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Whitehall #2
The Cowboy And The Lady
HE WAS A SHADOW FROM HER PAST.
Jace Whitehall had given Amanda her first taste of passion. His silver eyes had held a forbidden fascination for her, but at sixteen she had been too inexperienced to understand the fiery message in his searing kisses, too young to let him initiate her into the rites of love.
Now all that had changed. She was a grown woman, ready to learn the lessons of desire, and there was only one man who could teach her -- a man whose glittering gaze held both the secrets of her unhappy past and the promise of a golden future.
Jace Whitehall had given Amanda her first taste of passion. His silver eyes had held a forbidden fascination for her, but at sixteen she had been too inexperienced to understand the fiery message in his searing kisses, too young to let him initiate her into the rites of love.
Now all that had changed. She was a grown woman, ready to learn the lessons of desire, and there was only one man who could teach her -- a man whose glittering gaze held both the secrets of her unhappy past and the promise of a golden future.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1982
69 people are currently reading
698 people want to read
About the author
Diana Palmer
1,041 books3,097 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
April 22, 2010
The Cowboy and the Lady was a pleasure to read for me. I didn't enjoy the last book I read, and it was completely soothing to immerse myself in one of the sweet, yet passionate love stories that Ms. Palmer excels in telling. This book was published in 1982, and that is apparent in some ways, with the clothing details, and descriptions of surroundings, and the more old fashioned morals. However, the pure, essential love story is timeless.
For Palmer fans, this is nothing new. The innocent, very young woman who falls for a man she grew up with, who's quite a bit older than her (ten years), and thinks little of her because of his internal issues with women. When I found out why he hated her mother (and her by default) so much, I was surprised. I have to say that I don't think her mother should have been let off the hook so lightly by Amanda. Amanda had an understanding heart and put herself in her mother's shoes for what her mother did. But, considering the widespread hurt it caused, I would have told my mother I didn't agree with what she did, even if I loved and forgave her. Amanda allowed her mother to continue to be treated as a child, which wasn't fair to herself or her mother, or the people her mother hurt. I had a big issue with blowing off what her mother did, as you can tell.
Jace was the typical, "don't get too close, don't run away" hero for a Diana Palmer book. But, the thing I like about her heroes is that they might be cruel with words, but it's very clear to the reader how crazy in love with the heroines they are. And they usually make up for it. They aren't usually jerky toads for no reason who get off for it with a kiss or a nice romp in bed (like the hero in the last book I read before this one). He was stone cold in love with Amanda, and it was apparent to every one but Amanda. She couldn't look past her own insecurities.
Let's face it, if you don't like young, innocent heroines, you won't like this book. They don't bother me. I like them in a well-told story, so I was fine. And Amanda did show spunk most of the time when it was necessary.
Diana Palmer shows her usual warm, engaging storytelling ease, making reading this book a pleasant, enjoyable experience. The usual mix of fiery passion although with little explicit details, and snappy dialogue and humor was present in this story. It was a good read, no doubt about it. My rating of four stars reflects a comparison to favorites of mine by Ms. Palmer. This was a very good book, but not near my favorite's list. But, all the same, a wonderful read that soothed my frayed nerves. I hope I get to thank her one day for the many hours of reading pleasure she's given me. This book is no exception to that.
For Palmer fans, this is nothing new. The innocent, very young woman who falls for a man she grew up with, who's quite a bit older than her (ten years), and thinks little of her because of his internal issues with women. When I found out why he hated her mother (and her by default) so much, I was surprised. I have to say that I don't think her mother should have been let off the hook so lightly by Amanda. Amanda had an understanding heart and put herself in her mother's shoes for what her mother did. But, considering the widespread hurt it caused, I would have told my mother I didn't agree with what she did, even if I loved and forgave her. Amanda allowed her mother to continue to be treated as a child, which wasn't fair to herself or her mother, or the people her mother hurt. I had a big issue with blowing off what her mother did, as you can tell.
Jace was the typical, "don't get too close, don't run away" hero for a Diana Palmer book. But, the thing I like about her heroes is that they might be cruel with words, but it's very clear to the reader how crazy in love with the heroines they are. And they usually make up for it. They aren't usually jerky toads for no reason who get off for it with a kiss or a nice romp in bed (like the hero in the last book I read before this one). He was stone cold in love with Amanda, and it was apparent to every one but Amanda. She couldn't look past her own insecurities.
Let's face it, if you don't like young, innocent heroines, you won't like this book. They don't bother me. I like them in a well-told story, so I was fine. And Amanda did show spunk most of the time when it was necessary.
Diana Palmer shows her usual warm, engaging storytelling ease, making reading this book a pleasant, enjoyable experience. The usual mix of fiery passion although with little explicit details, and snappy dialogue and humor was present in this story. It was a good read, no doubt about it. My rating of four stars reflects a comparison to favorites of mine by Ms. Palmer. This was a very good book, but not near my favorite's list. But, all the same, a wonderful read that soothed my frayed nerves. I hope I get to thank her one day for the many hours of reading pleasure she's given me. This book is no exception to that.
November 29, 2021
Um, Diana—you busy?
What? Well, a little bit, Sally, I’m reading up on biscuits…
It’s Sandra.
What? Oh—well, my last PA was Sally, so sorry!
Marcia.
What?
Your last PA’s name was Marcia. But that’s okay, I know you’ve had a few before me! Hey, you have that Silhouette Desire deadline coming up next week! Just wanted to see if the draft was almost ready?
Shoot.
Oh.
Well—that’s okay! Call my editor, she can cobble something together from the other books if we just giver her an outline. Ummm… how about a… cowboy hero. Yeah. And the heroine is a lady whose family lost their fortune. That’s always good. We can call it… shoot….
The Cowboy and the Lady?
Yes! Good Sally! Good! So it’s set on a ranch, and the heroine is good friends with the hero’s brother--let's make him short so it's clear he's not a rival--but the hero hates her.
Sandra writing furiously… good brother, hero hates her because…. Looks up expectantly.
So… why does he hate her?
Umm, well, let’s have him hate her mother, who’s flighty and imposes on her friends for months at a time. Yeah, okay—AND he thinks her mother had an affair with his father. He… walked in on them or something. Of course, I redeem everyone in my books, so we know it didn’t really happen....
Sandra writes: Mom had affair with hero dad… bites pencil.
But… why would he hate the heroine for that?
Oh crap. Well, okay—he hit on her at 16 and… well, no, okay, that happened, but he hates her because… okay—he asked her to marry him at some point and she thought he wanted her to be his mistress and she ran away and he’s been waiting aimlessly for her the past 7 years. Yeah, that always works. Readers love a good long stretch of celibacy…
Sandra writes BIG MIS, underscore underscore…blue balls…
Oh, and there’s an Other Woman, ummm, someone who went to school—make that a Swiss finishing school, why not--with the heroine, but they are arch-rivals or whatever, and everyone thinks the hero is involved with the other girl.
...OW, underscore underscore.
Oh hell, and have the heroine run over the hero’s prize bull or something. Oh wait—let it be the mother who does that, but the heroine takes the blame for it…
...Bull, underscore underscore.
Ok! Well, that should do it! Now, do I add baking soda…?
Well, wait, Diana—how do they come together after all that?
Oh, well, irresistible attraction, mutual chest obsessions, she’s still a virgin and he’s dying for some… my editor will know! Let’s have the heroine have some kind of accident to add some drama and page count…hmmmm…what to do here…
.
How about she gets knocked off a horse? Since it’s on a ranch?
That’s good, Marcia! Yes, go with that! And then let’s revisit the Big Mis again… he wants to marry her but she thinks he just wants her to move in with him.
Wouldn’t his mother and brother mind that?
Well, it’s just a misunderstanding. They can finally have a talk…
Sandra snickers
What?
Well, just that if they had talked even once before…there’d be no story…
Well, that’s true of all my books, so my readers know what to expect—lots of chest hair and boob play, some hot action (my editor can just copy and paste from some other books, I’m always great in that department), and a big ole lack of communication—my trademarks! Maybe I should throw some spy stuff in? Hmmm, well, nah, not this time. OK, so I think that’s all you need? Is this self-rising flour…?
Well, but—what about the OW? She never shows up again?
Oh. Well, probably no one will remember her, so don’t worry about it, she can just kind of fade out after the first chapter.
What about the bull?
What?
Does the hero ever find out the heroine didn’t kill his bull?
Oh, well, we can just assume that comes out at some point… I think you have enough, and these biscuits won’t wait, honey!
Sally writes BULL, underscore underscore, and goes off to make a call…
What? Well, a little bit, Sally, I’m reading up on biscuits…
It’s Sandra.
What? Oh—well, my last PA was Sally, so sorry!
Marcia.
What?
Your last PA’s name was Marcia. But that’s okay, I know you’ve had a few before me! Hey, you have that Silhouette Desire deadline coming up next week! Just wanted to see if the draft was almost ready?
Shoot.
Oh.
Well—that’s okay! Call my editor, she can cobble something together from the other books if we just giver her an outline. Ummm… how about a… cowboy hero. Yeah. And the heroine is a lady whose family lost their fortune. That’s always good. We can call it… shoot….
The Cowboy and the Lady?
Yes! Good Sally! Good! So it’s set on a ranch, and the heroine is good friends with the hero’s brother--let's make him short so it's clear he's not a rival--but the hero hates her.
Sandra writing furiously… good brother, hero hates her because…. Looks up expectantly.
So… why does he hate her?
Umm, well, let’s have him hate her mother, who’s flighty and imposes on her friends for months at a time. Yeah, okay—AND he thinks her mother had an affair with his father. He… walked in on them or something. Of course, I redeem everyone in my books, so we know it didn’t really happen....
Sandra writes: Mom had affair with hero dad… bites pencil.
But… why would he hate the heroine for that?
Oh crap. Well, okay—he hit on her at 16 and… well, no, okay, that happened, but he hates her because… okay—he asked her to marry him at some point and she thought he wanted her to be his mistress and she ran away and he’s been waiting aimlessly for her the past 7 years. Yeah, that always works. Readers love a good long stretch of celibacy…
Sandra writes BIG MIS, underscore underscore…blue balls…
Oh, and there’s an Other Woman, ummm, someone who went to school—make that a Swiss finishing school, why not--with the heroine, but they are arch-rivals or whatever, and everyone thinks the hero is involved with the other girl.
...OW, underscore underscore.
Oh hell, and have the heroine run over the hero’s prize bull or something. Oh wait—let it be the mother who does that, but the heroine takes the blame for it…
...Bull, underscore underscore.
Ok! Well, that should do it! Now, do I add baking soda…?
Well, wait, Diana—how do they come together after all that?
Oh, well, irresistible attraction, mutual chest obsessions, she’s still a virgin and he’s dying for some… my editor will know! Let’s have the heroine have some kind of accident to add some drama and page count…hmmmm…what to do here…
.
How about she gets knocked off a horse? Since it’s on a ranch?
That’s good, Marcia! Yes, go with that! And then let’s revisit the Big Mis again… he wants to marry her but she thinks he just wants her to move in with him.
Wouldn’t his mother and brother mind that?
Well, it’s just a misunderstanding. They can finally have a talk…
Sandra snickers
What?
Well, just that if they had talked even once before…there’d be no story…
Well, that’s true of all my books, so my readers know what to expect—lots of chest hair and boob play, some hot action (my editor can just copy and paste from some other books, I’m always great in that department), and a big ole lack of communication—my trademarks! Maybe I should throw some spy stuff in? Hmmm, well, nah, not this time. OK, so I think that’s all you need? Is this self-rising flour…?
Well, but—what about the OW? She never shows up again?
Oh. Well, probably no one will remember her, so don’t worry about it, she can just kind of fade out after the first chapter.
What about the bull?
What?
Does the hero ever find out the heroine didn’t kill his bull?
Oh, well, we can just assume that comes out at some point… I think you have enough, and these biscuits won’t wait, honey!
Sally writes BULL, underscore underscore, and goes off to make a call…
February 8, 2014
Romantic book filled with angst and misunderstandings. I thought heroine was wrong condoning her mother's behavior. Cheating is never right as far as I'm concerned and I thought heroine's mother was a hypocrite and a phony.
Hero and heroine were a lovely sweet couple and hero's declaration of love was quite epic and super romantic! Gotta love jealous, possessive heroes!
Hero and heroine were a lovely sweet couple and hero's declaration of love was quite epic and super romantic! Gotta love jealous, possessive heroes!
February 14, 2017
Oooh YEAH!
Super hot cover- check
Celibate non virgin hero- check
Innocent but feisty heroine- check
Loads of pushing away and angst because of a cruel hero- check
Boob rubbing on a furry chest- check
Chocolate meets vanilla- check
Super awesome ending with loads of yearning- check
Typical DP formula in one of her better books! Ah there was a lot of back and forth but it made up for a delicious read.
Safe
4/5
Super hot cover- check
Celibate non virgin hero- check
Innocent but feisty heroine- check
Loads of pushing away and angst because of a cruel hero- check
Boob rubbing on a furry chest- check
Chocolate meets vanilla- check
Super awesome ending with loads of yearning- check
Typical DP formula in one of her better books! Ah there was a lot of back and forth but it made up for a delicious read.
Safe
4/5
June 22, 2016
3.75 stars
July 23, 2021
3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
======================
re-read - ok - asshole alert!
======================
re-read - ok - asshole alert!
Her eyes pleaded with him. “Jace, can’t you find it in your heart to forgive her?”
“Forgive her? She’s nothing but a slut!” he ground out. “Like her daughter,” he added coldly.
“I’d rather take poison,” she breathed.
One corner of his chiseled mouth went up. “Really?” His eyes swept down over her slender body. “So would I. You can arouse me when you try, but then, so could anything in skirts. One body’s the same as another to a hungry man.”
“Go to hell!” she burst out.
She smiled lazily. “Is that so bad?”
“For me it is. I’ve never been demonstrative. I’ve had women, but always on my terms, and never one I couldn’t walk away from.”
February 20, 2017
Diana Palmer es mi pequeño placer culpable. Uno de ellos y no equiparable al chocolate, pero nada se equipara al chocolate.
Recurro a estos libros cuando necesito un descanso de todo, incluso de mi misma y generalmente no suelo leer solo uno. Supongo que porque son tan cortos que me saben a poco y necesito otra dosis para notar sus efectos al completo.
En realidad, no sé por qué me gustan. No son nada del otro mundo y parecen hechos con el mismo molde. Tantos los personajes como la historia. Todo una copia unos de otros. En esta ocasión es más de lo mismo de hecho se parece muchísimo al anterior que leí Sweet Enemy
Recurro a estos libros cuando necesito un descanso de todo, incluso de mi misma y generalmente no suelo leer solo uno. Supongo que porque son tan cortos que me saben a poco y necesito otra dosis para notar sus efectos al completo.
En realidad, no sé por qué me gustan. No son nada del otro mundo y parecen hechos con el mismo molde. Tantos los personajes como la historia. Todo una copia unos de otros. En esta ocasión es más de lo mismo de hecho se parece muchísimo al anterior que leí Sweet Enemy
January 2, 2021
The H in this is insulting and touchy absolutely up to the wire. The h is a second-generation doormat. The h's mother is a horrible woman who is forgiven for a reason that conveys both her and her daughter's moral bankruptcy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2015
Rating: 4.5 stars
I'm still reeling from my emotions from reading this a few days ago. For some reason, I couldn't get over the pain and hurt I felt about the infidelity of Jace's dad (Jude, son of the hero and heroine from Lacy) and Amanda's mother (Bea). I felt extremely sorry for Marguerite. I felt the pain for her. My impression of Marguerite and Jude's marriage was that it was a love match, specially when Jace has mentioned that things got steamy when his mother had berated his father about always being on the phone during dinner time.
I hated it even more that Marguerite was left out in the cold and was not told of her husband and 'best friends' betrayal. My heart just breaks every time I think about. I wanted Bea to suffer. I wanted Jude, the lying, cheating son of *}*~€~$ (no offence Lacy) to suffer.
I didn't like that DP justified the affair by claiming that Jude was Bea's true love. It just disgusted me. I can't stand cheating. I couldn't. I COULDN'T. I know these are fictional characters but infidelity is such a real thing.
I'm still reeling from my emotions from reading this a few days ago. For some reason, I couldn't get over the pain and hurt I felt about the infidelity of Jace's dad (Jude, son of the hero and heroine from Lacy) and Amanda's mother (Bea). I felt extremely sorry for Marguerite. I felt the pain for her. My impression of Marguerite and Jude's marriage was that it was a love match, specially when Jace has mentioned that things got steamy when his mother had berated his father about always being on the phone during dinner time.
I hated it even more that Marguerite was left out in the cold and was not told of her husband and 'best friends' betrayal. My heart just breaks every time I think about. I wanted Bea to suffer. I wanted Jude, the lying, cheating son of *}*~€~$ (no offence Lacy) to suffer.
I didn't like that DP justified the affair by claiming that Jude was Bea's true love. It just disgusted me. I can't stand cheating. I couldn't. I COULDN'T. I know these are fictional characters but infidelity is such a real thing.
September 4, 2021
2.5 stars rounded to 3
Pretty typical book for Palmer. Basically the two main characters hate each other (but do they really) and spend the majority of the book sniping at each other and hurting each others feelings. The hero is of course a heartless jerk who thinks the heroine is a gold digging whore. Lots of misunderstanding that could have easily been cleared up with an adult conversation. The side characters where funny and added a lightness to the book. Thank goodness for that because the story would have felt terribly tragic without them. I’ll admit the hero was pretty alluring other than his nasty temper. He was honest, honorable, hard working, and hot. Unfortunately he had the emotional maturity of teenager. The heroine wasn’t much better. I was entertained and that’s what I wanted so I’m pretty happy with the book in that regard.
Pretty typical book for Palmer. Basically the two main characters hate each other (but do they really) and spend the majority of the book sniping at each other and hurting each others feelings. The hero is of course a heartless jerk who thinks the heroine is a gold digging whore. Lots of misunderstanding that could have easily been cleared up with an adult conversation. The side characters where funny and added a lightness to the book. Thank goodness for that because the story would have felt terribly tragic without them. I’ll admit the hero was pretty alluring other than his nasty temper. He was honest, honorable, hard working, and hot. Unfortunately he had the emotional maturity of teenager. The heroine wasn’t much better. I was entertained and that’s what I wanted so I’m pretty happy with the book in that regard.
June 27, 2014
Don't ask me why I chose to pick up a Diana Palmer from the library. Every time I get one of her books from the library, I hear the opening lyrics to that Jessie J song run through my head: "I stare at my reflection in the mirror / Why am I doing this to myself?" Generally, while I won't spend money on her books any longer because they make me ragey, I will get a yen every once in a while and it's off to the library I go. More often than not, I end up making fun of them the whole time, and yet a part of me must like them or I wouldn't keep reading them.
I should note here that I have developed a different rating scale for Diana Palmer. Her books are graded on a Diana Palmer Scale vs. a Regular Scale. As far as this book goes in Diana Palmer Land, it's a four-star. In comparison to regular books, it's two-stars. So I split the difference and gave it three.
I have a theory about Diana Palmer: I believe she actually wrote all of her books in the seventies and eighties and has parceled them out in the ensuing years with some, but very little updating. For example, this book had a reference to cell phones and personal computers which would not have been common in the book's original publication of 1982, but the fashions, morals, and much of the verbiage (there is even a reference to a telephone party line, which I didn't think were still being used in the early 80s, but in Palmer's defense, I just looked on Wikipedia and apparently, there are still certain places in the USA that still use them, so I guess I learned something new there) are all insanely old fashioned and sometimes are even dated for the eighties.
As far as Diana Palmer books go, this one was actually pretty good -- meaning I didn't throw my book (or in this case, my Kindle) at the wall while reading it. Sure, Jace was an asshat, but again, in comparison to many of her other "heroes," he was downright progressive. And while Amanda was overly sensitive and overreacts to quite a bit , she didn't overreact to the level of, oh say, opening up a recent appendectomy scar because she saw a couple of "brown" guys walk into a public area that she immediately thought were going to kidnap her (yeah, I'm looking at you "Iron Cowboy", you weirdo).
So yeah, actually, this one was pretty good, as far as Diana Palmer goes. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing new here. We still have all of the usual Palmer tropes - the hero hates all women because of something that happened in his youth and treats the heroine like a doormat because of it; he implies time after time that the virginal heroine is a mercenary hobag; the heroine is largely a doormat who is helplessly (and ridiculously) in love with the giant douchebag and allows his asshattery out of love (although in her defense, Amanda actually did manage to give back a little of the grief she was getting she was getting from Jace, at least in comparison to Palmer's other "heroines"); there is also frequent slut shaming as Jace believes that Amanda has given it up to someone else; there's the obligatory random "gal pal" that the hero hangs out with who everyone except the hero hates and who causes a lot of jealousy in the heroine (in this case after her one and only scene, said Gal Pal is never seen and barely mentioned again, which was a little weird - usually there is some sort of Come to Jesus for the Palmer Gal Pal); and of course, there's one of DP's biggest trademarks: when talking about passion or love, the characters tend to speak like 80s soap opera characters. In fact, my other theory about Diana Palmer is that English isn't actually her first language; she learned it in one day from marathon watching 20th century soaps (like Darryl Hannah with commercials and game shows in "Splash"). I was very impressed that I didn't catch the word "mustn't" being spoken aloud once and in spite of my prediction while reading the book, Jace did not at any point during his make-out sessions with Amanda refer to their actions as "so sweet" which seems to be a 50/50 proposition in most of the Palmer books I've read. There were several lines ending in "so!" (i.e., "She loved him so!" or "I want you so!") but most of those weren't spoken aloud. For a Palmer, this is something like progress.
Also, this isn't horribly important to me, but I know it is to some people: while Diana Palmer is no stranger to purple love scenes, and this one did feature several come-close (heh, no pun intended) scenes, they don't actually do "the deed" on the page. I wouldn't call this one "clean" but if you have a Clinton-esque definition of sex, then this one would qualify.
Not a bad one and it was nice to be able to finish a Palmer book. I still would never recommend her books to my friends or, well, anyone ever as I consider them firmly an extremely guilty pleasure, but if you're a fan of hers, you'll like this one.
I should note here that I have developed a different rating scale for Diana Palmer. Her books are graded on a Diana Palmer Scale vs. a Regular Scale. As far as this book goes in Diana Palmer Land, it's a four-star. In comparison to regular books, it's two-stars. So I split the difference and gave it three.
I have a theory about Diana Palmer: I believe she actually wrote all of her books in the seventies and eighties and has parceled them out in the ensuing years with some, but very little updating. For example, this book had a reference to cell phones and personal computers which would not have been common in the book's original publication of 1982, but the fashions, morals, and much of the verbiage (there is even a reference to a telephone party line, which I didn't think were still being used in the early 80s, but in Palmer's defense, I just looked on Wikipedia and apparently, there are still certain places in the USA that still use them, so I guess I learned something new there) are all insanely old fashioned and sometimes are even dated for the eighties.
As far as Diana Palmer books go, this one was actually pretty good -- meaning I didn't throw my book (or in this case, my Kindle) at the wall while reading it. Sure, Jace was an asshat, but again, in comparison to many of her other "heroes," he was downright progressive. And while Amanda was overly sensitive and overreacts to quite a bit , she didn't overreact to the level of, oh say, opening up a recent appendectomy scar because she saw a couple of "brown" guys walk into a public area that she immediately thought were going to kidnap her (yeah, I'm looking at you "Iron Cowboy", you weirdo).
So yeah, actually, this one was pretty good, as far as Diana Palmer goes. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing new here. We still have all of the usual Palmer tropes - the hero hates all women because of something that happened in his youth and treats the heroine like a doormat because of it; he implies time after time that the virginal heroine is a mercenary hobag; the heroine is largely a doormat who is helplessly (and ridiculously) in love with the giant douchebag and allows his asshattery out of love (although in her defense, Amanda actually did manage to give back a little of the grief she was getting she was getting from Jace, at least in comparison to Palmer's other "heroines"); there is also frequent slut shaming as Jace believes that Amanda has given it up to someone else; there's the obligatory random "gal pal" that the hero hangs out with who everyone except the hero hates and who causes a lot of jealousy in the heroine (in this case after her one and only scene, said Gal Pal is never seen and barely mentioned again, which was a little weird - usually there is some sort of Come to Jesus for the Palmer Gal Pal); and of course, there's one of DP's biggest trademarks: when talking about passion or love, the characters tend to speak like 80s soap opera characters. In fact, my other theory about Diana Palmer is that English isn't actually her first language; she learned it in one day from marathon watching 20th century soaps (like Darryl Hannah with commercials and game shows in "Splash"). I was very impressed that I didn't catch the word "mustn't" being spoken aloud once and in spite of my prediction while reading the book, Jace did not at any point during his make-out sessions with Amanda refer to their actions as "so sweet" which seems to be a 50/50 proposition in most of the Palmer books I've read. There were several lines ending in "so!" (i.e., "She loved him so!" or "I want you so!") but most of those weren't spoken aloud. For a Palmer, this is something like progress.
Also, this isn't horribly important to me, but I know it is to some people: while Diana Palmer is no stranger to purple love scenes, and this one did feature several come-close (heh, no pun intended) scenes, they don't actually do "the deed" on the page. I wouldn't call this one "clean" but if you have a Clinton-esque definition of sex, then this one would qualify.
Not a bad one and it was nice to be able to finish a Palmer book. I still would never recommend her books to my friends or, well, anyone ever as I consider them firmly an extremely guilty pleasure, but if you're a fan of hers, you'll like this one.
May 29, 2013
I have high expectation to this one--mostly because heroine's name, but well..
Amanda's been in love with Jace since forever. But apparently Jace hold out something from her. Some secrets that made him both love and hate her at the same time. But nasty remarks from him hurt her badly and accident happen to her..
Well, very Diana Palmer-y and if you're fan of her books, this one is not much different.
I don't really fond of Jace. Even though some Hero from Diana Palmer books are exactly the same, but Jace is kind of.. cold. I don't really like it. His words are way too hurting and because of Amanda's name is Amanda--like me, I can't help but picture myself in her place. And I don't like it. At all.
Amanda is way too meek and weak. She needs to stands for herself so bad. If I were her, I'd gladly go away from him and giving him hell if he begged for my forgiveness.
One thing that icked me, Jace didn't even apologize to her. Too proud, I assume. Another thing I don't like about him.
So far, Cowboy and The Lady isn't my favorite but I enjoyed reading it. :)
Amanda's been in love with Jace since forever. But apparently Jace hold out something from her. Some secrets that made him both love and hate her at the same time. But nasty remarks from him hurt her badly and accident happen to her..
Well, very Diana Palmer-y and if you're fan of her books, this one is not much different.
I don't really fond of Jace. Even though some Hero from Diana Palmer books are exactly the same, but Jace is kind of.. cold. I don't really like it. His words are way too hurting and because of Amanda's name is Amanda--like me, I can't help but picture myself in her place. And I don't like it. At all.
Amanda is way too meek and weak. She needs to stands for herself so bad. If I were her, I'd gladly go away from him and giving him hell if he begged for my forgiveness.
One thing that icked me, Jace didn't even apologize to her. Too proud, I assume. Another thing I don't like about him.
So far, Cowboy and The Lady isn't my favorite but I enjoyed reading it. :)
January 24, 2010
This book is one of Harlequin's Famous Firsts collections, and while I would have loved this book years ago in high school, I don't feel that it holds up to today's romance novel standards. The "hero" acts more like a surly high school student. Amanda, the main character, alternates between being scared of him and trying to be feisty. I just wanted them both to grow up and stop acting like children; I was amazed there wasn't a scene where he stole the comb from her back pocket and she chased him for it like the kids used to do when I was in elementary school.
November 5, 2014
A classic love story with a strong man and a brave woman. This novel was written in 1982 and you can tell that because Jason, tne male MC, is the model for a hot guy in the 80s: harsh, reserved, with a hairy chest. I have something for this kind of man ;)
The big problem with Amanda and Jason is the misundestanding between both. They don't want to confess their love for each other and they lost seven years of happiness because of that. The affair between his father and her mother is a big obstacle in theirr way to love.
The big problem with Amanda and Jason is the misundestanding between both. They don't want to confess their love for each other and they lost seven years of happiness because of that. The affair between his father and her mother is a big obstacle in theirr way to love.
June 15, 2017
What a great short read! I was a teenager in the 80's who fell in love with a man older than me, so I relate to Amanda completely! Jace is definitely an oh so hot alpha male. Both Jace and Amanda have loved each other for years, yet have never declared their love for one another. The road to get there is bumpy and sometimes cruel. At times I wish I could have slapped Jace upside the head! He definitely redeemed himself towards the end! (Swoon) his declaration of love was epic! I loved all the other characters in this story as well!
August 28, 2019
Entretenido, aunque debo confesar que Jason en ocasiones me ha sacado de quicio.
September 17, 2013
The 2 stars doesn't mean it was awful. I loved it; I love all Diana Palmer books, but this one wasn't as good as some other DP books. The way I rate Palmer's books is completely different than the way I rate regular reads. It's because I love Diana Palmer so much.
Anyways, moving onto the book. I absolutely loved Jason and it was quite obvious, unlike in other DP novels, that he was completely smitten with blondie, I forget her name (I'm awful with names). She, on the other hand, wasn't quite as likable because she was so dense, blind and insecure. But still, she was much better than a non-DP heroine. I shudder to think what a non-DP heroine might have done if she was in her place.
I loved that she was willing to even sleep with him because she loved him so much. Loved loved loved it. (Request to my review readers: do not count the number of times I use the word 'love' in my DP reviews.) I love it when the heroines admit their love for the heroes in the beginning, and are willing to go to any lengths for them. Some folks love a smitten hero, I love a smitten heroine. It's not at all archaic when you think about it, in fact it's very liberal. These heroines who are in love with the heroes then quietly and subtly set out to capture the heroes' hearts for themselves.
(Yes I know this a completely different topic, but bear with me)
So, as I was saying, Blondie wasn't as enjoyable for me as most other DP heroines are. But I still loved her anyway.
