Man with Two Faces

by Jane Corrie

As an act of kindness, to help out her friend Barbara, Rebecca had agreed to work part-time in Barbara's secretarial bureau. But unfortunately for Rebecca, it was a gesture that misfired, since it led to her meeting with the maddening Janus Leon. He was a stern, not to say unreasonable, taskmaster, for a start. But, like the Roman god after who he was named, Janus had two faces -- and the other was that of a heartless playboy. Would he turn that face to Rebecca -- and could she survive if he did?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Romance, Harlequin

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm all for a strong, smart heroine who can talk back to the irascible hero and not take his guff lying down but when the bickerfest is unrelenting, up to the last few pages, where he shouts an ambiguous proposal of marriage at her in the middle of yet another argument, it is underwhelming and disappointing.

There was no softening, no intimacy, no evolution in their relationship. It stayed an impersonal working relationship (he as a tempestuous author, she as his studious typist) peppered occasionally by harsh exchanges and stand-offish and cool at all other times. I suppose I must be grateful at least that he didn't torture her with a nest of hissing OWs.

I will remember this one for him telling her she had as much sexual appeal for him as a piece of office furniture when she expressed some concern if the job he offered her as private secretary would involve chasing her round the desk lol.

Look for Emma Darcy's Pattern of Deceit for a proper, believable office romance.

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read? This was the least romantic "romance" ever and the resolution was completely ludicrous.

[Narita Wijaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

truthfully i can't point when the moment heroine can falling in love to the hero.... it's kinda weird for me, when suddenly heroine admit to herself that she had feel "something" to her boss... but it's no awful stories, just it is not the best novel.

[Myrna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveliest book.
Good 4,5 stars
But I've liked it so much I rate it 5 stars
Maybe it'll get more appreciation it deserves.

Rebecca has got herself in a pickle when she agreed to help her friend deal with a famous temperamental author. Ater working for him as a timid secretary for a week she has gladly left the odious man and set out to a house party in the countryside. Little did she know that Janus was also on the guest list.
Janus watches her like she's a golddigger set on seducing the squire's son or stealing the family silver. And the missing valuable diamond pin doesn't help.

I agree it's not the most romantic romance novel in the world, but it's Jane Corrie. What did you expect? I love her style. Her characters are memorable and stand out from the pages of the book.
Of course, the proposal scene could be better. Especially considering the hero is a famous Cambridge-educated author.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Jane Corrie story has a strong heroine (22) who knows her own mind, is beautiful, works hard and could probably get any guy but hates being focused on for her looks. The hero (30s) is a temperamental, popular writer of detective fiction who falls for her, probably because she does not fawn over him like all other women. There's not much OW/OM drama, but he's so worried that she will leave him (she blackmailed to be is his secretary after a while), that he forbids her to leave the hotel/house for the latter half of the book. He's supposed to be a bit of a playboy, but doesn't really seem so - and he's very jealous. The reason this is not 5 star for me, is that he shows no real tenderness to counterbalance his perpetual state of busy/angry/aggression. I actually rather liked the way he proposes at the end, but I think he'll be hard work as a husband - I can imagine them living most of the time in the far away house in the bush in Australia where there are no other men, producing hundreds of books with heroines that all look like her.

[RomLibrary]

As an act of kindness, to help out her friend Barbara, Rebecca had agreed to work part-time in Barbara's secretarial bureau. But unfortunately for Rebecca, it was a gesture that misfired, since it led to her meeting with the maddening Janus Leon. He was a stern, not to say unreasonable, taskmaster, for a start. But, like the Roman god after who he was named, Janus had two faces -- and the other was that of a heartless playboy. Would he turn that face to Rebecca -- and could she survive if he did?

[More Books Than Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title comes from H’s name, Janus who was a Roman god with two faces to guard the home. However our H is two-faced, mean spirited. He keeps thief shaming the h because he caught her with a costly diamond pin and for ridiculous reasons she didn’t/couldn’t set him right. Turns out he knew all along she was innocent but had to shove the knife in and twist, in between attacks for her supposed snobbery and chasing after a rich guy.

Why did she fall in love with him? Who knows?

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dreadful. Overwritten to the point I was skimming past paragraphs of repetitious exposition. Heroine is beautiful, but repressed because of her parents' divorce. Hero thinks cruelty will fill in for a personality.

There is some kind of blackmail because of a missing broach at a house party. We travel from London to Cambridge to Portugal to Australia for the hero's writing career, but it's beyond boring.

Avoid.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. I think watching paint dry would be more entertaining.

[Mihika in lovezone]

As a review said H thief shames h.
Avoid.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This hero was the most obnoxious of all the heroes in fiction that I can think of. Actually, when I think about it it would be good if both of his faces were slapped with gusto. I refer you to Naksed and Margo reviews. I think the only nice thing Janus ever said to Rebecca was that she was a quite tolerable transcriptionist. In the end he screamed his proposal at her and proceeded to give her the rules she was to follow in future. HEA? Run, Rebecca run.