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A Most Unsuitable Wife
Could she make a go of child rearing? Lorraine Ellis didn't know-her modeling career certainly hadn't prepared her for it--but she was determined to try. The loss of her brother had made her painfully aware of how alone she was. Yet she couldn't let her niece and nephew be shunted off to the custody of the grandparents who'd ignored their existence until now. So she was grateful when her neighbor, Jason Fletcher, offered his help. Attractive and charming, Jason was the answer to any woman's prayer--and Lorraine just hoped she could trust him.
284 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
39 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Leigh
113 books66 followersaka Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott, Rozella Lake
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 27, 2017
Re A Most Unsuitable Wife - Roberta Leigh's BIG Misunderstanding for 179 pages is a bit frustrating. We have an h who is a model and an H who seems like a helpful kinda guy, but in reality he is something quite different and the miscommunication and misunderstandings go from resolvable molehill to insurmountable mountain in no time flat.
When the story starts the h finds out that her beloved brother and his wife - who has been estranged from her aristocratic parents since she married "beneath her social status" - have died. That leaves two children without parents and the h steps up to the plate. Sure it is a big adjustment from her high paced modeling life, but the h loves her family and her brother practically raised her after her own parent's died, so she owes him big time.
Instant parenthood is an adjustment and all of the sudden her sister in law's parents want custody of the kids that they have never met, but things are made easier when her new neighbor steps in to help her with the myriad problems of new parenthood - despite being full of criticism over her parenting skills.
Except he isn't a friendly neighbor at all, he is the nephew of the grandparents and he is there to ruin the h. Unfortunately the h falls in love with him and he is interested in nothing but getting her into bed. While he certainly doesn't think the h will be a good parent, she is just right for a pump and dump or six, tho the h will have to take a ticket for the H's lady buffet. She refuses the invitation as she is still petting unicorns in her spare time.
There is also another woman, who loves to stir the pot, that the H flaunts in front of the h. Tho the H claims that she is his editor, (the H writes espionage thrillers,) I have never heard of an editor slamming her tongue down a writer's throat in the normal course of business - I am not sure anyone's tonsils need that close of an edit.
When the h is photographed with a pushy potential client, who wants her for a modeling campaign, leaving her hotel room at two in the morning, the grandparents accuse the h of immorality and sweep in and take the children - being really, really mean to the h in the process. The OW tells the h who the H really is and the h stupidly pretends she was trying to seduce the H over to her side instead of telling the truth and making him feel like a louse.
The h's lawyer tells her she can reapply for custody if she is married, but the h doesn't think that prospect is likely. The h unexpectedly meets one of her brother's actor friends who had been in Australia while all this was going on, and he is a big support for her in friendship. The H sees the OM and assumes the h is looking for a rich hubby to get the kids back. The h lies yet again to the H in an effort to one-up him and protect herself. The OM friend shows the h an article where the H and his OW are going to Kenya together, the h realizes that the H was ruthlessly playing her, yet she is continually dogged by her love for the H. She eventually lets the OM know that she likes him, but turns him down when he proposes.
Then the h meets ANOTHER man, he owns a big cosmetics company and HE falls in love with the h and gives her a huge job as his total product line cover girl/spokeswoman - THEY will be doing a big shoot in Kenya. He wants to marry her too, but the h can't think of another man while the H is still in her heart. Then the H shows up at the resort in Kenya where the h is staying and he rescues her from a spider in the shower. The h is hopeful that they can rekindle their relationship - she is such a one brain celled masochistic doormat it isn't even funny- but the cosmetic guy shows up and the H backs off for some fun time with one of the h's crew.
The h turns the cosmetic guy's marriage proposal down and goes back to England. She sees the OW on TV and the OW is heavily hinting she and the H will marry. The children's grandparent's call the h upon her return, they want to make amends for being slime-swillers cause the children want their aunt back.