This book was one helluva book, with an angst overdose and a uber possessive alpha. God how I love DP's alpha heroes *shiver*
Anyways, moving onto the book. I absolutely loved Jason and it was quite obvious, unlike in other DP novels, that he was completely smitten with blondie, I forget her name (I'm awful with names). She, on the other hand, wasn't quite as likable because she was so dense, blind and insecure. But still, she was much better than a non-DP heroine. I shudder to think what a non-DP heroine might have done if she was in her place.
I loved that she was willing to even sleep with him because she loved him so much. Loved loved loved it. (Request to my review readers: do not count the number of times I use the word 'love' in my DP reviews.) I love it when the heroines admit their love for the heroes in the beginning, and are willing to go to any lengths for them. Some folks love a smitten hero, I love a smitten heroine. It's not at all archaic when you think about it, in fact it's very liberal. These heroines who are in love with the heroes then quietly and subtly set out to capture the heroes' hearts for themselves.
(Yes I know this a completely different topic, but bear with me)
So, as I was saying, Blondie wasn't as enjoyable for me as most other DP heroines are. But I still loved her anyway.
This book was one helluva book, with an angst overdose and a uber possessive alpha. God how I love DP's alpha heroes *shiver*
September 23, 2022
Miss Palmer, thank you for the story of Jace and Amanda. It was worth waiting for.
Oh, golly! I absolutely enjoyed reading The Cowboy and the Lady. I felt like I was a part of their story, like I had actually been with them from the first page up to the last. (More like a fly in the wall. Haha) After reading this book, I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. I was laughing, then fuming, then I started crying, then laughing again. Diana Palmer always did that to me.
I know some of you thought that Jace was nothing but a jerk. Yes, he really was a jerk to everyone, especially to Amanda. I noticed that it was always like that with Diana Palmer's heroes, the "don't get too close-I don't want you but I can't resist you" kind of attitude. They acted with indifference and sometimes cruel words, but it was crystal clear how crazy in love they were with the heroines. But Jace was hurting; that's why he wanted to hurt her too, which wasn't fair to Mandy. And when I learned the reason why he was angry with Amanda's mother, I totally understood, plus the fact that he was frustrated and hungry for her. 7 years. My gosh, he doesn't touch a woman for 7 long years, not after he kissed her. It was clear how much he adored her.
As for Amanda, I loved her character. She didn't let Jace walk all over her. She fought against him even though she was hurting.
Cowboy and The Lady is one of the sweet, moving, and passionate love stories by Diana Palmer. This was an excellent book that will surely make you laugh because of those snappy remarks and witty dialogues, and it will make you want to scream because they were so dense and will make you fall in love all over again.
Oh, golly! I absolutely enjoyed reading The Cowboy and the Lady. I felt like I was a part of their story, like I had actually been with them from the first page up to the last. (More like a fly in the wall. Haha) After reading this book, I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. I was laughing, then fuming, then I started crying, then laughing again. Diana Palmer always did that to me.
I know some of you thought that Jace was nothing but a jerk. Yes, he really was a jerk to everyone, especially to Amanda. I noticed that it was always like that with Diana Palmer's heroes, the "don't get too close-I don't want you but I can't resist you" kind of attitude. They acted with indifference and sometimes cruel words, but it was crystal clear how crazy in love they were with the heroines. But Jace was hurting; that's why he wanted to hurt her too, which wasn't fair to Mandy. And when I learned the reason why he was angry with Amanda's mother, I totally understood, plus the fact that he was frustrated and hungry for her. 7 years. My gosh, he doesn't touch a woman for 7 long years, not after he kissed her. It was clear how much he adored her.
As for Amanda, I loved her character. She didn't let Jace walk all over her. She fought against him even though she was hurting.
Cowboy and The Lady is one of the sweet, moving, and passionate love stories by Diana Palmer. This was an excellent book that will surely make you laugh because of those snappy remarks and witty dialogues, and it will make you want to scream because they were so dense and will make you fall in love all over again.
August 3, 2024
Re-read 2/1/22
Do you ever read a book that you've owned for years and then think what the hell was wrong with my younger self?? Why would i think this is a good book? Ya well that happened to me today. I love Diana Palmer. I own many of her books but I'm not sure why I kept this one
I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually siding with a Diana Hero...but man he had reasons for acting the way he did. Does it execuse him for being a mega ass to the h, well no but I still don't blame him. I mean, a month before his father died, he found out he was having an affair with his mom's best friend! The h's mom! He obviously kept this secret because what good would it do to tell his mom after his father died. Ok moving on the h's dad dies ( yes the bitch mom was married) and they are now poor...so what does the cheating backstabbing bff aka h's mom do but mooch off of the H's mom. Obviously and with good reason this just ticks the H off and he is nasty to the h and her mom. Well eventually H confesses to h about the affair. h runs away gets injured and then the mom tells her all about her sordid 4 week affair with the H's dad who apparently is the love of her life and how she feels guilty but will make no apology...ya ok...and then the h condones her behavior and says somthing like not even 10 wives could keep me away from Jace( aka as the H)🤦♀️ cue apologies, misunderstanding and then HEA...
Yet at the very end all I'm thinking is FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL THE H'S MOM THAT HER BFF IS A BACKSTABBING CHEATING MONEY HUNGRY JERK SO SHE CAN CUT HER OFF!!!!!!
This ends my rant and I will probably be donating this book to goodwill
Do you ever read a book that you've owned for years and then think what the hell was wrong with my younger self?? Why would i think this is a good book? Ya well that happened to me today. I love Diana Palmer. I own many of her books but I'm not sure why I kept this one
I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually siding with a Diana Hero...but man he had reasons for acting the way he did. Does it execuse him for being a mega ass to the h, well no but I still don't blame him. I mean, a month before his father died, he found out he was having an affair with his mom's best friend! The h's mom! He obviously kept this secret because what good would it do to tell his mom after his father died. Ok moving on the h's dad dies ( yes the bitch mom was married) and they are now poor...so what does the cheating backstabbing bff aka h's mom do but mooch off of the H's mom. Obviously and with good reason this just ticks the H off and he is nasty to the h and her mom. Well eventually H confesses to h about the affair. h runs away gets injured and then the mom tells her all about her sordid 4 week affair with the H's dad who apparently is the love of her life and how she feels guilty but will make no apology...ya ok...and then the h condones her behavior and says somthing like not even 10 wives could keep me away from Jace( aka as the H)🤦♀️ cue apologies, misunderstanding and then HEA...
Yet at the very end all I'm thinking is FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL THE H'S MOM THAT HER BFF IS A BACKSTABBING CHEATING MONEY HUNGRY JERK SO SHE CAN CUT HER OFF!!!!!!
This ends my rant and I will probably be donating this book to goodwill
July 9, 2011
Two stars because I really liked it as a teenager, but really didn't like it now. I can see how I thought it was all romantic (dark, silent type, very manly man). As I read it now, I was mostly angry and disappointed.
First, the characters are very shallow and not that interesting; we don't really know anything about the heroine (other than she's beautiful and put-upon) and we don't know anything about the hero (other than that he's manly and rich).
Second, I actually threw the book across the room the second time the hero called the heroine a slut and she just stammered and then acquiesced to some rather brutal kissing. He is very cruel and treats her horribly for years--and his excuse is because he loves her?
Third, after she's been treated horribly for the entire book, she's so very happy and ready to "belong to him" forever because he finally says he wants to marry her? Oh, and the whole "no meaning yes" thing just really got to me. As in, really pissed me off.
Reading it from my POV now, it really just gets one star, but one star added both for how much I loved this author 15 years ago (oh, teenagers) and because the story does move along at a good clip. I might not like what she says, but she says it well.
First, the characters are very shallow and not that interesting; we don't really know anything about the heroine (other than she's beautiful and put-upon) and we don't know anything about the hero (other than that he's manly and rich).
Second, I actually threw the book across the room the second time the hero called the heroine a slut and she just stammered and then acquiesced to some rather brutal kissing. He is very cruel and treats her horribly for years--and his excuse is because he loves her?
Third, after she's been treated horribly for the entire book, she's so very happy and ready to "belong to him" forever because he finally says he wants to marry her? Oh, and the whole "no meaning yes" thing just really got to me. As in, really pissed me off.
Reading it from my POV now, it really just gets one star, but one star added both for how much I loved this author 15 years ago (oh, teenagers) and because the story does move along at a good clip. I might not like what she says, but she says it well.
October 7, 2019
I wanted to like this book. I REALLY wanted to like this book but I HATED Jace. I mean I really, really didn't like the guy, which is weird because I usually love alpha males. However, I like alpha males who are actually truly kind and good and decent men underneath it all and I just found that as we got deeper and deeper into the story Jace was just an asshole and he wasn't going to redeem himself in my eyes and I felt bad for Amanda because I thought she was getting herself into a borderline abusive relationship. This was a swing and a miss which is so SAD because if he would have redeemed himself and didn't tell her to "wear something sexy" what a turn off and her mother didn't sleep with his father and have an affair and then stay best friends with his mother. I HATED, I MEAN LOATHED that story line. I only gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 because it really had potential and it could have been one of my favorites if only Jace wasn't an ass and their parents hadn't had an affair and then her mother, who was sleeping with Jace's father stayed best friends with Jace's mother!!
July 4, 2013
Coração de Caubói
Diana Palmer
Este livro não faz parte da série Homens do Texas, apesar da Harlequin Books, colocar essa informação na contra capa, mas infelizmente eles erraram feio, pois não faz parte da série, Ok?
Amanda Carson é loucamente apaixonada, desde seus 16 anos, por Jace Whitehall. Mas, para várias, ele a rejeitou no passado. Sete anos depois, ele a quer, mas segredos antigos, terão que ser revelados para que o casal possa ficar juntinhos.
Obs.: ...bem, quem gosta da autora Diana Palmer, e sabe a regra do jogo, vai gostar muito deste livros.
ADORO!!!
RECOMENDADÍSSIMO!!!
Diana Palmer
Este livro não faz parte da série Homens do Texas, apesar da Harlequin Books, colocar essa informação na contra capa, mas infelizmente eles erraram feio, pois não faz parte da série, Ok?
Amanda Carson é loucamente apaixonada, desde seus 16 anos, por Jace Whitehall. Mas, para várias, ele a rejeitou no passado. Sete anos depois, ele a quer, mas segredos antigos, terão que ser revelados para que o casal possa ficar juntinhos.
Obs.: ...bem, quem gosta da autora Diana Palmer, e sabe a regra do jogo, vai gostar muito deste livros.
ADORO!!!
RECOMENDADÍSSIMO!!!
May 8, 2011
Oh, my! Another strong, alpha, 80s male by Diana Palmer. More cutting words from our hero and a suprise affair that seemed to come out of nowhere but wouldn't have if I'd been paying attention!
I got annoyed with the heroine, no surprise given the genre/time written...like leave already, stop throwing tantrums and be a woman! Jeez!
I got annoyed with the heroine, no surprise given the genre/time written...like leave already, stop throwing tantrums and be a woman! Jeez!
August 20, 2011
While this was definitely a 1980s romance, with the uber-macho hero and the wilting, long-legged blonde heroine, it was passionate and intensely romantic. AND it had no actual sex, which I didn't really notice due to all the seriously intense interactions, both physical and verbal, between the couple.
January 27, 2019
Quick read before bed.... 2 hours and done with a old fashion romance book. I always enjoy a passionate love between just 2 people. The idea of Amanda thinking the affair between their parents wasn't a big deal, showed her immaturity. He was right, she needs to grow up a lot more for 23 years old...
Over all the book was another Palmer special.
Over all the book was another Palmer special.
January 23, 2011
So this is a book that I would like to read again it has been at least five maybe even as many as ten years since I last read this book. But I thought that it was a good book that is worth the time I have spent looking for a new copy for my collection.
May 15, 2014
First read when I was 15, time and perspective ya'll. 4 nostalgic stars :)
I need to find this in paperback just so it can sit on my self.
I need to find this in paperback just so it can sit on my self.
September 20, 2016
This was my first Diana Palmer novel from at the time the new Silhouette contemporary romance series and I loved it at that time. It is still enjoyable to re-read on occasions.
March 22, 2021
Beware a wild rant...
Don’t get me wrong I love me a mean hero of Diana Palmer’s, there is something addictive about her books, you know they are not good for you but you still read them. But this one is one the worst heroes of DP ever. What is the theme? Slut shaming. The whole book is the hero being mean and insulting to the heroine. The only reason why I did not give it one star is the speech at the end. The first and only H of this author to admit to the h how he feels about her, before they have sex, before the heroine has to say it first, and over several paragraphs. But even that did not redeem this book in my eyes, there were simply too many insults throughout the whole book.
She had a crush on him since she was a teenager and he was attracted to her forever and fighting it. Of course. Because of some stupid remark from his brother, he decides to teach her a lesson and kisses her after her 16th birthday party so that she runs away scared and avoids him from then on. Which he does not like. Few years later, after the death of the father and facing ruin, he wants to help her and asks her to live with him. He of course means marriage but as he does not say it that way, and since he was never nice to her, she is horrified at his proposal of what she understands is to live in shame and refuses. He feels snubbed and treats her horribly after that. So she is more scared, backing away, and as he does not like it, he is even worse to her. The never ending circle.
He is jealous of her, believing that she is sleeping with the boss, because of course that is the only way a woman could hold a job, and of course because she gave her first to another man, and who knows how many men she had, so she deserves no respect. They have a few hour of truce and she believes things could turn around, but her mother comes to visit and as he hates her mother, he insults them both. Again. Later he tells her why he hates her mother, she is horrified and runs and has an accident that lands her in a hospital. Usually, in DP’s books, after something like this the hero changes and tries to mend things, but not this one, oh no. When she is leaving the hospital, he basically tells her that it is her fault that he treats her that way. Then they meet in the kitchen late at night and he calls her a slut. That was just one insult too many for me, so what happens after is just unbelievable to me. He softens only after she starts crying and they talk as if they were friends, and finally she accepts to sleep with him. What?!?!?!? Like half an hour after him calling her a slut? He challenges her to do it right there in the dining room and when he sees how clumsy she is, he realizes that she is a virgin and starts to treat her with civility. But again, he only says she is his and he wants everybody to know it, and she feels ashamed. Only later when he sees that he will lose her again, he makes the speech and makes his intentions known. Glorious. But it is on the last pages of the book.
So the whole book is of him being mean, and it was just too much meanness without understanding why. This book is written from her POV only so we don’t have the insight into what drives him. Yes I knew this book was dated but I have read other from this author from this time, early eighties, and they were not that bad. I liked Passion Flower, The Rawhide Man, Rawhide and Lace. I find her earlier books better written than her latest, with all the mercenaries and repetitive babble, I try to avoid those.
Don’t get me wrong I love me a mean hero of Diana Palmer’s, there is something addictive about her books, you know they are not good for you but you still read them. But this one is one the worst heroes of DP ever. What is the theme? Slut shaming. The whole book is the hero being mean and insulting to the heroine. The only reason why I did not give it one star is the speech at the end. The first and only H of this author to admit to the h how he feels about her, before they have sex, before the heroine has to say it first, and over several paragraphs. But even that did not redeem this book in my eyes, there were simply too many insults throughout the whole book.
She had a crush on him since she was a teenager and he was attracted to her forever and fighting it. Of course. Because of some stupid remark from his brother, he decides to teach her a lesson and kisses her after her 16th birthday party so that she runs away scared and avoids him from then on. Which he does not like. Few years later, after the death of the father and facing ruin, he wants to help her and asks her to live with him. He of course means marriage but as he does not say it that way, and since he was never nice to her, she is horrified at his proposal of what she understands is to live in shame and refuses. He feels snubbed and treats her horribly after that. So she is more scared, backing away, and as he does not like it, he is even worse to her. The never ending circle.
He is jealous of her, believing that she is sleeping with the boss, because of course that is the only way a woman could hold a job, and of course because she gave her first to another man, and who knows how many men she had, so she deserves no respect. They have a few hour of truce and she believes things could turn around, but her mother comes to visit and as he hates her mother, he insults them both. Again. Later he tells her why he hates her mother, she is horrified and runs and has an accident that lands her in a hospital. Usually, in DP’s books, after something like this the hero changes and tries to mend things, but not this one, oh no. When she is leaving the hospital, he basically tells her that it is her fault that he treats her that way. Then they meet in the kitchen late at night and he calls her a slut. That was just one insult too many for me, so what happens after is just unbelievable to me. He softens only after she starts crying and they talk as if they were friends, and finally she accepts to sleep with him. What?!?!?!? Like half an hour after him calling her a slut? He challenges her to do it right there in the dining room and when he sees how clumsy she is, he realizes that she is a virgin and starts to treat her with civility. But again, he only says she is his and he wants everybody to know it, and she feels ashamed. Only later when he sees that he will lose her again, he makes the speech and makes his intentions known. Glorious. But it is on the last pages of the book.
So the whole book is of him being mean, and it was just too much meanness without understanding why. This book is written from her POV only so we don’t have the insight into what drives him. Yes I knew this book was dated but I have read other from this author from this time, early eighties, and they were not that bad. I liked Passion Flower, The Rawhide Man, Rawhide and Lace. I find her earlier books better written than her latest, with all the mercenaries and repetitive babble, I try to avoid those.
July 1, 2022
This was a little different but still stayed with the Diana palmer game plan. Her writing is great and the storyline flowed. The characters were sorta well developed and the H was seriously offensive. I did like the way the situation was resolved but the h's mother was a narcistic twit. It was bad enough that she had an affair with her best friend's husband but continued the friendship after his death and used the family for her narcistic needs (she could not accept the fact that she was no longer rich and sponged off of former associates on a rotating basis). The H was justifiably angered at the situation. This woman had no moral compass but had a strong sense of entitlement. What really almost made me throw the kindle was the 'almost' acceptance of her affair (she never demonstrated remorse for betraying her best friend nor her husband) by the H and the h. Why? Because now they were so wrapped up in their own love aura and that they could almost understand how someone could lose their way for love!! Really? Nope, nada, no way. She felt entitled to what she wanted and seemed to think that it was her right to betray, hurt and humiliate others as long as she got what she wanted.
Sorry, Diana Palmer, I feel you missed the boat on this character. No consequences, no remorse just remarry and move on.
Sorry, Diana Palmer, I feel you missed the boat on this character. No consequences, no remorse just remarry and move on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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