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Marriage of Convenience #2
Injured Innocent
"The choice is yours," Joel was saying
Joel's biting contempt of her over a teenage episode that he had wrongly interpreted had permanently scarred Lissa--left her unable to respond to any man.
Now, years later, they were at loggerheads over their joint guardianship of her sister's little girls. No way would Lissa give them up. But Joel's proposal of marriage came as a shock.
She'd learned to live without Joel. How could she possibly learn to live with him? Knowing his contempt for her was still there, knowing that she loved him.
Joel's biting contempt of her over a teenage episode that he had wrongly interpreted had permanently scarred Lissa--left her unable to respond to any man.
Now, years later, they were at loggerheads over their joint guardianship of her sister's little girls. No way would Lissa give them up. But Joel's proposal of marriage came as a shock.
She'd learned to live without Joel. How could she possibly learn to live with him? Knowing his contempt for her was still there, knowing that she loved him.
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1986
33 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,124 books666 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 37 reviews
October 12, 2023
Marriage of convenience story between heroine (Lissa) who lost her sister, and hero (Joel) who lost his brother, (both in a plane accident) for the sake of the late couple’s orphaned children. I really enjoyed this story. I liked Joel, he was romantic, kind, thoughtful, and caring to the children. I also liked Lissa, who was wrongfully labelled promiscuous some years ago from her parents (which Joel wrongfully believed) after she was caught in a compromising situation with a boy at a party. But all the misunderstandings are cleared up by the end of the book.
Another lovely read by Penny Jordan.
Another lovely read by Penny Jordan.
December 29, 2021
No one does neurotic heroines like Penny Jordan! Our heroine, the injured innocent of the title, has been labeled promiscuous ever since she was caught making out with a boy at a party at the tender age of 15. Her family never forgives her (!) and she has been afraid of sex and men for years. The story opens when she finds she's been appointed co-guardian of her sister's children after her sister and husband die in a plane crash. The other guardian is none other than her sister's brother-in-law, Joel, the man who witnessed her humiliation at the party years ago. They marry for the children's sake.
March 11, 2016
Re Injured Innocent - otherwise known as "Who Knew You Could Write an Entire Book With Meandering Unrequited Angst for 145 Pages Out Of 185 and 20 Pages of Sex and 20 Pages of Plot And Get Republished Three Times" -- for those who like a little melodramatic semi plot and forced seduction mixed in with their angsty longing.
Srsly, this book is on the PJ drives me nuts sometimes list. I rarely like the 80's PJ H - they are the usual HP Hot Woman Buffet Samplers with a Healthy Dose of Misogyny Double Standard-Holding Alpha Dude - I expect that, I got over it years ago cause I usually like PJ's style, and I usually like and have a ton of empathy for her poor martyred and betrayed h's.
This h however spends way, way, way too long in internal angst mode and I get naivete, I get unworldliness, but I have to draw the line at flat out ignorance and so much self pity that even little kids are proving to be more cognizant than the h is.
This book stars with the 23 yr old h going to see the family lawyer about being co-guardian of her nieces. The h has been ostracized by her family for years for making out with a boy she had a crush on at 15. She snuck out to a party, was caught kissing, and her parents (who were srsly whacked and had a thing for her older "perfect" sister,) along with the future brother-in-law H, treated her like she was the Procuress of Babylon for the rest of their lives.
Fortunately, they all died in a lightning strike on their little family plane (and that was the last good thing that happened in this book and it was in the first three pages,) except for the BIL H, who was sampling the lovely lady buffet and supposedly watching the sister's and his brother's little girls. The dead sister named the h co-guardian of her daughters and the h means to exercise that guardianship. She visits the family lawyer who implies that she needs to give up any thoughts of access cause she is such a promiscuous tart and all.
For the record, the h is a virgin. The family and BIL H treatment over the years ensures that she has a panic reaction any time a man comes within 3 feet of her with even slightly amorous intentions. (Don't worry that doesn't stop the H when he finds out tho, if she isn't a promiscuous skank and still a virgin, he will just get her drunk and make her one - but that was okay cause he married the tart and then he can go back to the lady buffet and keep her as a back up piece.)
**Sorry for the rant, but the irks just keep coming and then I got bored. I was actually HOPING for some promiscuous tart behavior at one point.***
So instead of the h maybe realizing the family lawyer, who also counsels the H, might not have her best interests in mind and maybe she should consult someone UNBIASED. The h gets herself into a fluster cause the lawyer snidely insinuates that if she were married, she wouldn't have any problems. (Like we can't see where this is going.)
But WAIT - there is another alternative, the h has been dating her boss and he wants to marry her, they are discussing this possibility in his office. He is proposing (again,) and trying to kiss the resistant and appalled h when the H barges in, calls her a skank (again,) and the h tells him to communicate via solicitor in the future, but she will be seeing her nieces. (Okay, back the regularly scheduled plot points now.)
The H chooses to summon the h to his fabulous family estate instead. He then proposes that they marry, the girls (surprisingly to him,) really miss her and he needs a wife cause he is a single man and can't find a reliable nanny. If the h doesn't marry him, he will marry someone else.
The h says yes as it is the only way she can be with her nieces, and the H is licking his chops in anticipation of the pouncing and bouncing he can do to the h later. The H figures he may as well get some mileage out of marrying the Southern England Auto Man Servicer and makes his intentions clear to the h. (Though he thoughtfully specifies that the h will only be servicing him in the future, cause he can do as he likes but his wife must be impeccable.)
After the wedding, the h realizes that she must clarify a few things, as every time she gets near the H she wants to faint and she thinks she has a weird virus or something. Finally after a few delays of narrowly missed ravishings due to little kid nightmares, work conflicts and the housekeeper up and quitting, the h explains that she is frigid and a virgin.
The entire scenario of her family's bias and what really happened was just two fairly innocent kids doing some kissing is revealed, and to PJ's credit, the H sorta feels bad for judging the h so wrongly on another person's opinion.
He still plans to turn her into a tart, though now he can relax more as it appears she will be his personal tart. So a few pages later, he gets her drunk and sexxes her up. It is The Best Ever - at least for the h it is, cause she now moons about his lovemaking instead of her frigidity.
The H on the other hand, now that mission accomplished, finds his tart isn't as tasty as he thought it would be. Instead of whipping out some clotted cream and livening the concoction up with some chocolate syrup, he withdraws to his study and the h can now angst about the lack of Power Trips and the H not wanting her lurve.
Then the disasters just keep piling up, the H's OW calls to invite the h over for dinner. The h took a grooming course instead of getting therapy, so she needs to buy a dress to compete with the OW. She manages to accomplish some glamourizing retail therapy and while shopping, runs into her old boss.
They go for a coffee and a chat and he propositions her for some afternoon delight with whip cream and caramel topping, but the h is a pure and virtuous girl, so she says she is watching her weight. Then she sees the H looking in the coffee shop window while the OM is holding her hand but she thinks it is just low blood sugar hallucinations.
She gets home and the H is more distant and mocking than ever and she decides not to mention the shopping trip for some convoluted reason that PJ would have to stab us for if she told us. They go to the OW and her hubby's dinner party and the OW is all over the H. He seems to be enjoying it cause he spent the latter half of the six hour evening with the OW's lipstick all over his face - or maybe Jungle Red just looked good on him.
The h accuses him of flaunting his mistress to humiliate her, his wife, and he doesn't deny it. He accuses her of sleeping with her former boss and she doesn't explain either. There is a forced seduction that ends in disappointment for the h and the H isn't looking to thrilled when it is over either.
Then the H starts staying away from the family home for long periods of time and at night. The h assumes he is with his buffet flavor of the day. So now we have unrelieved h angst about no lurving, no liking from the H, and that the H is in love with his buffet platter and trapped with the h, who also thinks she is preggers. That is the next few chapters.
Then finally the h wrecks her car in a snowstorm after confirming her pregnancy at the local cottage clinic. The H finds out she is preggers when the family doctor comes to call and advises that the h needs some bedrest. The H doesn't ask if it is his, he asks if she wants a termination. The h says no and the angsting continues.
Then the OW calls, she needs the H cause she has dumped her poorer hubby for the H now. The h waits for the final divorce conversation for ten more pages and the H finally shows up for the "I need to move out but you can stay in the house with the girls" talk. The H apparently wants to smother her in creme brulee too much to keep staying in the same domicile. He isn't running off with the OW - or not until he gets his dessert at least.
The h is overjoyed and makes a dash for the hot fudge, she wants dessert too, and is happy to supply a complete desert menu for the next fifty years or until the H's teeth fall out from sugar overload. The H then states that he is happy, though he can't believe he has loved a promiscuous tart for years-- but since dessert is now back on the menu, he is willing to indulge his sweet tooth until a better confectioner shows up.
Okay, so all the dessert offerings did not quite happen so explicitly. But really, I had to do something to relieve the tedium, and dessert is always a good medium for unrequited angst relief-- accompanied by the appropriate sparkling wine of course.
I have to go brush my teeth now, but I recommend this one only to die hard PJ fangirls and all those who like to think about dessert and appropriate wine pairings as there is plenty of time in this story to contemplate that.
Srsly, this book is on the PJ drives me nuts sometimes list. I rarely like the 80's PJ H - they are the usual HP Hot Woman Buffet Samplers with a Healthy Dose of Misogyny Double Standard-Holding Alpha Dude - I expect that, I got over it years ago cause I usually like PJ's style, and I usually like and have a ton of empathy for her poor martyred and betrayed h's.
This h however spends way, way, way too long in internal angst mode and I get naivete, I get unworldliness, but I have to draw the line at flat out ignorance and so much self pity that even little kids are proving to be more cognizant than the h is.
This book stars with the 23 yr old h going to see the family lawyer about being co-guardian of her nieces. The h has been ostracized by her family for years for making out with a boy she had a crush on at 15. She snuck out to a party, was caught kissing, and her parents (who were srsly whacked and had a thing for her older "perfect" sister,) along with the future brother-in-law H, treated her like she was the Procuress of Babylon for the rest of their lives.
Fortunately, they all died in a lightning strike on their little family plane (and that was the last good thing that happened in this book and it was in the first three pages,) except for the BIL H, who was sampling the lovely lady buffet and supposedly watching the sister's and his brother's little girls. The dead sister named the h co-guardian of her daughters and the h means to exercise that guardianship. She visits the family lawyer who implies that she needs to give up any thoughts of access cause she is such a promiscuous tart and all.
For the record, the h is a virgin. The family and BIL H treatment over the years ensures that she has a panic reaction any time a man comes within 3 feet of her with even slightly amorous intentions. (Don't worry that doesn't stop the H when he finds out tho, if she isn't a promiscuous skank and still a virgin, he will just get her drunk and make her one - but that was okay cause he married the tart and then he can go back to the lady buffet and keep her as a back up piece.)
**Sorry for the rant, but the irks just keep coming and then I got bored. I was actually HOPING for some promiscuous tart behavior at one point.***
So instead of the h maybe realizing the family lawyer, who also counsels the H, might not have her best interests in mind and maybe she should consult someone UNBIASED. The h gets herself into a fluster cause the lawyer snidely insinuates that if she were married, she wouldn't have any problems. (Like we can't see where this is going.)
But WAIT - there is another alternative, the h has been dating her boss and he wants to marry her, they are discussing this possibility in his office. He is proposing (again,) and trying to kiss the resistant and appalled h when the H barges in, calls her a skank (again,) and the h tells him to communicate via solicitor in the future, but she will be seeing her nieces. (Okay, back the regularly scheduled plot points now.)
The H chooses to summon the h to his fabulous family estate instead. He then proposes that they marry, the girls (surprisingly to him,) really miss her and he needs a wife cause he is a single man and can't find a reliable nanny. If the h doesn't marry him, he will marry someone else.
The h says yes as it is the only way she can be with her nieces, and the H is licking his chops in anticipation of the pouncing and bouncing he can do to the h later. The H figures he may as well get some mileage out of marrying the Southern England Auto Man Servicer and makes his intentions clear to the h. (Though he thoughtfully specifies that the h will only be servicing him in the future, cause he can do as he likes but his wife must be impeccable.)
After the wedding, the h realizes that she must clarify a few things, as every time she gets near the H she wants to faint and she thinks she has a weird virus or something. Finally after a few delays of narrowly missed ravishings due to little kid nightmares, work conflicts and the housekeeper up and quitting, the h explains that she is frigid and a virgin.
The entire scenario of her family's bias and what really happened was just two fairly innocent kids doing some kissing is revealed, and to PJ's credit, the H sorta feels bad for judging the h so wrongly on another person's opinion.
He still plans to turn her into a tart, though now he can relax more as it appears she will be his personal tart. So a few pages later, he gets her drunk and sexxes her up. It is The Best Ever - at least for the h it is, cause she now moons about his lovemaking instead of her frigidity.
The H on the other hand, now that mission accomplished, finds his tart isn't as tasty as he thought it would be. Instead of whipping out some clotted cream and livening the concoction up with some chocolate syrup, he withdraws to his study and the h can now angst about the lack of Power Trips and the H not wanting her lurve.
Then the disasters just keep piling up, the H's OW calls to invite the h over for dinner. The h took a grooming course instead of getting therapy, so she needs to buy a dress to compete with the OW. She manages to accomplish some glamourizing retail therapy and while shopping, runs into her old boss.
They go for a coffee and a chat and he propositions her for some afternoon delight with whip cream and caramel topping, but the h is a pure and virtuous girl, so she says she is watching her weight. Then she sees the H looking in the coffee shop window while the OM is holding her hand but she thinks it is just low blood sugar hallucinations.
She gets home and the H is more distant and mocking than ever and she decides not to mention the shopping trip for some convoluted reason that PJ would have to stab us for if she told us. They go to the OW and her hubby's dinner party and the OW is all over the H. He seems to be enjoying it cause he spent the latter half of the six hour evening with the OW's lipstick all over his face - or maybe Jungle Red just looked good on him.
The h accuses him of flaunting his mistress to humiliate her, his wife, and he doesn't deny it. He accuses her of sleeping with her former boss and she doesn't explain either. There is a forced seduction that ends in disappointment for the h and the H isn't looking to thrilled when it is over either.
Then the H starts staying away from the family home for long periods of time and at night. The h assumes he is with his buffet flavor of the day. So now we have unrelieved h angst about no lurving, no liking from the H, and that the H is in love with his buffet platter and trapped with the h, who also thinks she is preggers. That is the next few chapters.
Then finally the h wrecks her car in a snowstorm after confirming her pregnancy at the local cottage clinic. The H finds out she is preggers when the family doctor comes to call and advises that the h needs some bedrest. The H doesn't ask if it is his, he asks if she wants a termination. The h says no and the angsting continues.
Then the OW calls, she needs the H cause she has dumped her poorer hubby for the H now. The h waits for the final divorce conversation for ten more pages and the H finally shows up for the "I need to move out but you can stay in the house with the girls" talk. The H apparently wants to smother her in creme brulee too much to keep staying in the same domicile. He isn't running off with the OW - or not until he gets his dessert at least.
The h is overjoyed and makes a dash for the hot fudge, she wants dessert too, and is happy to supply a complete desert menu for the next fifty years or until the H's teeth fall out from sugar overload. The H then states that he is happy, though he can't believe he has loved a promiscuous tart for years-- but since dessert is now back on the menu, he is willing to indulge his sweet tooth until a better confectioner shows up.
Okay, so all the dessert offerings did not quite happen so explicitly. But really, I had to do something to relieve the tedium, and dessert is always a good medium for unrequited angst relief-- accompanied by the appropriate sparkling wine of course.
I have to go brush my teeth now, but I recommend this one only to die hard PJ fangirls and all those who like to think about dessert and appropriate wine pairings as there is plenty of time in this story to contemplate that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2021
Here we are. The king of double standard.
-heroine is making out with a teenager boyfriend when she’s 15, when her parents and dumbass hero finds her out and shamed her endlessly.
The sanctimonious POS H slut shamed her and from that moment she’s the w***e of Babylon.
She’s traumatized and she never lets any other man get near her.
Years later her sister and his brother, who were married with two lil daughters, dies and H asks her to marry him, so they can take care of their nieces.
Hero slut shamed her forever, and it’s nasty because he’s a manho of the first water.
I hated him and his double standard.
I hated that the heroine was hysterical, because ok it was hard to have your parents slut shaming you with the H but girl, woman up, you’ve got to go on with your life!
Those people were at fault not you, woman!
People like that must be sent f***ing themselves with the compliments of the House!
Instead she’s still there, at 15, grumpy and resentful and, worst of all, still a virgin!!!
The H then does his good deed and has sex with her so she can overcome her trauma.
We could do without his act of pity.
He feels guilty before with his prejudiced behavior he traumatized her.
And that I liked it. I hoped they could go on from that.
But no.
Not satisfied of having misjudged her in the past, the slow witted man keeps on thinking she’s making out with every man but him, so he blows cold again.
And the endless misunderstandings and lack of communication between them.
The ow and om.
Oh, and in the end he tells her he behaved like an ass because at 23 he was in love with her, a girl of 15.
W.T.F.
We are borderline on pedophily. And it’s not fun.
This book seems to be written 100 years ago, so much anachronistic!
No, just no.
I need a drink or I’m becoming a serial killer soon.
-heroine is making out with a teenager boyfriend when she’s 15, when her parents and dumbass hero finds her out and shamed her endlessly.
The sanctimonious POS H slut shamed her and from that moment she’s the w***e of Babylon.
She’s traumatized and she never lets any other man get near her.
Years later her sister and his brother, who were married with two lil daughters, dies and H asks her to marry him, so they can take care of their nieces.
Hero slut shamed her forever, and it’s nasty because he’s a manho of the first water.
I hated him and his double standard.
I hated that the heroine was hysterical, because ok it was hard to have your parents slut shaming you with the H but girl, woman up, you’ve got to go on with your life!
Those people were at fault not you, woman!
People like that must be sent f***ing themselves with the compliments of the House!
Instead she’s still there, at 15, grumpy and resentful and, worst of all, still a virgin!!!
The H then does his good deed and has sex with her so she can overcome her trauma.
We could do without his act of pity.
He feels guilty before with his prejudiced behavior he traumatized her.
And that I liked it. I hoped they could go on from that.
But no.
Not satisfied of having misjudged her in the past, the slow witted man keeps on thinking she’s making out with every man but him, so he blows cold again.
And the endless misunderstandings and lack of communication between them.
The ow and om.
Oh, and in the end he tells her he behaved like an ass because at 23 he was in love with her, a girl of 15.
W.T.F.
We are borderline on pedophily. And it’s not fun.
This book seems to be written 100 years ago, so much anachronistic!
No, just no.
I need a drink or I’m becoming a serial killer soon.
November 25, 2017
Amazing!This was another exciting 5-star by Penny Jordan!With its intruging plot,sensual romance and hell of a sexy hero,i enjoyed this book amazingly..
He raised his head reluctantly and looked at her, his eyes glittering fiercely. 'I want you Lissa, he told her rawly, 'and if you don't stop me now ... If you don't send me away, there's no way I'm going to be able to stop myself from touching you. For years I've wanted you . . . alternated between desire and dislike for you. Did you know that?'
Lissa shook her head, quivering as his mouth feathered across her cheek and touched the corner of her own. 'We hardly ever saw one another,' she managed to croak, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Joel laughed harshly. 'Because I took great care that we should not. It appalled me that I should be attracted to you, especially knowing what I did about you. Me . . .a man of going on twenty-three had fallen head over heels in love with a promiscuous child of fifteen.'
Lissa are a tortured heroine after her great humilation and disgrace her family brought on her six years ago.I understand her frigidness when it comes to sex,and how the past still lives in her,i would want to die of humiliation if it was me!While i love heroines with strong pride,i just wanted Lissa to admit her love to the hero and to demand of her suspicous thoughts,but her pride and unsureness stopped her from it,and it made me so mad when it was so obvious that the hero was bessotted and madly in love with her...
Joel Hargrieves is a man i so want to meet in real life.He is a irresistibly great man with a great heart... he has a demandingly nature and his love was so obvious all the way.His sexy seduction and his vulnerable desire to Lissa made me swoon,and what he did to get her just made me laugh.Men men...what they do to get the woman they love!
He raised his head reluctantly and looked at her, his eyes glittering fiercely. 'I want you Lissa, he told her rawly, 'and if you don't stop me now ... If you don't send me away, there's no way I'm going to be able to stop myself from touching you. For years I've wanted you . . . alternated between desire and dislike for you. Did you know that?'
Lissa shook her head, quivering as his mouth feathered across her cheek and touched the corner of her own. 'We hardly ever saw one another,' she managed to croak, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Joel laughed harshly. 'Because I took great care that we should not. It appalled me that I should be attracted to you, especially knowing what I did about you. Me . . .a man of going on twenty-three had fallen head over heels in love with a promiscuous child of fifteen.'
Lissa are a tortured heroine after her great humilation and disgrace her family brought on her six years ago.I understand her frigidness when it comes to sex,and how the past still lives in her,i would want to die of humiliation if it was me!While i love heroines with strong pride,i just wanted Lissa to admit her love to the hero and to demand of her suspicous thoughts,but her pride and unsureness stopped her from it,and it made me so mad when it was so obvious that the hero was bessotted and madly in love with her...
Joel Hargrieves is a man i so want to meet in real life.He is a irresistibly great man with a great heart... he has a demandingly nature and his love was so obvious all the way.His sexy seduction and his vulnerable desire to Lissa made me swoon,and what he did to get her just made me laugh.Men men...what they do to get the woman they love!
June 22, 2019
"Injured Innocent" is the story of Lissa and Joel.
Our h has had a tragic incident during her teenage years, involving our over-condescending hero and her extremely strict parents, something that has left her scarred and unable to have relationships with men. When her sister and his brother die in a tragic accident, leaving their two daughters orphaned, our h and H get their guardianship. The H tries his best to make the h give it up, but ultimately ends up blackmailing her to marry him.
They marry, and old fears reignite. The h is extremely wary of physical contact, but for the sake of her nieces, is made to face her fears. However, as she finally confesses the truth to what happened years ago, will the hero finally understand what troubles the heroine? Or will he continue to be an ass? Read to find out.
An OK read for me with loads of scenes that could drive you to frustration. I had quite a few issues with both the h and H, and all the drama surrounding the OM/OW. Yes their chemistry was explosive, the nieces were cute, and in the scenes where they both were not hiding stuff- they were definitely made for one another- but overall this kept me at the edge of the seat, but not in a good way.
Unsafe
3/5
Our h has had a tragic incident during her teenage years, involving our over-condescending hero and her extremely strict parents, something that has left her scarred and unable to have relationships with men. When her sister and his brother die in a tragic accident, leaving their two daughters orphaned, our h and H get their guardianship. The H tries his best to make the h give it up, but ultimately ends up blackmailing her to marry him.
They marry, and old fears reignite. The h is extremely wary of physical contact, but for the sake of her nieces, is made to face her fears. However, as she finally confesses the truth to what happened years ago, will the hero finally understand what troubles the heroine? Or will he continue to be an ass? Read to find out.
An OK read for me with loads of scenes that could drive you to frustration. I had quite a few issues with both the h and H, and all the drama surrounding the OM/OW. Yes their chemistry was explosive, the nieces were cute, and in the scenes where they both were not hiding stuff- they were definitely made for one another- but overall this kept me at the edge of the seat, but not in a good way.
Unsafe
3/5
April 15, 2013
If you love HP's and you love Penny Jordan, then this one is definitely worth reading. I loved the hero. He provided all that alpha testosterone without being a jerk and the sexual chemistry between the too just sizzled.
The multiple misunderstandings got a little too much for me, but unlike other HPs, these were totally credible and helped contribute to the angst and tension of the story. There was a delicious, evil OW (which I secretly love) that also helped dial up the tension another notch.
Definitely one of my favorites written by Penny Jordan. I recommend.
The multiple misunderstandings got a little too much for me, but unlike other HPs, these were totally credible and helped contribute to the angst and tension of the story. There was a delicious, evil OW (which I secretly love) that also helped dial up the tension another notch.
Definitely one of my favorites written by Penny Jordan. I recommend.
November 5, 2013
A great marriage of convenience story with lots of angst, sensitive fragile heroine and a smitten hero. I'm a big sucker for married couples and marriage of convenience!
June 11, 2017
Another winner from Penny Jordan.
Lissa was traumatized in her teens when she snuck out to a party and was caught in a slightly comprimising situation by her father and family friend Joel. This left her frigid and unable to have a normal relationship with a man. Eight years later. after the death of her sister and Joel's brother she is forced to face Joel, who she has avoided for years, to determine the future of their neices. The decision to marry was made leaving Lissa and Joel to deal with the trauma of Lissa's childhood and Joel's unknowing role in it.
Great story! Loved the characters and mostly Joel for the way he handled the delicate situation of Lissa's trauma. Lots of drama with the wannabe OW and with Lissa's insecurities. Worth the read.
Lissa was traumatized in her teens when she snuck out to a party and was caught in a slightly comprimising situation by her father and family friend Joel. This left her frigid and unable to have a normal relationship with a man. Eight years later. after the death of her sister and Joel's brother she is forced to face Joel, who she has avoided for years, to determine the future of their neices. The decision to marry was made leaving Lissa and Joel to deal with the trauma of Lissa's childhood and Joel's unknowing role in it.
Great story! Loved the characters and mostly Joel for the way he handled the delicate situation of Lissa's trauma. Lots of drama with the wannabe OW and with Lissa's insecurities. Worth the read.
February 5, 2017
Typical old school HP
I liked it but it was a little dated to me. I think I read this when I was younger but sometimes they all sound the same. I 'm new they loved each other all along and of course the lack of communication was ridiculous. But I still gave it three stars because HP's are like crack to me. I read them, like them and then regret it. And then I do it all over again!!! Glad the wanna be OW was just a wanna be but what about the lipstick on his mouth?? That wasn't cool. Oh well at least we got an HEA.... or did we?? Pretty abrupt ending and no epilogue.
I liked it but it was a little dated to me. I think I read this when I was younger but sometimes they all sound the same. I 'm new they loved each other all along and of course the lack of communication was ridiculous. But I still gave it three stars because HP's are like crack to me. I read them, like them and then regret it. And then I do it all over again!!! Glad the wanna be OW was just a wanna be but what about the lipstick on his mouth?? That wasn't cool. Oh well at least we got an HEA.... or did we?? Pretty abrupt ending and no epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2018
Standard PJ, with likeable h and H who simply need to overcome their mutual misconceptions/misunderstandings/prejudices about each other against the backdrop of the English countryside. One slightly irritating OW and a not very memorable OM cause mild angst between the two, but that's about it. It's plain sailing otherwise, and the H pretty much has the h eating out of his hands with their first taste of champagne together.
December 29, 2020
December 27th/2020
Rating: 2.5🌟
I hoped this one was better than the first book of the series, but I'm a little disappointed 😞 In my opinion the first half of the book was promising, but then things started to getting worse, the chemistry between the main characters started to slow down. , but it didn't happened. The grovelling scene was short, it would have been longer and with more declarations of love between them.
It called my attention that in the physical description of the heroine she was blond, but the woman in the book's cover has red hair, her sister was described with red hair, a little bit inaccurate 🤷🏻♀️
To summed up, it was O.K.
P.S.: I really liked the scenes with their nieces, they were cute 💕😍💖
Rating: 2.5🌟
I hoped this one was better than the first book of the series, but I'm a little disappointed 😞 In my opinion the first half of the book was promising, but then things started to getting worse, the chemistry between the main characters started to slow down. , but it didn't happened. The grovelling scene was short, it would have been longer and with more declarations of love between them.
It called my attention that in the physical description of the heroine she was blond, but the woman in the book's cover has red hair, her sister was described with red hair, a little bit inaccurate 🤷🏻♀️
To summed up, it was O.K.
P.S.: I really liked the scenes with their nieces, they were cute 💕😍💖
February 12, 2018
3.50
Sweet, angsty book. H-h, who are co-guardians of orphaned nieces come together into MOC for their sake after the death of the children's parents. Miscommunication and also the heroine's self-doubt and insecurity, which at times got tedious, causes tension and angst between the two, which I liked
Sweet, angsty book. H-h, who are co-guardians of orphaned nieces come together into MOC for their sake after the death of the children's parents. Miscommunication and also the heroine's self-doubt and insecurity, which at times got tedious, causes tension and angst between the two, which I liked
May 23, 2016
i absolutely loved! it was really good up to the point they made love. then Joel turned into a cold and unreachable stranger. i even had doubts about his relationship wid Marisa for he spent too much time away from home. even more unbelievable, he wanted to end the marriage bcoz he cud not bear to be in the same bed wid her and not touch her. i wud have thought her pregnancy wud take priority over those kinda things!
May 31, 2022
3.5 stars
October 16, 2017
3.5 stars
September 20, 2019
A marriage of convenience—to her enemy!
Once Joel and Lissa had known each other as teenagers. She’s spent the intervening years wanting to forget him!
Only now they are fighting over custody of her sister’s young daughters. And Joel has a shocking proposal to break the deadlock: they get married! She might have loved him once, but this is the man she’s hated for years! But for her sister’s sake she’s sworn she’d do anything for her nieces…even this?
Once Joel and Lissa had known each other as teenagers. She’s spent the intervening years wanting to forget him!
Only now they are fighting over custody of her sister’s young daughters. And Joel has a shocking proposal to break the deadlock: they get married! She might have loved him once, but this is the man she’s hated for years! But for her sister’s sake she’s sworn she’d do anything for her nieces…even this?
June 5, 2023
Silly book. The h and H are god parents to their respective sibling’s children. An unfortunate accident leaves the girls orphaned so now there’s the issue of custody. The h is on friendly terms with the children so she assumes that’s a given that the children would come to her.
On the other side is the loaded H, the children’s uncle. The h has been hating on the H for years because as a ONE OFF INCIDENT , the h in her teens dared to break her parents curfew and went to a party. There someone mixes up her drink and tries to compromise her. There is no force of any kind, just some regular teen kissing and necking.
Right at this time as a ONE OFF SCENARIO, the parents walk in on the h with the H. Her father slut shames her and puts a bad impression of her on the H. The H at this time is just her sister’s husband’s brother. How is he even relevant???
Really dumb plot .. now years later the h and H have to marry to keep a family pretence for their nieces. The h can’t sleep with her husband cuz she’s ten years down or so she’s still worked up by that one time in her teens that the H witnessed her fall from disgrace.
Like who the f cares?????? Maybe open your mouth and use your words even many years too late.
I couldn’t reconcile with this strange case of paranoia before intimacy. Also have to mention the H was a total sweet heart. He wasn’t angry or brooding. He was quite involved in daily chores around the house and would bring breakfast for his wife in a tray or help put the girls to bed or keep them busy so his crazy wife could sleep in peace.
There wasn’t enough angst or chemistry for it to be a great read. Passss!
On the other side is the loaded H, the children’s uncle. The h has been hating on the H for years because as a ONE OFF INCIDENT , the h in her teens dared to break her parents curfew and went to a party. There someone mixes up her drink and tries to compromise her. There is no force of any kind, just some regular teen kissing and necking.
Right at this time as a ONE OFF SCENARIO, the parents walk in on the h with the H. Her father slut shames her and puts a bad impression of her on the H. The H at this time is just her sister’s husband’s brother. How is he even relevant???
Really dumb plot .. now years later the h and H have to marry to keep a family pretence for their nieces. The h can’t sleep with her husband cuz she’s ten years down or so she’s still worked up by that one time in her teens that the H witnessed her fall from disgrace.
Like who the f cares?????? Maybe open your mouth and use your words even many years too late.
I couldn’t reconcile with this strange case of paranoia before intimacy. Also have to mention the H was a total sweet heart. He wasn’t angry or brooding. He was quite involved in daily chores around the house and would bring breakfast for his wife in a tray or help put the girls to bed or keep them busy so his crazy wife could sleep in peace.
There wasn’t enough angst or chemistry for it to be a great read. Passss!
February 3, 2014
I'm not going to be quite as harsh as the previous reviewer on Amazon for this book, but I could not agree more that I have never met such a strange assortment of characters as there are in this book, and they are utterly unbelieveable. So the premise for the book is as follows: Lissa, the younger daughter of a family who have basically rejected her, gets caught out experimenting with a little light petting when she is 15 and from that day on is labelled "promiscuous" by her family and her in-laws. Her forbidding brother-in-law, Joel, being the one to catch her out, puts her off sex for life, it seems and so at 23, she's still having nightmares about it.
Now, Jordan is especially good at wiping out entire families thus rendering her heroine's unprotected and vulnerable to the hero's machinations (very gothic) but in this book, she excels herself. She wipes out her entire family and her in-laws in a slightly unlikely "aeroplane being struck by lightening incident" thus leaving her stuck with her nieces and Joel. Joel asks her to marry him so they can form a ready made family for the nieces and if she disagrees, he'll stop her seeing them altogether. Not an ideal basis for a marriage, but for some reason she agrees! And by Chapter 2, she's waking up in house, wondering what the hell happened to her life.
Lissa, the heroine, is clearly deranged and Joel isn't much better. There's a subsidiary character named Marisa who's a nasty piece of work but who, for some reason, Lissa believes Joel is in love with. She's not very clever either, it seems.
The basis for the marriage is utterly flawed - and the marriage itself turns out that way. At one point, Lissa experiences a feeling of attraction to Joel and puts it down to her "coming down with something". There's also an incident which occurs on the way across the living room to collect her knitting, when Lissa falls into Joel's lap (oh that old ruse). In fact, this offering from Jordan is about as sexy as a visit to the Co-op, but the unlikelihood of it all really did make me laugh. Just about everything is wrong with this book, and it's very funny as a result. Not Jordan's best work - but you try maintaining a standard of excellence when you're basically churning out a book a month over a period of four decades.
Now, Jordan is especially good at wiping out entire families thus rendering her heroine's unprotected and vulnerable to the hero's machinations (very gothic) but in this book, she excels herself. She wipes out her entire family and her in-laws in a slightly unlikely "aeroplane being struck by lightening incident" thus leaving her stuck with her nieces and Joel. Joel asks her to marry him so they can form a ready made family for the nieces and if she disagrees, he'll stop her seeing them altogether. Not an ideal basis for a marriage, but for some reason she agrees! And by Chapter 2, she's waking up in house, wondering what the hell happened to her life.
Lissa, the heroine, is clearly deranged and Joel isn't much better. There's a subsidiary character named Marisa who's a nasty piece of work but who, for some reason, Lissa believes Joel is in love with. She's not very clever either, it seems.
The basis for the marriage is utterly flawed - and the marriage itself turns out that way. At one point, Lissa experiences a feeling of attraction to Joel and puts it down to her "coming down with something". There's also an incident which occurs on the way across the living room to collect her knitting, when Lissa falls into Joel's lap (oh that old ruse). In fact, this offering from Jordan is about as sexy as a visit to the Co-op, but the unlikelihood of it all really did make me laugh. Just about everything is wrong with this book, and it's very funny as a result. Not Jordan's best work - but you try maintaining a standard of excellence when you're basically churning out a book a month over a period of four decades.
January 7, 2022
Since this is the 5th PJ book in a row, I may be experiencing Penny Jordan fatigue. This didn’t push my buttons like the other ones. I will probably need to take a break for a bit and move on to someone else, because I really do adore her ott stories.
Here we go…Spoilers starting now!
This may be a 4 star for some PJ fans out there, but I just didn’t get enough angst from it. It really got lost in all of the h’s issues. I get that she didn’t get enough love as a child, and people deal with this in different ways, but I just really needed her to go see a counselor already. As I said earlier part of this may be author fatigue, but I just really need these bitchy ow’s to get what they deserve coming to them. Oh and the H’s really need to know that it is ok not to be friends with your exes. Especially when they are toxic. In fact, these ow’s could probably move on quicker if the H’s were blunt with them. I envision something like this:
The H to the ow:
“Look, I realize that I am a sexual God, but you my dear are just an easy, convenient at times, average lay. You are shallow, adulterous, not maternal, and your frequent Botox and lifts make you about as appealing as a blow up doll. I am sure your “talents” will be welcomed by other men, but they are wasted on me. Have a good life and good-bye.”
At this point the ow should slap him, but then she needs to just move on……….
Here we go…Spoilers starting now!
This may be a 4 star for some PJ fans out there, but I just didn’t get enough angst from it. It really got lost in all of the h’s issues. I get that she didn’t get enough love as a child, and people deal with this in different ways, but I just really needed her to go see a counselor already. As I said earlier part of this may be author fatigue, but I just really need these bitchy ow’s to get what they deserve coming to them. Oh and the H’s really need to know that it is ok not to be friends with your exes. Especially when they are toxic. In fact, these ow’s could probably move on quicker if the H’s were blunt with them. I envision something like this:
The H to the ow:
“Look, I realize that I am a sexual God, but you my dear are just an easy, convenient at times, average lay. You are shallow, adulterous, not maternal, and your frequent Botox and lifts make you about as appealing as a blow up doll. I am sure your “talents” will be welcomed by other men, but they are wasted on me. Have a good life and good-bye.”
At this point the ow should slap him, but then she needs to just move on……….
November 6, 2022
Maybe 3.5. As PJs go I actually quite liked this. Flowed reasonably well. The H, Joel is h' brother in law (which kind of floats my boat a bit) and co-guardian of their 2 orphaned nieces. He's also the cause of her sexual dysfunction (walking in on 15 year old Lissa in a compromising position at a party and believing her father's bad press about her). They get married and share a bed and he "helps " her overcome her hangups. There's an ow and an om to muddy the waters and your usual crazy lack of comms but I enjoyed it.
October 24, 2020
Angst and mis-direct
A good but not great read; about continually crossed and crossing communication wires, and fragile egos/pride... but love does that... making one feel vulnerable
A good but not great read; about continually crossed and crossing communication wires, and fragile egos/pride... but love does that... making one feel vulnerable
July 23, 2024
I recommend this, I heartily do for one to learn how to never write a book! Indeed, the entirety and existence of this plot is a colossal elaboration of repetitive lines and thoughts. Like what happened PJ? Where goes the editors? Did everyone forget to do their job? But, on a different note, I wouldn’t mind a look at the book outline, for its interesting mapping must read something like this——-Chap 1: Talk about trauma. Chap 2: Talk about trauma. Chap 3: Talk more about trauma, trauma, trauma! Chap 4,5,6: And repeats!!!
But it wasn’t always like that, no. Sometimes, the repetitiveness comes straight at you right away. For example, I would find myself reading something then it would horrendously recycles only a couple lines down. Mind you, we are still in the same paragraph as before, if not then just the very next one! At this extreme closeness and arrangement, I wonder why the author/editor didn’t just scrolled their eyes up a bit and confirmed that such and such has already been written, maybe even twice prior to all that, so there was no need to mention them all over again so soon.
Precisely, Lissa would go on and on about her traumatic event. She would be in bed dreaming of it, in the kitchen thinking of it, held up at work and in a restaurant because she practically lived in her head! For days and days she carried on about her less than good looks. How she doesn’t share her mother’s or sister’s beauty but, of course, Lissa resembles her ‘wild’ aunt from her father’s side. We learned all this through her endless POV, right? Just to hear her repeat everything aloud to Joel. At last, confessing why she’s anti-man and whose fault it was, and how she would see his face in such times of intimacy. But why is that? She doesn’t understand! And, not quite letting him onto it, she’s out for revenge. Oh, she would punish him by accepting his proposal because dang it! It’s all his fault that she’s frigid! She is haunted not by her father’s demeaning face but Joel’s obvious contempt! And we must never forget that she is her mother’s and father’s unfavored daughter thanks to a small party incident and the crowd of friends she ran with. Though, let’s be honest, girl, it sounded like your family already despise you from the cradle. With less than pretty looks and lack of blond hair, she was deemed wild and rebellious like her aunt who left home and was never heard of again. So, now she’s out to make Joel suffer. He scarred her for life! Should I continue? Elaborate on it some more? Oh, I can’t bear it! All in all, read it at your own risk!
But it wasn’t always like that, no. Sometimes, the repetitiveness comes straight at you right away. For example, I would find myself reading something then it would horrendously recycles only a couple lines down. Mind you, we are still in the same paragraph as before, if not then just the very next one! At this extreme closeness and arrangement, I wonder why the author/editor didn’t just scrolled their eyes up a bit and confirmed that such and such has already been written, maybe even twice prior to all that, so there was no need to mention them all over again so soon.
Precisely, Lissa would go on and on about her traumatic event. She would be in bed dreaming of it, in the kitchen thinking of it, held up at work and in a restaurant because she practically lived in her head! For days and days she carried on about her less than good looks. How she doesn’t share her mother’s or sister’s beauty but, of course, Lissa resembles her ‘wild’ aunt from her father’s side. We learned all this through her endless POV, right? Just to hear her repeat everything aloud to Joel. At last, confessing why she’s anti-man and whose fault it was, and how she would see his face in such times of intimacy. But why is that? She doesn’t understand! And, not quite letting him onto it, she’s out for revenge. Oh, she would punish him by accepting his proposal because dang it! It’s all his fault that she’s frigid! She is haunted not by her father’s demeaning face but Joel’s obvious contempt! And we must never forget that she is her mother’s and father’s unfavored daughter thanks to a small party incident and the crowd of friends she ran with. Though, let’s be honest, girl, it sounded like your family already despise you from the cradle. With less than pretty looks and lack of blond hair, she was deemed wild and rebellious like her aunt who left home and was never heard of again. So, now she’s out to make Joel suffer. He scarred her for life! Should I continue? Elaborate on it some more? Oh, I can’t bear it! All in all, read it at your own risk!
February 7, 2021
Penny Jordan likes to delete the parents of the heroines in her books, but this time she has also deleted the parents of the hero and the siblings of the h and the H. So the book starts with the sudden death of 6 (!) family members.
The h and the H start to take care of the two little daughters of their deceased siblings.
What I found difficult to believe, was how easy and quick the two little children got over the death of both of their parents and grandparents.
Was it only a couple of days later that the little girl called the h ‘mommie’? The h looks nothing like their mother and the kids didn’t see the h or the H every week when their parents were still alive, so that was strange.
I couldn’t warm up to both the h and the H. One night their love making was interrupted because one of the girls had a nightmare. The h was then disappointed that they had been interrupted. It seems as if she was more worried about missing out on sex with the H than about her little niece having nightmares.
And also: part of her reason to go and take care of her nieces is because she heard that the H had said that she wouldn’t do that. So she wanted to show him she would. Not really a loving reason.
I didn’t feel he was smitten, he was not crazy in love in my opinion. And her feelings for him were more neurotic than loving.
The h and the H start to take care of the two little daughters of their deceased siblings.
What I found difficult to believe, was how easy and quick the two little children got over the death of both of their parents and grandparents.
Was it only a couple of days later that the little girl called the h ‘mommie’? The h looks nothing like their mother and the kids didn’t see the h or the H every week when their parents were still alive, so that was strange.
I couldn’t warm up to both the h and the H. One night their love making was interrupted because one of the girls had a nightmare. The h was then disappointed that they had been interrupted. It seems as if she was more worried about missing out on sex with the H than about her little niece having nightmares.
And also: part of her reason to go and take care of her nieces is because she heard that the H had said that she wouldn’t do that. So she wanted to show him she would. Not really a loving reason.
I didn’t feel he was smitten, he was not crazy in love in my opinion. And her feelings for him were more neurotic than loving.
June 21, 2023
Boogenhagen saids all about the double Standard Bastard of H, he should die and the heroine should wiped out her memories of him so she can find another worthy H.
While he was whoring through the years she still an innocent and virtuous girl, and he had the guts to slut-shame her? After he took her virginity, he left her cold and alone. Should I believe that he fell for her what he thought that she was a promiscuous girl of fifteen. Did he looked in the mirror himself to see who is the really whore? Did he insulted his personal sluts? Of course not, he pampers them with pricey trinkets, the contempt are only reserved for the poor h. If he truly loved her he would have pursued her a long time ago and not treated her like dirt. He himself said that if she wasn't marry him because of the nieces he will get one of his precious sluts to marry. He should have married one of his harlots, they deserve each other. I forgot that the scumbag wanted her to terminate her pregnancy. Really? The child didn't deserved a scumbag for father and maybe neither a doormat mother.
While he was whoring through the years she still an innocent and virtuous girl, and he had the guts to slut-shame her? After he took her virginity, he left her cold and alone. Should I believe that he fell for her what he thought that she was a promiscuous girl of fifteen. Did he looked in the mirror himself to see who is the really whore? Did he insulted his personal sluts? Of course not, he pampers them with pricey trinkets, the contempt are only reserved for the poor h. If he truly loved her he would have pursued her a long time ago and not treated her like dirt. He himself said that if she wasn't marry him because of the nieces he will get one of his precious sluts to marry. He should have married one of his harlots, they deserve each other. I forgot that the scumbag wanted her to terminate her pregnancy. Really? The child didn't deserved a scumbag for father and maybe neither a doormat mother.
October 1, 2017
Injured Innocent
I have read several other stories about two per with a past marrying because of children left behind. This one went along with the same trope. Here they knew each other when she was fifteen, he was right years older. And they reconnect when they were left with nieces after their parents died. Now they need to figure out how to raise them. But is marriage the right answer? What about their own lives?
I have read several other stories about two per with a past marrying because of children left behind. This one went along with the same trope. Here they knew each other when she was fifteen, he was right years older. And they reconnect when they were left with nieces after their parents died. Now they need to figure out how to raise them. But is marriage the right answer? What about their own lives?
Read
October 21, 2024Maybe I was in the wrong mood to read this but honestly 🤦. A heroine who's TSTL, a hero who is horribly judgmental towards her most of the time.. 🤢 oh - and an OW who is immensely annoying.
Just tell the truth - at least with regard to facts and actions if not emotions .
Misplaced pride gets you nowhere!
Just tell the truth - at least with regard to facts and actions if not emotions .
Misplaced pride gets you nowhere!
December 17, 2024
Quite disturbed. "Me... a man of twenty three had fallen head over heels in love for a promiscuous child of fifteen"... EXCUSE ME!? Em... at least he didn't act on it and waited until she was of age i guess!?😬💀
August 17, 2025
I found the 1986 First US edition. Yes, it's a Harlequin Romance, but the editing is horrible. The punctuation wouldn't pass a fourth grade essay. Story is typical Penny Jordan, good plot and characters, fast-paced, back story well incorporated.
April 9, 2019
2.5 stars
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