There is some half hearted apologies which the h graciously accepts to continue to be able to see the children, but she decides to give up on getting custody. The grandparent's claimed they tried to write their daughter a letter and end the estrangement, but the house they sent the letter to burned down and the daughter never got it before she died. The h's brother became a successful actor and really loved his wife, so the h tries to alleviate their guilt by explaining the daughter was very happy.
The grandmother decides to show the h around the estate and the h finds out that the H decorated the house he is going to live in on the grandparent's estate in exactly the style she had described as being her dream house. The grandmother says the H is returning to his house, the OW is at the airport picking him up, so the h leaves to go back to London. She has to borrow a car tho, cause her's won't start. The grandfather says he will have his staff bring her car back and collect his, but the person who delivers the car turns out to be the H.
After some half hearted explanations and a semi apology for doubting her and calling her a tart because he was jealous, the H proclaims that he loves the h and never loved the OW -tho no mention is made of how many times they practiced dragon riding together while he was ostensibly in love with the h- and the h falls over herself to abase herself at his feet for the HEA.
This book was just ridiculous. The H, the grandparents and the whole photograph scenario and the OW were all so evilly rotten and OTT, that most readers will probably wish the h had gotten over it and married either of the OM who were really, really nice and then filed for custody of the kids she was left guardian of. This h was nice, but pathetically TSTL, and the continual calling the h nasty names, attempts at forced seduction by the H and then the sudden turn about were not believable.
This one is a really depressing/frustrating read that is probably better skipped. Because having to run the risk of a huge hangover from the vast amounts of alcohol needed to tolerate it, or contemplate the amount of drywall repair that you will have to do when you throw the book at the wall in agitation, is not the hallmark of a happy HPlandia outing, no matter how mournful and angsty the pining of the h for an obnoxious blobfish pustule slime slurper H actually is.
When the story starts the h finds out that her beloved brother and his wife - who has been estranged from her aristocratic parents since she married "beneath her social status" - have died. That leaves two children without parents and the h steps up to the plate. Sure it is a big adjustment from her high paced modeling life, but the h loves her family and her brother practically raised her after her own parent's died, so she owes him big time.
Instant parenthood is an adjustment and all of the sudden her sister in law's parents want custody of the kids that they have never met, but things are made easier when her new neighbor steps in to help her with the myriad problems of new parenthood - despite being full of criticism over her parenting skills.
Except he isn't a friendly neighbor at all, he is the nephew of the grandparents and he is there to ruin the h. Unfortunately the h falls in love with him and he is interested in nothing but getting her into bed. While he certainly doesn't think the h will be a good parent, she is just right for a pump and dump or six, tho the h will have to take a ticket for the H's lady buffet. She refuses the invitation as she is still petting unicorns in her spare time.
There is also another woman, who loves to stir the pot, that the H flaunts in front of the h. Tho the H claims that she is his editor, (the H writes espionage thrillers,) I have never heard of an editor slamming her tongue down a writer's throat in the normal course of business - I am not sure anyone's tonsils need that close of an edit.
When the h is photographed with a pushy potential client, who wants her for a modeling campaign, leaving her hotel room at two in the morning, the grandparents accuse the h of immorality and sweep in and take the children - being really, really mean to the h in the process. The OW tells the h who the H really is and the h stupidly pretends she was trying to seduce the H over to her side instead of telling the truth and making him feel like a louse.
The h's lawyer tells her she can reapply for custody if she is married, but the h doesn't think that prospect is likely. The h unexpectedly meets one of her brother's actor friends who had been in Australia while all this was going on, and he is a big support for her in friendship. The H sees the OM and assumes the h is looking for a rich hubby to get the kids back. The h lies yet again to the H in an effort to one-up him and protect herself. The OM friend shows the h an article where the H and his OW are going to Kenya together, the h realizes that the H was ruthlessly playing her, yet she is continually dogged by her love for the H. She eventually lets the OM know that she likes him, but turns him down when he proposes.
Then the h meets ANOTHER man, he owns a big cosmetics company and HE falls in love with the h and gives her a huge job as his total product line cover girl/spokeswoman - THEY will be doing a big shoot in Kenya. He wants to marry her too, but the h can't think of another man while the H is still in her heart. Then the H shows up at the resort in Kenya where the h is staying and he rescues her from a spider in the shower. The h is hopeful that they can rekindle their relationship - she is such a one brain celled masochistic doormat it isn't even funny- but the cosmetic guy shows up and the H backs off for some fun time with one of the h's crew.
The h turns the cosmetic guy's marriage proposal down and goes back to England. She sees the OW on TV and the OW is heavily hinting she and the H will marry. The children's grandparent's call the h upon her return, they want to make amends for being slime-swillers cause the children want their aunt back.
There is some half hearted apologies which the h graciously accepts to continue to be able to see the children, but she decides to give up on getting custody. The grandparent's claimed they tried to write their daughter a letter and end the estrangement, but the house they sent the letter to burned down and the daughter never got it before she died. The h's brother became a successful actor and really loved his wife, so the h tries to alleviate their guilt by explaining the daughter was very happy.
The grandmother decides to show the h around the estate and the h finds out that the H decorated the house he is going to live in on the grandparent's estate in exactly the style she had described as being her dream house. The grandmother says the H is returning to his house, the OW is at the airport picking him up, so the h leaves to go back to London. She has to borrow a car tho, cause her's won't start. The grandfather says he will have his staff bring her car back and collect his, but the person who delivers the car turns out to be the H.
After some half hearted explanations and a semi apology for doubting her and calling her a tart because he was jealous, the H proclaims that he loves the h and never loved the OW -tho no mention is made of how many times they practiced dragon riding together while he was ostensibly in love with the h- and the h falls over herself to abase herself at his feet for the HEA.
This book was just ridiculous. The H, the grandparents and the whole photograph scenario and the OW were all so evilly rotten and OTT, that most readers will probably wish the h had gotten over it and married either of the OM who were really, really nice and then filed for custody of the kids she was left guardian of. This h was nice, but pathetically TSTL, and the continual calling the h nasty names, attempts at forced seduction by the H and then the sudden turn about were not believable.
This one is a really depressing/frustrating read that is probably better skipped. Because having to run the risk of a huge hangover from the vast amounts of alcohol needed to tolerate it, or contemplate the amount of drywall repair that you will have to do when you throw the book at the wall in agitation, is not the hallmark of a happy HPlandia outing, no matter how mournful and angsty the pining of the h for an obnoxious blobfish pustule slime slurper H actually is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2022
Pleasant enough, if a bit simplistic re: custody and repetitive with countless men being around to make the hero jealous.
I did like the moment when she realizes how he feels about her when she sees how the main bedroom is decorated in his new house.
I did like the moment when she realizes how he feels about her when she sees how the main bedroom is decorated in his new house.
not-for-me
June 8, 2020Could she make a go of child rearing?
Lorraine Ellis didn't know-her modeling career certainly hadn't prepared her for it--but she was determined to try.
The loss of her brother had made her painfully aware of how alone she was. Yet she couldn't let her niece and nephew be shunted off to the custody of the grandparents who'd ignored their existence until now.
So she was grateful when her neighbor, Jason Fletcher, offered his help. Attractive and charming, Jason was the answer to any woman's prayer--and Lorraine just hoped she could trust him.
Lorraine Ellis didn't know-her modeling career certainly hadn't prepared her for it--but she was determined to try.
The loss of her brother had made her painfully aware of how alone she was. Yet she couldn't let her niece and nephew be shunted off to the custody of the grandparents who'd ignored their existence until now.
So she was grateful when her neighbor, Jason Fletcher, offered his help. Attractive and charming, Jason was the answer to any woman's prayer--and Lorraine just hoped she could trust him.
September 19, 2020
Good but the ending is a little too pat. And it seems impossible that the grandparents would have given up so quickly on their daughter or that they wouldn't have seen that the landlady died in a fire.
April 22, 2017
A love story full of misunderstanding and jealousy, but really sweet.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews