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The Counterfeit Marriage
"WITH THIS RAGE I DO THEE WED..."
Enchantingly beautiful Catherine Renwick had good cause to despise darkly handsome, insufferably arrogant James Pembroke, Earl of Allandale.
It was this deplorable man who on a night of wild debauchery caused Catherine to be abducted and brought to him at a country inn. It was he who took her virtue by force, and left her threatened with disgrace.
True, he now was willing to make amends by giving her his name in marriage. And equally true, she had no choice but to accept. But Catherine was sure that nothing in the world could erase her hatred for him or her horror of his embrace.
Catherine was an innocent no longer--yet she had so much to learn about love and the maddening deceptions of the heart....
Enchantingly beautiful Catherine Renwick had good cause to despise darkly handsome, insufferably arrogant James Pembroke, Earl of Allandale.
It was this deplorable man who on a night of wild debauchery caused Catherine to be abducted and brought to him at a country inn. It was he who took her virtue by force, and left her threatened with disgrace.
True, he now was willing to make amends by giving her his name in marriage. And equally true, she had no choice but to accept. But Catherine was sure that nothing in the world could erase her hatred for him or her horror of his embrace.
Catherine was an innocent no longer--yet she had so much to learn about love and the maddening deceptions of the heart....
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 5, 1980
6 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Joan Wolf
104 books368 followersJoan Wolf is a USA TODAY bestselling American writer, whose acclaimed Regency romances have earned her national recognition as a master of the genre. Her many historical and contemporary romances, some of which have been chosen as Literary Guild selections, have been highly praised by reviewers and authors alike.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Mercy College and Master in English and Comparative Literature at Hunter College. An avid rider and horse owner, Joan lives in Connecticut with her husband Joe and two grown children, Jay and Pam.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 23, 2017
A bodice ripper that suddenly and incongruously develops the soul of a Regency moc-romance!
The story is as per the blurb but minus the said ‘rage’ and ‘hatred’. (No strong emotions for this book, thank you very much!)
And it was rape (no hiding behind ‘forced seduction/reluctance’).
And then they marry and start co-habiting peacefully!
*Spoilers some*
On seeing her for the first time (after his drunken brutalizing of her) the H has this to say/think–
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it."
And I feel the h experiences a similar sentiment even if left unsaid by the author. Because she enjoys his company from the word go, even blossoming as days go by. (All her resentment gets centered on the H’s friend who had abducted her for the H.) It was quite weird actually. There was no big horror or fear on her part on being physically close or alone with the H.
Rather she falls in love. As does he. And then midwayish they hold hands and avow eternal love!
Thankfully there was a conflict ( her fear of the actual act), otherwise this would have been even worse. Although to be honest, I found their ensuing asexual love and relationship to be quite sweet if a bit drawn-out.
The book also suffers from all the interspersing talks on war and politics, which I mostly skimmed over. There were the peninsula wars, French politics and even Simon Bolivar and his South American undertaking!
The mistress and the om do add some mild sparks.
But the book that begins on such a dramatic and disturbing note turns tame and tedious pretty quick and continues in the same vein throughout.
The story is as per the blurb but minus the said ‘rage’ and ‘hatred’. (No strong emotions for this book, thank you very much!)
And it was rape (no hiding behind ‘forced seduction/reluctance’).
And then they marry and start co-habiting peacefully!
*Spoilers some*
On seeing her for the first time (after his drunken brutalizing of her) the H has this to say/think–
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it."
And I feel the h experiences a similar sentiment even if left unsaid by the author. Because she enjoys his company from the word go, even blossoming as days go by. (All her resentment gets centered on the H’s friend who had abducted her for the H.) It was quite weird actually. There was no big horror or fear on her part on being physically close or alone with the H.
Rather she falls in love. As does he. And then midwayish they hold hands and avow eternal love!
Thankfully there was a conflict ( her fear of the actual act), otherwise this would have been even worse. Although to be honest, I found their ensuing asexual love and relationship to be quite sweet if a bit drawn-out.
The book also suffers from all the interspersing talks on war and politics, which I mostly skimmed over. There were the peninsula wars, French politics and even Simon Bolivar and his South American undertaking!
The mistress and the om do add some mild sparks.
But the book that begins on such a dramatic and disturbing note turns tame and tedious pretty quick and continues in the same vein throughout.
June 21, 2012
Nothing special here. Although, some LOL moments I must quote.
Allandale was the biggest thing to hit London since Byron. What's that? Oh, sorry...fatality. I've injured myself yawning.
I did find it remarkable, that the first week she's relocated into the rapist's clutches, all compromised and all-- she's immediately happy. Yes. Happy.
"She realized, with deep surprise, that she was happy."
And this one, that tops 'em all off:
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it." Yes, I never forget to appreciate all my rapings. And you should too. In fact, all relationships should scream appreciative rape.
Allandale was the biggest thing to hit London since Byron. What's that? Oh, sorry...fatality. I've injured myself yawning.
I did find it remarkable, that the first week she's relocated into the rapist's clutches, all compromised and all-- she's immediately happy. Yes. Happy.
"She realized, with deep surprise, that she was happy."
And this one, that tops 'em all off:
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it." Yes, I never forget to appreciate all my rapings. And you should too. In fact, all relationships should scream appreciative rape.
March 19, 2025
.
I so wanted to like this one more. The setting for the romance is so unromantic. And yet the author did a credible job turning that around by halfway.
But by 70% I knew the story was in a downward spiral from which it never recovered.
Drunken idiocy is blamed for the fiasco that leads to Catherine being raped by James. And yet, for someone who was so drunk he couldn't remember it, he sure was well articulated at the time.
But anyways, her father finds out and forces him to marry her. They would wait 2 months to see if she is pregnant and then annul if possible. But alas, she is pregnant.
So she is forced to go with her new husband to London and fake a happy marriage.
I don't know why she wasn't more afraid of him, but she seemed to be mostly afraid of his servant, who had also been drunk when he had dragged her to his Earl's bed.
Instead, her fear has become somehow entwined with her fear of dark spaces that comes from a childhood accident. I thought this detracted from the story, especially in the second half.
James starts to fall in love with his wife, but fights it tooth and nail by staying away and mostly drinking and gambling.
There is an OW that he took up during the 2 months between the wedding and his going to fetch his bride. She was dismissed but causes trouble later on.
There is a lovable aunt.
There is a wannabe OM that causes trouble several times as well.
I liked Catherine (other than her weirdly based phobia of intimacy). She was only 17 but super wise. James, who is 31, finds himself learning a thing or two from her. He was more difficult to like (I never did like him). He kept himself very much to himself until he gives up halfway and declares his love.
The second half of the story is filled with rehashes of the politics of the time, and James staying away from Catherine. By this point they are totally in love with each other, but Catherine is still too fearful to have sex with him. Their solution is for James to go away.
It wasn't fun to read and I confess I started skimming most of it.
In the end, Ian, her cousin who loves her too, goes a little mad and kidnaps her. This somehow leads her to being able to consummate their love with James???
At least it was all resolved without violence, or Ian being permanently vilified. But I gotta say it was NOT romantically satisfying.
Safety is NOT good
I so wanted to like this one more. The setting for the romance is so unromantic. And yet the author did a credible job turning that around by halfway.
But by 70% I knew the story was in a downward spiral from which it never recovered.
Drunken idiocy is blamed for the fiasco that leads to Catherine being raped by James. And yet, for someone who was so drunk he couldn't remember it, he sure was well articulated at the time.
But anyways, her father finds out and forces him to marry her. They would wait 2 months to see if she is pregnant and then annul if possible. But alas, she is pregnant.
So she is forced to go with her new husband to London and fake a happy marriage.
I don't know why she wasn't more afraid of him, but she seemed to be mostly afraid of his servant, who had also been drunk when he had dragged her to his Earl's bed.
Instead, her fear has become somehow entwined with her fear of dark spaces that comes from a childhood accident. I thought this detracted from the story, especially in the second half.
James starts to fall in love with his wife, but fights it tooth and nail by staying away and mostly drinking and gambling.
There is an OW that he took up during the 2 months between the wedding and his going to fetch his bride. She was dismissed but causes trouble later on.
There is a lovable aunt.
There is a wannabe OM that causes trouble several times as well.
I liked Catherine (other than her weirdly based phobia of intimacy). She was only 17 but super wise. James, who is 31, finds himself learning a thing or two from her. He was more difficult to like (I never did like him). He kept himself very much to himself until he gives up halfway and declares his love.
The second half of the story is filled with rehashes of the politics of the time, and James staying away from Catherine. By this point they are totally in love with each other, but Catherine is still too fearful to have sex with him. Their solution is for James to go away.
It wasn't fun to read and I confess I started skimming most of it.
In the end, Ian, her cousin who loves her too, goes a little mad and kidnaps her. This somehow leads her to being able to consummate their love with James???
At least it was all resolved without violence, or Ian being permanently vilified. But I gotta say it was NOT romantically satisfying.
Safety is NOT good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2022
My initial review years ago, when I couldn't get past the beginning chapter of this book:
A heroine struck mute with laryngitis + drunk hero = a mistaken identity story that I want NOTHING to do with.
I should have stuck to my instincts but a book slump got the better of me and this time around, I read through it and wow what a mistake! I got to savor lines such as "Christ! To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it." Yes ladies and gentlemen, so speaks the hero of this piece, who savagely rapes the heroine in a blind, black-out drunken episode and then is forced to marry her to preserve her honor, since she is not the slutty maid he thought her to be but a well-bred young lady with the same aristocratic pedigree as him. Inexplicably, the heroine eventually falls in love with her "counterfeit" husband despite him ignoring her most of the time and going back to his horrid mistress. Unfortunately, despite falling in love with her rapist, our heroine can't have sex with him because she is so traumatized and triggered by, you know, his rape of her! Hero feels sorry for himself and even whines to his mistress at one point about his nonexistent sex life with his wife to which the mistress pityingly tells him that his wife is a fool. The HEA is arrived at through a kidnapping of the heroine by a psycho OM (another would-be rapist) from which heroine extricates herself and enjoys a tearful reunion with her husband. Apparently the kidnapping and near rape by the OM cured the heroine of her trauma and she can now enjoy a healthy sex life with her husband. Who says romance is dead?
A heroine struck mute with laryngitis + drunk hero = a mistaken identity story that I want NOTHING to do with.
I should have stuck to my instincts but a book slump got the better of me and this time around, I read through it and wow what a mistake! I got to savor lines such as "Christ! To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it." Yes ladies and gentlemen, so speaks the hero of this piece, who savagely rapes the heroine in a blind, black-out drunken episode and then is forced to marry her to preserve her honor, since she is not the slutty maid he thought her to be but a well-bred young lady with the same aristocratic pedigree as him. Inexplicably, the heroine eventually falls in love with her "counterfeit" husband despite him ignoring her most of the time and going back to his horrid mistress. Unfortunately, despite falling in love with her rapist, our heroine can't have sex with him because she is so traumatized and triggered by, you know, his rape of her! Hero feels sorry for himself and even whines to his mistress at one point about his nonexistent sex life with his wife to which the mistress pityingly tells him that his wife is a fool. The HEA is arrived at through a kidnapping of the heroine by a psycho OM (another would-be rapist) from which heroine extricates herself and enjoys a tearful reunion with her husband. Apparently the kidnapping and near rape by the OM cured the heroine of her trauma and she can now enjoy a healthy sex life with her husband. Who says romance is dead?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2015
The heroine of this book gets raped by the hero while he was drunk and he thought she was a paid local village girl. She has laryngytis and can't tell him differently. The next morning he is accosted by her father. They agree that he will return and marry her if she is pregnant which of course turns out to be the case. They marry and later fall in love. The baby is born and they seem set to be happy. Problem is she is scared of the marriage bed. He is all angsty because of course it is all his fault and they struggle to overcome this obstacle. Of course they eventually do. Meanwhile things are complicated by the appearance of her slightly deranged cousin who has always loved her. The heroine's of J. Wolf's books are generally so beautiful and wonderful that nearly everyone loves them. A favorite that I reread every couple of years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2022
3.0 stars
Okay! Not one of her better books. With JW books it's best to just go with it. Her writing makes up for the inaccuracies, still the lack of physical relationship ruins the book some.
So not bad, but not one I'll read again!
Okay! Not one of her better books. With JW books it's best to just go with it. Her writing makes up for the inaccuracies, still the lack of physical relationship ruins the book some.
So not bad, but not one I'll read again!
November 29, 2017
I hated this "hero". He was an absolute rapist. This was no bodice ripper type of rape. This bastard actually raped the heroine, who was a total stranger to him. He was a disgusting pig and being drunk during the rape was no excuse. The aftermath of the rape was so sad; I was almost close to tears when the heroine's father was all choked up with anguish at what had happened to his sweet 17 year old daughter. It was nice to see a father during these times who truly loved his daughter.
I hated the "hero" for other, more superficial reasons too. This guy was described by the author as being "slender" and of "medium height". Wtf ? In a romance novel? Really? Who the F gives a hero such a physical description anyway? This soured me for the rest of the novel because I am really superficial when it comes to the physical appearance of heroes and heroines. Seriously. And I am unashamedly unapologetic about it. I like what I like and that's just the way I feel.
Aside from his physical shortcomings, the "hero" was an adulterous bastard who was sexing it up with an older widow. Wtf ? I hate OW who are also cougars.
I hated everything about this book. The poor beautiful 17 year old heroine deserved a hunk who was straight out the imagination of an author like Judith McNaught or Julie Garwood. I don't know if I can read another book by this author.
I hated the "hero" for other, more superficial reasons too. This guy was described by the author as being "slender" and of "medium height". Wtf ? In a romance novel? Really? Who the F gives a hero such a physical description anyway? This soured me for the rest of the novel because I am really superficial when it comes to the physical appearance of heroes and heroines. Seriously. And I am unashamedly unapologetic about it. I like what I like and that's just the way I feel.
Aside from his physical shortcomings, the "hero" was an adulterous bastard who was sexing it up with an older widow. Wtf ? I hate OW who are also cougars.
I hated everything about this book. The poor beautiful 17 year old heroine deserved a hunk who was straight out the imagination of an author like Judith McNaught or Julie Garwood. I don't know if I can read another book by this author.
February 7, 2017
Catherine takes her horse out riding after recovering from an illness when she is attacked by a drunken man who abducts her under the impression that she is a girl his friend/mancrush James Pemberbrook Lord Allandale found attraktive earlier.Unable to cry out because of her sore throat she is taken to the inn where the drunk en man and his friend are staying.
She is thrown into a room where she is raped by the Earl.The next day the innkeepers wife finds Catherine huddled outside the room trembling and with torn clothes.
Her father is summoned and takes her home.Hej then returns to confront the earl who at first cant even remember what he did.
Being a honorable man (HA!) he offers to marry Catherine (she is later found out to be pregnant and her father sends her off to live with Allandale.
When younger I would read womens magazines that my grandmother sent on to my mother after she was finished reading them. Most of it was the usual stuff interviews and recipes but there was a section that had notices about outrageous news from abroad.I still remember one title "I married my rapist" about an english woman finding happiness with her attacker (urgh)
This book reads like that article.
After the sexual assault its treated as the horrible thing it is.Then when Allandale sees how beatiful his victim is he thinks how awful it was he was too drunk while raping too enjoy her beauty. Hilarious is described as his emotion too.I mean what even :(
Then for some reason that remains a riddle to me Allandale and Catherine fall in love. When confronted by her cousin/previous suitor that she cant possibly love such a man as Allandale (rapist/cheater/iceblock) she brush him off and considers it over and done with.
Then almost as if to try convince the reader that this other guy is the evil one ,not Allandale she makes him into a babyhater and has him abduct Catherine.
I can detect traces of some elements (sans rape)in this book that is also in the much better Golden Girl but wich in
The Counterfeit marriage is more poorly developed.
She is thrown into a room where she is raped by the Earl.The next day the innkeepers wife finds Catherine huddled outside the room trembling and with torn clothes.
Her father is summoned and takes her home.Hej then returns to confront the earl who at first cant even remember what he did.
Being a honorable man (HA!) he offers to marry Catherine (she is later found out to be pregnant and her father sends her off to live with Allandale.
When younger I would read womens magazines that my grandmother sent on to my mother after she was finished reading them. Most of it was the usual stuff interviews and recipes but there was a section that had notices about outrageous news from abroad.I still remember one title "I married my rapist" about an english woman finding happiness with her attacker (urgh)
This book reads like that article.
After the sexual assault its treated as the horrible thing it is.Then when Allandale sees how beatiful his victim is he thinks how awful it was he was too drunk while raping too enjoy her beauty. Hilarious is described as his emotion too.I mean what even :(
Then for some reason that remains a riddle to me Allandale and Catherine fall in love. When confronted by her cousin/previous suitor that she cant possibly love such a man as Allandale (rapist/cheater/iceblock) she brush him off and considers it over and done with.
Then almost as if to try convince the reader that this other guy is the evil one ,not Allandale she makes him into a babyhater and has him abduct Catherine.
I can detect traces of some elements (sans rape)in this book that is also in the much better Golden Girl but wich in
The Counterfeit marriage is more poorly developed.
March 28, 2013
Read the summary of the book. Got curious.
Started reading the book.
Came across this quote in chapter 2:
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it."
WTF?!
Closed the book right there and then. The end.
Started reading the book.
Came across this quote in chapter 2:
"Christ!" thought Allandale hilariously. "To think I raped that and was too drunk to even appreciate it."
WTF?!
Closed the book right there and then. The end.
January 24, 2016
I'm sorry but this book is boring.
Considering the terrible thing that brought them together, I was hoping for a lot of angsty drama, especially from Catherine. Yes, the beginning was heartbreaking but then they started to live together, exchange some polite conversation and galloping through James's land suddenly they're BFF.
Later, the emotional after effect was catching on them but I already lost interest.
Oh, and the political talk. So detail, I applauded the author on her research, but so boring.
Catherine's Mary Sue ness and James's sleeping with OW after he's married also not helping the case.
This is the author's first book, so maybe her other books are better than this I hope.
Considering the terrible thing that brought them together, I was hoping for a lot of angsty drama, especially from Catherine. Yes, the beginning was heartbreaking but then they started to live together, exchange some polite conversation and galloping through James's land suddenly they're BFF.
Later, the emotional after effect was catching on them but I already lost interest.
Oh, and the political talk. So detail, I applauded the author on her research, but so boring.
Catherine's Mary Sue ness and James's sleeping with OW after he's married also not helping the case.
This is the author's first book, so maybe her other books are better than this I hope.
May 3, 2016
i found i disliked the book's plot though not the characters. how cud Catherine be so comfortable and feel safe living in the same house as her rapist!? what happened was horrible and unforgivable. if she had been the village servant he thought, wud he have married her!? Allendale's suddenly falling for his wife also did not make sense. a man like him, really!wid the morals of an alley cat! laughable!
November 15, 2015
The guy was in actuality, a really nice guy. He got drunk, he forced himself on a woman who he thought was a whore (but obviously wasn't) and when she ended up pregnant he did the honorable thing. And despite admitting wishing he'd been less intoxicated when he'd raped her, he did honestly feel remorse for his behavior and he wasn't a complete ass. He turned out to be really considerate and affectionate. And her total fear of intimacy disappears just a little suddenly there at the end...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2014
synopsis:
catherine is alone one night, and is abducted by someone and taken to an inn as sport for james, the earl of allendale. it is a case of mistaken identity, because a serving girl was supposed to have been the person brought to the earl, but the earl doesn't realize that this is not the serving girl, and completes the rape of catherine. when he realizes that she was not willing, and that her family is of good stanging, james offers to marry catherine, which he does. what follows is the story of the two of them learning to live with what has happened, and to maybe overcome it.
what i liked: i felt as though the situation was dealt with realistically, and james feeling remorse for his mideed was refreshing.
what i didn't like: i felt as though catherine got over everything really quickly. i wasn't really into the book, didn't get into the characters, but i believe that it's just personal preferance. the writing style just didn't do it for me for some reason. the story was good, the book was well written, and the characters were sympathetic; it just didn't resonate with me.
catherine is alone one night, and is abducted by someone and taken to an inn as sport for james, the earl of allendale. it is a case of mistaken identity, because a serving girl was supposed to have been the person brought to the earl, but the earl doesn't realize that this is not the serving girl, and completes the rape of catherine. when he realizes that she was not willing, and that her family is of good stanging, james offers to marry catherine, which he does. what follows is the story of the two of them learning to live with what has happened, and to maybe overcome it.
what i liked: i felt as though the situation was dealt with realistically, and james feeling remorse for his mideed was refreshing.
what i didn't like: i felt as though catherine got over everything really quickly. i wasn't really into the book, didn't get into the characters, but i believe that it's just personal preferance. the writing style just didn't do it for me for some reason. the story was good, the book was well written, and the characters were sympathetic; it just didn't resonate with me.
November 2, 2011
Joan wolf is one of my favorite authors. This book takes the hero and heroine through a traumatic sexual encounter. They are forced to marry. Both characters to their credit attempt to make the best of the marriage. Just the right amount of angst. On my keep shelf.
January 5, 2026
I love Joan Wolf, and her Signet books were my entre into historical romances as a very young reader.
But this book is just built around such a problematic premise that only my nostalgia made it palatable.
1) In the first scene, the hero violently rapes heroine.
2) She is forced to marry him "in case"..
3) She is pregnant from the rape, and is then forced to move in with her husband who she has only met during the rape.
4) They magically love eachother... and he is the tortured one because of his experience fighting in Spain....
5) Because they love eachother SOOO much, he MUST sleep with her... but she has PTSD and cant stand to be touched
This is the primary issue that drives them apart for the majority of the book.
He cant keep it in his pants? He cant love someone and be around them unless he can fuck them? Not being able to have sex is such torture that he cant live with her and has to exile himself from her presence??? And, he can sleep with his old mistress out of pique because his friend criticized him?? He cant find a way to be a patient lover and pay attention to how she is respondong??
The fact that I just accepted any of this premise originally is astonishing and clearly a huge indication of how far our attitudes have evolved since this was written in 1980.
But this book is just built around such a problematic premise that only my nostalgia made it palatable.
1) In the first scene, the hero violently rapes heroine.
2) She is forced to marry him "in case"..
3) She is pregnant from the rape, and is then forced to move in with her husband who she has only met during the rape.
4) They magically love eachother... and he is the tortured one because of his experience fighting in Spain....
5) Because they love eachother SOOO much, he MUST sleep with her... but she has PTSD and cant stand to be touched
This is the primary issue that drives them apart for the majority of the book.
He cant keep it in his pants? He cant love someone and be around them unless he can fuck them? Not being able to have sex is such torture that he cant live with her and has to exile himself from her presence??? And, he can sleep with his old mistress out of pique because his friend criticized him?? He cant find a way to be a patient lover and pay attention to how she is respondong??
The fact that I just accepted any of this premise originally is astonishing and clearly a huge indication of how far our attitudes have evolved since this was written in 1980.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
I definitely had some problems with this book but in the end I did enjoy it. I love Joan Wolf so I have to take into consideration that this was her first book.
March 18, 2018
2.5 stars
March 17, 2022
Dnf, too lame a plot
January 16, 2016
Boring....
and.... weird. emotionaly..weird. and have i said boring? yes. this book bored me to hell.
She (chaterine) was forcefully raped when she was horse rideing wearing her "peasant" clothes. the friend of the hero wants to cheer the hero (james) and making his mood better by seacrhing the nearest whore he can use. unfortunately, this man saw chaterine when she was horseriding and unfortunately again, she was having throat problem, thus she cant even voicing any word. when this man just grabbed her and practically dragged her like she was some lowly slut, she cant said anything. she ofc struggling, but what can she do in power to over come the man's strongly grasped at her? so she was dragged and shoved into james's room. james was drunk, and instantly ripped her clothes, she ran, he chased, she struggled from his hand, he dragged her to his bed. he forcefully raped her. and she was feeling pain, shock and any other mentally shock from a girl that just been raped. long story short, her dad marrying her to james and planning to get annulment IF there's no repercusion from the act. but she then pregnant. so there's no annulment, and james took her to the city as his wife. she made him promise Not to touch her in any intimate way, coz she said she just cant. but we all knw where this is heading. having a very weird mentally by Not even once she felt traumatic nor hating james for what he done to her (mid you, he really raped her in a very brutally-power wise act), she was having fun at the city. she even felt like she doesnt want to go home anymore. what for? she got all she want. at this time, she might thank god to made her being raped by a good looking earl, and a very rich one too. she then come to love him in a very short time. at this point i was like... are you effing kidding me??? does the writter never research of what raped can do the 17years old girl's state of mental? the fear of it, the nightmare of it? Nope! ofc, only in novel a force raped is also.. romantic. again, thak god that the rapist is a very handsome guy! imagine if james was an ugly fat balding guy. chaterine might cursing god everyday.
i've seen to angst. hw can be? it was boring me to death. oh, and it also a very loooooonggg story.
i wont recommend this. but if you have enough time, then by all mean, please do challenge yourself .
oh, but chaterine cant be intimate w/james bcoz her body "remember" the raped memory. but she loves him and want him. there it goes. drink your beer! it just doesnt make sense
and.... weird. emotionaly..weird. and have i said boring? yes. this book bored me to hell.
She (chaterine) was forcefully raped when she was horse rideing wearing her "peasant" clothes. the friend of the hero wants to cheer the hero (james) and making his mood better by seacrhing the nearest whore he can use. unfortunately, this man saw chaterine when she was horseriding and unfortunately again, she was having throat problem, thus she cant even voicing any word. when this man just grabbed her and practically dragged her like she was some lowly slut, she cant said anything. she ofc struggling, but what can she do in power to over come the man's strongly grasped at her? so she was dragged and shoved into james's room. james was drunk, and instantly ripped her clothes, she ran, he chased, she struggled from his hand, he dragged her to his bed. he forcefully raped her. and she was feeling pain, shock and any other mentally shock from a girl that just been raped. long story short, her dad marrying her to james and planning to get annulment IF there's no repercusion from the act. but she then pregnant. so there's no annulment, and james took her to the city as his wife. she made him promise Not to touch her in any intimate way, coz she said she just cant. but we all knw where this is heading. having a very weird mentally by Not even once she felt traumatic nor hating james for what he done to her (mid you, he really raped her in a very brutally-power wise act), she was having fun at the city. she even felt like she doesnt want to go home anymore. what for? she got all she want. at this time, she might thank god to made her being raped by a good looking earl, and a very rich one too. she then come to love him in a very short time. at this point i was like... are you effing kidding me??? does the writter never research of what raped can do the 17years old girl's state of mental? the fear of it, the nightmare of it? Nope! ofc, only in novel a force raped is also.. romantic. again, thak god that the rapist is a very handsome guy! imagine if james was an ugly fat balding guy. chaterine might cursing god everyday.
i've seen to angst. hw can be? it was boring me to death. oh, and it also a very loooooonggg story.
i wont recommend this. but if you have enough time, then by all mean, please do challenge yourself .
oh, but chaterine cant be intimate w/james bcoz her body "remember" the raped memory. but she loves him and want him. there it goes. drink your beer! it just doesnt make sense
November 3, 2015
This book is brief and full of cliches, but surprisingly lacking in cheesiness.
It has the basic bodice-ripper historical romance tropes:
forced to get married
unsure of each others feelings while madly in love
jealous former suitor of the heroine(second one i've read where it is a cousin they were expected to marry who kidnaps her to force her to marry them. seriously, what's with the creepy cousins?)
jealous woman the hero had a fling with who now refuses to move on
However, I wasn't expecting a groundbreaking narrative out of a 200 page romance novel and i'd say it was a couple hours well spent despite it's cliches (I think the short length of the book made them less annoying actually) and i'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light historical romance
It has the basic bodice-ripper historical romance tropes:
forced to get married
unsure of each others feelings while madly in love
jealous former suitor of the heroine(second one i've read where it is a cousin they were expected to marry who kidnaps her to force her to marry them. seriously, what's with the creepy cousins?)
jealous woman the hero had a fling with who now refuses to move on
However, I wasn't expecting a groundbreaking narrative out of a 200 page romance novel and i'd say it was a couple hours well spent despite it's cliches (I think the short length of the book made them less annoying actually) and i'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light historical romance
October 3, 2016
I had high hopes for this but the majority of the story was boring. The beginning and end were good but that's all. Once the incident at the beginning was over with, James and Catherine got along great for the duration of the story. No conflict, no disagreements, no nothing.
James is twenty-six and Catherine is seventeen. The story spans just over a year but I don't know what year it begins or ends. When James was sober we were told he was remorseful for what he'd done the night before but I didn't feel it. He's a rather bland character.
Catherine was put in a bad situation and dealt with it very well and seemed quite mature for just barely seventeen. We're told they're both in love with each other but I'm not feeling that either. I don't think they were around each other much.
Her cousin Ian, I did like, especially towards the end when his craziness came out to play. He seems to be around her age. He became really angry when he found out why James and Catherine married and couldn't understand why he wasn't asked to marry her instead when that was their plan in the first place. He hatched a plan that didn't work out in the end. That situation wasn't handled in a believable way by James.
April 14, 2016
What a drag. It's a miracle I even finished this book.
September 29, 2017
This isn't a particularly good book. It includes several marginal to improper scenes, and some highly objectionable themes, including rape. Do yourself a favor and don't read it.
October 15, 2024
Bad. Didn't read much. Theres nothing right about this book. Its not the morality of it... its bad writing, unbelievable reactions etc.
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