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A Most Suitable Wife
Taye Trafford's roommate has run off. She needs someone to share her flat-fast! So, when Magnus Ashthorpe turns up, Taye has no choice...He believes Taye is the mistress who has caused his sister heartbreak, but is she really the sort of girl to have an affair...?
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First published December 1, 2005
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About the author
Jessica Steele
341 books113 followersJessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2015
Back in the day, there were three Harlequin authors I routinely read: Jessica Steele, Betty Neels, and Lynne Graham. This one, by Steele, is a treasure. Probably 3.75 stars, but I cannot bear to go that low. I love how this author creates tension!
I read the kindle e-book version of this British romance, set in London. It's a "clean" romance but there are some passionate smexy scenes. Loved this one!
The plot: Magnus MoneyCharm thinks that Taye VirginSweet had an affair with his sister's husband, so he spies on her to find out, by renting the spare bedroom she had advertised. He goes undercover and becomes her "poor but honest" roommate.
As he gets to know her, he starts to love her, but he still believes her a jezebel. So he fights the attraction. Because he distrusts her, and believes she broke up his sister's marriage, he cannot always hide his contempt. He can be cruel. I like how Steele's characters fight because the girls give it right back.
Excerpt, after he insulted her about her sleeping habits:
I read the kindle e-book version of this British romance, set in London. It's a "clean" romance but there are some passionate smexy scenes. Loved this one!
The plot: Magnus MoneyCharm thinks that Taye VirginSweet had an affair with his sister's husband, so he spies on her to find out, by renting the spare bedroom she had advertised. He goes undercover and becomes her "poor but honest" roommate.
As he gets to know her, he starts to love her, but he still believes her a jezebel. So he fights the attraction. Because he distrusts her, and believes she broke up his sister's marriage, he cannot always hide his contempt. He can be cruel. I like how Steele's characters fight because the girls give it right back.
Excerpt, after he insulted her about her sleeping habits:
He looked down into her shining mutinous eyes. Taye looked belligerently back at him. ‘Oh, hell!’ he muttered, his hand dropping away from her.
‘If that was an apology, I don’t think much of it!’ she snapped, and, feeling better now that the threat of tears had subsided, ‘You’re an insulting, insufferable, diabolical pig!’ she laid into him. ‘And if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve got your rent and that no one else has applied, I’d kick you out right now!’
He stared at her. And then he laughed. To her astonishment, he actually laughed!
August 25, 2021
Dull. He pretends to be someone else and when the truth comes out, there is no big fall out, no argument, no anger, nothing. She is boring, he is boring.
October 31, 2025
Almost all the scenes in this book take place in the heroine’s flat - it felt weird.
Heroine (23) with a total bitch mother that she lets walk all over her meets lying hero (late 30s?) when he comes to her flat thinking she is someone else. He moves in. They have so many cups of tea. He leaves crumbs when making toast. She dates OM1 and OM2, but is jealous because he stays out overnight. Lots of drama about her bitch mother. He tells the truth. HEA.
There isn’t any chemistry between them and it all feels a bit unreal, but it is inoffensive and there are no OW and the hero is quite dashing and loves his family.
Heroine (23) with a total bitch mother that she lets walk all over her meets lying hero (late 30s?) when he comes to her flat thinking she is someone else. He moves in. They have so many cups of tea. He leaves crumbs when making toast. She dates OM1 and OM2, but is jealous because he stays out overnight. Lots of drama about her bitch mother. He tells the truth. HEA.
There isn’t any chemistry between them and it all feels a bit unreal, but it is inoffensive and there are no OW and the hero is quite dashing and loves his family.
July 1, 2024
An absolutely cracking JS, I loved it. Good heroine for all that she's bit of a doormat when it comes to her appalling mother who was quite simply one of the worst toxic parents I have ever read in a JS novel. Lovely Hero, who is churlish at first because of mistaken identity (he thinks Taye is her now departed flatmate) and he fights falling in love with her but once he realizes she's not who he thought she was, he definitely turns on the charm.
I loved that he climbed the tree for her.
I loved that he climbed the tree for her.
May 9, 2020
OK. I've read better.
March 7, 2021
Easy read with engaging characters and emotional connection. Nothing much happens.
October 15, 2011
Clean romance bordering on the bland side. Frankly, I don't know how the title had anything to do with the plot. She wasn't even considering running to become his wife because she didn't want to marry an impoverished man which she thought he was. The only thing that I will probably remember from this is the heroine finding the guy’s crumpled body out in the garden after he has fallen from an apple tree. He had foolishly, clumsily, romantically....picked out a star entangled in the branches for her.
But ugh! Can we have a more realistic portrayal of motherhood. Heroine’s mother was preternaturally selfish, it’s almost grotesque. The subplot of being the much put-upon sweet daughter came too old quickly and only distracted from the love story.
I'd recommend to skip this book unless you're glomming all of Jessica Steele's books like me. There are other good books from same author out there.
But ugh! Can we have a more realistic portrayal of motherhood. Heroine’s mother was preternaturally selfish, it’s almost grotesque. The subplot of being the much put-upon sweet daughter came too old quickly and only distracted from the love story.
I'd recommend to skip this book unless you're glomming all of Jessica Steele's books like me. There are other good books from same author out there.
January 23, 2023
Taye Trafford's roommate has run off. She needs someone to share her flat-fast! So, when Magnus Ashthorpe turns up, Taye has no choice...He believes Taye is the mistress who has caused his sister heartbreak, but is she really the sort of girl to have an affair...?
June 29, 2011
Reads like a very old fashioned Mills & Boon. Very old.
July 2, 2013
El harlequin más tierno de la vida.
August 3, 2014
a breath of fresh air.
January 11, 2015
Not impressed. Pretty bland and boring to follow.
January 23, 2018
this story is confusing with the hero being angry at heroine for no good reason, comes across easily angry person while she comes across as naïve and nice but letting this behavior continue
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews