy. Naturally, Gabriel decided she was a whore.
He politely doesn’t greet her each morning with ‘what up, slag?’ which is fortunate. Or not, if you're of the opinion she might have been better off dumping him far earlier. While he’s still getting some, he’s pretty invested in keeping his stupid opinions to his stupid self.
While it didn't really apply here, sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be great if the heroine could act all flattered that the hero was implying that she had professional game? She could be all, ‘thanks, good note. As a matter of interest, what techniques would you consider my best moves?’ Of course, it really can’t work. The heroine is convinced that she’s emotionally invested in their intimacy, and the hero should be too.
I’ve put this review behind the spoiler blind, because, no surprise, Gabriel is the real daddy. It’s not much of a spoiler. She was also a virgin, and hasn’t slept with anyone since she left Gabriel. I’m making do with enjoying people being sensible, so won’t quibble over how I wouldn’t have minded if she had left Gabriel to get pregnant with another man.
You do sometimes get the sense that heroines are keeping secret children secret for reasons that sound superficially legit, but do have an underlying pettiness to them. The heroine is fighting for us all against misogyny, and naturally we have to appreciate her efforts and forgive her a few tiny flaws. The heroine rarely comes right out and says she kept her children away from their father for revenge, but her guilty reaction, and her wounded self-justification make it pretty clear that, even if she won’t always acknowledge it, the revenge was certainly there.
Sasha had such good reasons to keep her secret. And she’s consistent: when Gabriel confronts her she maintains that this was the right choice, that he wouldn’t have been a good father. She acknowledges that she wasn’t in the right place to be a good mother, and she needed to get away from Gabriel so that she could be.
I wish more heroines would back themselves like this. They have years to prep for this confrontation scene. Why can’t they just say: ‘I thought you’d be a bad father. You were a controlling, manipulative and emotionally distant man with some deep seated rage issues. Then your best friend threw you into a volcano, and you became a Sith lord. If that’s not reason enough not to tell you about our kid, I don’t know what is.’ And never apologise! Especially if you’re still not quite convinced that you were wrong.
Gabriel, after the obligatory proposal demand, accepts Sasha’s refusal gracefully, and manages to transform himself into a caring and respectful adult. I’d enjoyed hating him So Much in the early stages of the book, enjoyed his realisation of how wrong he was, and the groundwork for this transformation. He gives Sasha space, but makes it clear that he’s not just interested in his sons. He wants her, and loves her.
It made me so happy. A good grovel is a lovely thing, but this longer demonstration of how he’d changed was so satisfying. I loved this book. Sure, I’ve got a niggle. Sasha describes years of counselling to get her head on straight, whereas all Gabriel needed was an epiphany and he’s a better man. I felt that undercut some of Penny Jordan’s point about getting the help to do the work on yourself, rather than putting all your eggs in the ‘true love makes me a better man’ basket.
Gabriel prowls down the beach, Sasha in his sights. Once, she was a cheap hussy who talked her way onto his yacht and into his bed. Then, she left him for his elderly cousin. No woman leaves Gabriel, he does the leaving! Sasha owes him a debt to his pride.
Surprise, Sasha! Gabriel, the lover you left ten years in your past is now the legal guardian of your twin sons. Oh, there’s sure to be some bitter drama ahead.
And yes, there is. Gabriel has a terrible childhood story, and knows women are wicked. All mothers, given half the chance, will desert their children to marry rich men. Then they have affairs and destroy their husband’s businesses with their outrageous demands for baubles. He lets Sasha know at every opportunity that he’s onto her.
‘Are you off to bleed another man dry? Better go quick, now you’re nearing 30 you are a dried up husk of a woman and will no longer have your pick of men!’ he says, whenever she leaves the room. ‘Yeah, thanks,’ Sasha says. ‘If I see any men on my way to the toilet I’ll be sure to seduce them.’
Ok, so maybe she doesn’t reach that level of sarcasm, but after her initial burst of fear and loathing, and her ongoing irritation over what an idiot he’s being, Sasha is pretty focused on behaving as much like an ordinary adult human being as she can. Her biggest barrier to success is that she really wants to climb all over Gabriel’s hot naked body. She always has, and faces the fact that she always will. It’s a terrible flaw.
Sasha also had a bad childhood. When she met Gabriel at 17 she invested her entire being into loving him. When she found out from her future husband that Gabriel also had a bad beginning, she was so happy! They had so much in common, and there would have a close bond forever!
No.
I have complaints about characters in romance doing no self-analysis on how their own behaviours are influencing poor outcomes. I complain that mother heroines often come off incredibly badly. Heroes are intensely critical of their failure to provide children with champagne lifestyles, and if the mother works, of her terrible abandonment of her children, and whether she works or not, of the terrible co-dependency inherent in their mother-child relationship. It’s never difficult to convince a mother that she’s doing a terrible job. That vulnerability is a source of huge angst in many novels.
Sasha is an awesome mother. She’s also an incredibly well put-together person. She’s worked on herself, she’s had counselling. She knows she doesn’t always make the right decisions, but it’s so refreshing that she doesn’t need the hero to come in and financially and emotionally rescue her. She's independent, and confident in her ability to build her own future and care for her boys.
I don’t need sensible people each time I read M&B (in fact, I do really like them to not be sensible), but I liked the way this came together.
I also adored her for being such an idiot at seventeen. She obsessed over Gabriel before meeting him, and her opening gambit was to tell him she was escaping from a porno. She hoped this would make her sound sexy. Naturally, Gabriel decided she was a whore.
He politely doesn’t greet her each morning with ‘what up, slag?’ which is fortunate. Or not, if you're of the opinion she might have been better off dumping him far earlier. While he’s still getting some, he’s pretty invested in keeping his stupid opinions to his stupid self.
While it didn't really apply here, sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be great if the heroine could act all flattered that the hero was implying that she had professional game? She could be all, ‘thanks, good note. As a matter of interest, what techniques would you consider my best moves?’ Of course, it really can’t work. The heroine is convinced that she’s emotionally invested in their intimacy, and the hero should be too.
I’ve put this review behind the spoiler blind, because, no surprise, Gabriel is the real daddy. It’s not much of a spoiler. She was also a virgin, and hasn’t slept with anyone since she left Gabriel. I’m making do with enjoying people being sensible, so won’t quibble over how I wouldn’t have minded if she had left Gabriel to get pregnant with another man.
You do sometimes get the sense that heroines are keeping secret children secret for reasons that sound superficially legit, but do have an underlying pettiness to them. The heroine is fighting for us all against misogyny, and naturally we have to appreciate her efforts and forgive her a few tiny flaws. The heroine rarely comes right out and says she kept her children away from their father for revenge, but her guilty reaction, and her wounded self-justification make it pretty clear that, even if she won’t always acknowledge it, the revenge was certainly there.
Sasha had such good reasons to keep her secret. And she’s consistent: when Gabriel confronts her she maintains that this was the right choice, that he wouldn’t have been a good father. She acknowledges that she wasn’t in the right place to be a good mother, and she needed to get away from Gabriel so that she could be.
I wish more heroines would back themselves like this. They have years to prep for this confrontation scene. Why can’t they just say: ‘I thought you’d be a bad father. You were a controlling, manipulative and emotionally distant man with some deep seated rage issues. Then your best friend threw you into a volcano, and you became a Sith lord. If that’s not reason enough not to tell you about our kid, I don’t know what is.’ And never apologise! Especially if you’re still not quite convinced that you were wrong.
Gabriel, after the obligatory proposal demand, accepts Sasha’s refusal gracefully, and manages to transform himself into a caring and respectful adult. I’d enjoyed hating him So Much in the early stages of the book, enjoyed his realisation of how wrong he was, and the groundwork for this transformation. He gives Sasha space, but makes it clear that he’s not just interested in his sons. He wants her, and loves her.
It made me so happy. A good grovel is a lovely thing, but this longer demonstration of how he’d changed was so satisfying. I loved this book. Sure, I’ve got a niggle. Sasha describes years of counselling to get her head on straight, whereas all Gabriel needed was an epiphany and he’s a better man. I felt that undercut some of Penny Jordan’s point about getting the help to do the work on yourself, rather than putting all your eggs in the ‘true love makes me a better man’ basket.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2015
Aww that was a very emotional read. I miss Penny Jordan she was the best!
July 19, 2020
My heart went out to Gabriel, the damaged hero. Sasha, too, earned my sympathy and respect. I loved her honesty and how selflessly she gave of herself when initially with Gabriel even though it made her very vulnerable to hurt. And, boy, did he hurt her.
Gabriel didn't intend to, but the man just wasn't equipped for a healthy relationship (his childhood baggage had warped his beliefs on love and women). Sasha, too, had suffered prior trauma. While Sasha externalized her hurt by seeking out love, Gabriel held others at a distance, not believing in love or the existence of good women. Of course, they do find their happy ending but it's a bumpy ride beforehand.
My only real complaint would be that I didn't fully understand how Gabriel put the past behind him without therapy. He had a ton of emotional baggage so his transformation came a bit too fast for me. I guess realizing he had the love of a good woman, Sasha, made Gabriel realize that not all women were alike? Ah, the power of love!
Gabriel didn't intend to, but the man just wasn't equipped for a healthy relationship (his childhood baggage had warped his beliefs on love and women). Sasha, too, had suffered prior trauma. While Sasha externalized her hurt by seeking out love, Gabriel held others at a distance, not believing in love or the existence of good women. Of course, they do find their happy ending but it's a bumpy ride beforehand.
My only real complaint would be that I didn't fully understand how Gabriel put the past behind him without therapy. He had a ton of emotional baggage so his transformation came a bit too fast for me. I guess realizing he had the love of a good woman, Sasha, made Gabriel realize that not all women were alike? Ah, the power of love!
June 27, 2017
Just okay. Way too much introspection. As I said in my update as I was reading there would be a couple of lines of action or dialog followed by 6 pages of rolling around in their thoughts. Both of them were written this way. Plus the hero was an idiot Oh well. It passed the time and wasn't absolutely horrible. Although more than likely if I hadn't purchased it, say I had checked it out of the library, I would not have stuck with it.
October 8, 2021
Thankfully H was mean and h had a backbone!
April 23, 2017
Sasha met Gabriel in Monte Carlo when she was 17. They had a year long relationship in which Gabriel let her know that she was nothing more than a companion for sex. After a particularly nasty confrontation with Gabriel telling her that he did not and would never love her and only needs her for sex, Sasha left Gabriel and ran to his much older cousin, Carlo. Carlo guessed that she was pregnant and married her, claiming her twin sons as his own.
Ten years later a very angry and bitter Gabriel shows up after Carlo's death to reveal that he now owned all of Carlo's properties and that Carlo had made him guardian to the twins. Now Sasha has to protect herself and her sons from Gabriel.
There was so much pain in the H's past that there is no way you couldn't feel sympathy for him. Even when he was doing his best to channel his inner asshole. Sasha was fortunate that she was able to work past her childhood issues to be a good mother. Gabriel did not and still lived with his anger and pain from his past.
His growth and progress through the book was very satisfying. He came in as an ogre and slooowly realized that his perception of things may not have been the truth. I also loved the fact that Sasha made his work for her love. She didn't fall back into his arms but made him work toward their relationship. Very satisfying book.
Ten years later a very angry and bitter Gabriel shows up after Carlo's death to reveal that he now owned all of Carlo's properties and that Carlo had made him guardian to the twins. Now Sasha has to protect herself and her sons from Gabriel.
There was so much pain in the H's past that there is no way you couldn't feel sympathy for him. Even when he was doing his best to channel his inner asshole. Sasha was fortunate that she was able to work past her childhood issues to be a good mother. Gabriel did not and still lived with his anger and pain from his past.
His growth and progress through the book was very satisfying. He came in as an ogre and slooowly realized that his perception of things may not have been the truth. I also loved the fact that Sasha made his work for her love. She didn't fall back into his arms but made him work toward their relationship. Very satisfying book.
December 23, 2022
This had so many of my pet peeves (secret child, h celibate for 10 years, while H wasnt), but I loved the emotional aspect of the story.
The H grew up abused.
H is a complete ass to the h due to his childhood, and ends up losing her to another man.
The h marries an old cousin of his.
I was in a serious relationship for 3-4 years when I was 17 with a man who was 26, so the age gap didnt bother me.
I also listened to this book, instead of reading it myself, using the NaturalReader 16 app (voice:English South Africa-speed 1), and I tend to take audioboooks less seriously lol.
I mean, who rage listens to a romance audiobook lol..
The H grew up abused.
H is a complete ass to the h due to his childhood, and ends up losing her to another man.
The h marries an old cousin of his.
I was in a serious relationship for 3-4 years when I was 17 with a man who was 26, so the age gap didnt bother me.
I also listened to this book, instead of reading it myself, using the NaturalReader 16 app (voice:English South Africa-speed 1), and I tend to take audioboooks less seriously lol.
I mean, who rage listens to a romance audiobook lol..
December 17, 2016
It was such a beautiful, emotional read. I adored it.
April 26, 2013
Now speaking plainly, there's a bit of a stigma attached to reading these books - they're all a bit trashy and essentially all the same, and the cover illustration of this - the Uncut edition, featuring a young couple building up to having sex on the beach (not the cocktail), does nothing for the credibility of any reader of this novel. However, this is a great book and, like a lot of Penny Jordan novels, has just that little bit more substance than your average Mills and Boon. I know, I know, it's never going to be thought of as great literature, but this has everything that a good novel needs - well-rounded characters who learn and develop themselves during the period of their lives where we, the readers, are following their progress; a dilemma the heroes and heroines must overcome and - of course - the prerequisite happy ending. This one deals with Gabriel and Sasha. Now, Sasha has grown up in the care system feeling unwanted and unloved. As a result of this she has given herself to the wealthy Gabriel hoping that he might be her knight in shining armour. However, Gabriel believes she is just an easy lay and treats her pretty badly. Nine years later, Sasha now has twins and her husband has just died. Gabriel has been appointed the boys' guardian and is back in her life and wanting revenge for the fact that she walked out on him all those years ago. Now, you don't have to be a mathematician to work out that Sasha left Gabriel when she was 18 years' old. She is now 28 and has 9 year old twins - hmmm, I wonder who the father of those twins could be? Sadly, mathematics really isn't Gabriel's strong point and it takes him until around page 161 to work out that it's him. AND, he only manages this because the twins tell him that Mum's deceased husband was not their dad. Okay, he's not the sharpest tool in the box, but he is big enough to admit his past mistakes and spend the next 25 pages or so desperately trying to make it up to Sasha and convince her to marry him. The fact that he's behaved like a very bad man indeed for the first 160 pages (including forcing himself on Sasha twice, accusing her of being a woman of easy virtue, a gold-digger and threatening to take the kids off her because she's not a fit mother) is conveniently forgotten by Sasha (thank Goodness!) after all we need that happy ending. Once again, Penny Jordan pokes fun at her art in this novel making it plain (via her heroine) that there is something lacking in this type of novel. Consider, "We never talked," [Sasha accuses Gabriel] "We simply had sex, and I made up my foolish fantasies [of romance]" and, later, when Gabriel is in making amends territory, Sasha thinks to herself, "In a dream world, a perfect world, this was where she would fling herself into his arms with cries of joy that they would live happily ever after. But reality wasn't like that. Reality could be harsh and unforgiving." This is really a very fine example of a Mills and Boon romance and one cannot help but think that it really is too good to belong to their publishing list (considering what the standard generally is). It's an excellent example of one of their very best author's works.
July 2, 2017
i don't think i ever disliked a hero more than now..
July 9, 2020
Very intense emotionally.
Sasha was a very naive young woman who, because of her terrible childhood, made up a fantasy around a young Italian man who took her to bed. Gabriel Cabrini thought she was one who sold her favors to anyone, but enjoyed the affair- until she walked away from him to marry his much-older cousin.
‘But you must want to get married and…and have children. We would have such beautiful children, Gabriel.’ She could still see the look in his eyes as he had stared at her and said, flatly and emotionlessly, ‘Children are the last thing I want, and I certainly don’t want them with a woman like you.’
‘Enjoy what we have Sasha,’ he had said, still breathing heavily. ‘Because I certainly intend to. This is all there is for us, and it’s all there ever will be. It’s called sex. Not love, sex. But you know as well as I do that you can’t live without it, and you can’t live without me.’ His voice had held a note of undisguised triumph.
Years pass and Sasha's husband has died, leaving the bankrupt estate to Gabriel, but also their two young twin sons. Gabriel is still furious that Sasha betrayed him and is determined to take her sons away from their evil, corrupt mother- punishing her for daring to leave him. As usual in HPland, nothing is what it appears.
I love that Sasha is a "mama bear" for her sons and is raising them so well.
‘Mum is teaching us how to fillet it,’ Nico said gravely. ‘You’re planning to raise two chefs?’ Gabriel asked her softly, in a slightly unkind voice. ‘No, I’m raising two sons to be independent and as aware of their environment and the pleasure of the simple, good things this life provides as they can,’ Sasha corrected him fiercely. ‘My sons-'
I liked that the reader could see Gabriel's thought process as he came to realize that he was wrong about Sasha:
Whatever she might have been, wasn’t it the truth that she was now a woman with two sons whom she loved with an intensity that he could almost feel, never mind see? But if he allowed himself to accept that he was misjudging Sasha, then what might that lead to? Pain? Regret? The admission that he had lost something irreplaceable, something infinitely precious?
I love that she didn't fall into his arms when he finally declares his love for her, but rather waited until both of them were sure:
‘You may not love me any more, Sasha, but I do love you.’ If only she could let herself believe that. The thrill of hearing those words after so many years was threatening to sweep away all her doubts. But she mustn’t let it.
‘That’s easy enough to say, Gabriel. But it seems to me that you’ve discovered you love me far too quickly after you discovered the boys were yours.’ Gabriel admitted that she had every right to throw that accusation at him—even if it wasn’t true.
'It’s not as though I’m trying to deny you a role in the boys’ lives. You are their father, and you are their guardian. You’re free to form your own relationship with them. But not via my bed. I’m not doing anything that might lead to them becoming victims of a bitter broken home.’
Good writing, very well balanced.
Sasha was a very naive young woman who, because of her terrible childhood, made up a fantasy around a young Italian man who took her to bed. Gabriel Cabrini thought she was one who sold her favors to anyone, but enjoyed the affair- until she walked away from him to marry his much-older cousin.
‘But you must want to get married and…and have children. We would have such beautiful children, Gabriel.’ She could still see the look in his eyes as he had stared at her and said, flatly and emotionlessly, ‘Children are the last thing I want, and I certainly don’t want them with a woman like you.’
‘Enjoy what we have Sasha,’ he had said, still breathing heavily. ‘Because I certainly intend to. This is all there is for us, and it’s all there ever will be. It’s called sex. Not love, sex. But you know as well as I do that you can’t live without it, and you can’t live without me.’ His voice had held a note of undisguised triumph.
Years pass and Sasha's husband has died, leaving the bankrupt estate to Gabriel, but also their two young twin sons. Gabriel is still furious that Sasha betrayed him and is determined to take her sons away from their evil, corrupt mother- punishing her for daring to leave him. As usual in HPland, nothing is what it appears.
I love that Sasha is a "mama bear" for her sons and is raising them so well.
‘Mum is teaching us how to fillet it,’ Nico said gravely. ‘You’re planning to raise two chefs?’ Gabriel asked her softly, in a slightly unkind voice. ‘No, I’m raising two sons to be independent and as aware of their environment and the pleasure of the simple, good things this life provides as they can,’ Sasha corrected him fiercely. ‘My sons-'
I liked that the reader could see Gabriel's thought process as he came to realize that he was wrong about Sasha:
Whatever she might have been, wasn’t it the truth that she was now a woman with two sons whom she loved with an intensity that he could almost feel, never mind see? But if he allowed himself to accept that he was misjudging Sasha, then what might that lead to? Pain? Regret? The admission that he had lost something irreplaceable, something infinitely precious?
I love that she didn't fall into his arms when he finally declares his love for her, but rather waited until both of them were sure:
‘You may not love me any more, Sasha, but I do love you.’ If only she could let herself believe that. The thrill of hearing those words after so many years was threatening to sweep away all her doubts. But she mustn’t let it.
‘That’s easy enough to say, Gabriel. But it seems to me that you’ve discovered you love me far too quickly after you discovered the boys were yours.’ Gabriel admitted that she had every right to throw that accusation at him—even if it wasn’t true.
'It’s not as though I’m trying to deny you a role in the boys’ lives. You are their father, and you are their guardian. You’re free to form your own relationship with them. But not via my bed. I’m not doing anything that might lead to them becoming victims of a bitter broken home.’
Good writing, very well balanced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2017
This is a classic reunion. Sasha as a young needy teen, spent a summer with millionaire Gabriel Cabrini. When he made it clear she was just about the sex, despite her being in love, she left him for the sake of her unborn child. She married an elderly Cabrini cousin and spent the last ten years growing up, bringing up her twin boys and looking after her aged, ailing husband.
Now he's dead and he's appointed Gabriel as the guardian of the boys. The last thing Sasha wants or needs. Gabriel is in revenge mode but he forms a surprising bond with the boys.
The hero was a genuine jerk at the start because of the traditional horrible upbringing. It was nice to see him change and grow over the course of the book as he gets to know his sons, before he knew they were his sons, and Sasha, the girl he couldn't forget.
Gabriel certainly wouldn't have been faithful over the long separation but at least we didn't get his manwhore ways spelled out in explicit detail. Sasha's marriage was suitably chaste.
This is a fairly explicit story as it's part of a series of warmer romances.
The ending was satisfying.
Now he's dead and he's appointed Gabriel as the guardian of the boys. The last thing Sasha wants or needs. Gabriel is in revenge mode but he forms a surprising bond with the boys.
The hero was a genuine jerk at the start because of the traditional horrible upbringing. It was nice to see him change and grow over the course of the book as he gets to know his sons, before he knew they were his sons, and Sasha, the girl he couldn't forget.
Gabriel certainly wouldn't have been faithful over the long separation but at least we didn't get his manwhore ways spelled out in explicit detail. Sasha's marriage was suitably chaste.
This is a fairly explicit story as it's part of a series of warmer romances.
The ending was satisfying.
September 20, 2018
"Master of Pleasure" was a Emotional roller-coaster about a second-chance love story between the cynical and tortured Italian Tyccon Gabriel Calbrini and the mother of 9-year old twins widow Sasha.
The memory of their passionate affair 10 years ago surfaces again when they meet again,and this time Gabriel are full-bent on taking revenge against her-because she left him to marry his cousin.
The angst are alert and we get many emotions as we get to know Sasha and Gabriel.Their romance are intense and sexy-and the sex-scenes was sooo smoking hot and graphic in a sensual way.No wonder this title are called "Master of Pleasure"-cuz both Sasha and Gabriel had the best sex ever together!
The scene where Gabriel got to know that he are the twins real father was very emotional-and i thought it so cute.But i was surprised that Gabriel didn`t got madly furious as many other heroes get when their father-hood have been kept a secret..but yeah it wasn`t before he realized his love for Sasha either.
The memory of their passionate affair 10 years ago surfaces again when they meet again,and this time Gabriel are full-bent on taking revenge against her-because she left him to marry his cousin.
The angst are alert and we get many emotions as we get to know Sasha and Gabriel.Their romance are intense and sexy-and the sex-scenes was sooo smoking hot and graphic in a sensual way.No wonder this title are called "Master of Pleasure"-cuz both Sasha and Gabriel had the best sex ever together!
The scene where Gabriel got to know that he are the twins real father was very emotional-and i thought it so cute.But i was surprised that Gabriel didn`t got madly furious as many other heroes get when their father-hood have been kept a secret..but yeah it wasn`t before he realized his love for Sasha either.
October 2, 2015
3.5 stars: Trying to catch up on Penny Jordan's back list. Really enjoyed this one. nice slow reveal. Very emotional.
October 27, 2013
very good one, very intense emotions involved. the flashbacks were very painful n heartbreaking. at one point, sasha told gabriel dat he must want children, he must want 2 get married. he told her dat no but even if he wanted, she was not the woman 4it. she was just a slut, a hooker he had picked up from the streets n he proved it time n again. he treated her like a cheap little tart which he kept 4 sex. n he was angry she left him !? 4 want of a better life !? where she cud have security n respect !? haha xd good move, sasha !! n i wish u wud have made him grovel at the end ! i appreciated dat she did not get back wid gabriel on the spot, she did not accept him but nor did she make him grovel. he deserved the grovelling though i understand where he came from. he was damaged from his childhood, had not had an easy life but i thought dat wud have made him sympathetic towards a cheap lil girl whom life had not been generous 2 either. it wud have been a 5 star if she had told him no she did want him n cud not 4give him...n we cud have had some melodrama n then she said ok i 4give u, n only then we have our HEA
June 25, 2014
This book has some really good points in it. When something goes on with a relationship you need to talk things over and make decisions then. Gabriel who is a millionaire treats Sasha like crap and when she is at her lowest she runs away and marries an older man.
When he dies she finds out that her late husband has left everything in Gabriel's name, even her kids. Now she knows that he will make her life bad and he just might find her secret out.
So sometimes these books make me scream but I still love them.
When he dies she finds out that her late husband has left everything in Gabriel's name, even her kids. Now she knows that he will make her life bad and he just might find her secret out.
So sometimes these books make me scream but I still love them.
May 5, 2015
Decent read
October 4, 2015
I couldn't connect with the story. Idk maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I usually enjoy internal musings but not this time. It seems off.
February 20, 2018
Really enjoyed this one.
December 27, 2012
The story built up very well before revealing that the hero was the father of her twins. Simple mathematics was beyond the hero. Predictably jumped to the wrong conclusion that the heroine cheated on him. I'd have personally liked the hero to grovel a bit more. The ending was quite satisfying. "Uncut" - Now I Know what it means. Phew! some really hot scenes - very well written - suggestively erotic without being vulgar. Some of the emotional scenes brought tears to my eyes.
December 14, 2014
Third time reading this book, therefore Master of Pleasure deserves 5 stars.
I seem to always go back to readinf this book for the angst and the heartbreaking story of their past. I like that the heroine grew as a person in order to be a good mother to her twin sons.
I seem to always go back to readinf this book for the angst and the heartbreaking story of their past. I like that the heroine grew as a person in order to be a good mother to her twin sons.
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