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Deadly Angel
He could neither forgive nor forget
Nothing Olivia could say would diminish Nick Baretta's hatred for her. The woman who had cruelly rejected and deceived his brother Greg would suffer for her callousness.
Now, though she was innocent, Olivia must deal with Nick's dangerous threats.
"I make a point of getting what I want, " he informed her, and Olivia knew she must escape. For it was obvious that while he wanted to hurt her, he also wanted to make love to her ...and she doubted she could refuse him.
Nothing Olivia could say would diminish Nick Baretta's hatred for her. The woman who had cruelly rejected and deceived his brother Greg would suffer for her callousness.
Now, though she was innocent, Olivia must deal with Nick's dangerous threats.
"I make a point of getting what I want, " he informed her, and Olivia knew she must escape. For it was obvious that while he wanted to hurt her, he also wanted to make love to her ...and she doubted she could refuse him.
187 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 12, 2018
This was all kinds of campy, cheesy and filled with drama but I enjoyed it. The prose wasn't that great either and the dialogue made me LOL. This novel can be fertile ground for radical post modernist feminist philosophers ! But, I'm a bit of a selfish, shameless sybarite who reads romance for mindless pleasure and simple enjoyment; sometimes campy, cheesy and outrageous stories like this can provide that. If I want the answers to all of life's profound questions or I seek to ponder the nature of feminism and women's place in the modern world... wait, I won't need to do that because that's not who I am. I want to read romance that breaks my boredom and makes me smile; this novel did all of that. Oh, what the hell ! Maybe I'm simply superficial dammit and this was great, in a tacky, dated manner. There are still a few females like myself who are very educated and still actually enjoy this kind of guilty pleasure bullshit and don't get cerebral and see it as a sign of the failing times for all womankind. That's why I adore my guilty pleasure, cheesy vintage romance novels that deal with politically incorrect alpha asshole heroes - because it's FICTIONAL.
The H Nick Baretta was totally old school and politically incorrect while the heroine was the damsel in distress whose troubles were added to by the H. It was stereotypically formulaic. This was a pseudo love triangle with the key players being the H Nick, the heroine Olivia and his dumber than rocks younger brother, Greg. I've called it a pseudo love triangle because Greg was actually just an obsessed admirer of Olivia's and in his warped mind they were in a relationship. In actuality, Olivia had merely thought of Greg as a friend and had dated him informally while in New York on a brief modelling assignment. Olivia had never been intimate with Greg and had warned him on many occasions that she was not interested in taking things to the next level. Greg, however, was completely besotted and failed to heed her words. When Olivia had to return home to England, Greg became hysterical and attempted suicide by slitting his wrists. I felt sorry for Greg at first then I just laughed at him, but he was so pathetic, that...
Greg was a delusional insecure imbecile. Who the hell attempts suicide after being in a non relationship with a girl who had not even been intimate with him ? Platonic dating does not constitute a committed relationship. This guy needed a psychiatrist to help him deal with his compulsive attachment issues. Seriously. Greg was so incompetent that he couldn't even kill himself successfully. Or, maybe he just cut deep enough to get attention from his big brother but not enough to actually cause harm ? Lots of wrist slitters cut horizontally when they ought to be cutting vertically because that's the direction in which the vein is located.
The real story begins when our H Nick gets outrageously vindictive about the "evil" bitch who had caused his "poor" brother to almost die. Nick pampered Greg as if he was a baby and put all the blame on the heroine.
Nick is the stereotypical vengeful H and then some ! His brand of vengeance is taken a step further than the average H but he never does succumb to rape ( which is commendable and Nick didn't do much that was praiseworthy ). Nick storms across to England to blackmail Olivia into returning with him to New York because Greg's life is apparently more important than her next assignment or the financial prospects of her modelling agency. Olivia is forced to return to New York and pretend to be there for Greg while he recovers.
The poor heroine is confused, scared and has a budding latent attraction to the H's mafioso-tycoon persona. But her overriding feeling is anger because of his selfishness and cruelty:
The heroine is full of sympathy for Greg's plight and wants to help but whatever she does is not satisfactory for the H. Olivia's attitude to Nick's brutish bossiness is:
This is where the shit storm starts to fall down upon Nick's plans. Nick hadn't anticipated that he himself would start to fall into lust with Olivia so now our H is in a quandary: should he take the woman he wants for himself or should he force her to play pretend girlfriend with the oblivious Greg ? The big bad H is in turmoil because he's thinking:
This is the H, Nick:
This is the heroine, Olivia:
This part was so drama filled and tacky that I was glued to the pages to see how it would unravel. Poor Olivia doesn't want to be in this position, pretending to be Greg's girlfriend until he gets "strong" enough to be dumped. There was something really comically nonsensical about this part because I kept laughing at the distorted logic in Nick's grand plan. Didn't Nick stop to think that Greg might try to commit suicide again in the future when Olivia eventually ends the role playing ? Or, was poor Olivia supposed to pretend until the end of time and would Nick be happy with that especially when he was becoming increasingly caveman jealous of Greg's demands on the heroine ? What a tangled web Nick wove for himself with his grand plan crumbling slowly around him. Nick's weakness, ironically, was Olivia. It's interesting that Nick had also become obsessed with her. The one solution to his brother's plight is the one thing he desires most for himself ! I love a besotted hero who is fighting to hang on to his bachelorhood.
I would have enjoyed this novel a lot more had the author not taken a convenient way out by providing another woman for Greg. That wasn't the resolution Greg needed. The other woman was a sulky, jealous teenager whose name I can't recall because I skimmed over the parts that included her. I can't believe the author made Greg realize that he was suddenly in love with Her Pouty Sulkiness. That was a major weakness in the novel. Greg's compulsive attachment to Olivia needed to be addressed properly, but maybe he was just a superficial young man whose attentions can be easily swayed by the next pair of impressive cleavage. In any event, Her Pouty Sulkiness was the type of controlling female who would take charge of Greg's life and plot his entire future for him. I know there's no such literary device as the omniscient reader but sometimes I like to make guesses about the possible outcomes of a story beyond the ending; in Greg's case, I totally predict ( using my non omniscient reader powers ) that he will end up being a thoroughly pussy whipped by Her Pouty Sulkiness:
There was a lot of forced, passionate kissing and hot make out sessions between Nick and Olivia. Nick came very close to forcible seduction but stopped before things progressed. There's also a weirdo mafioso type of guy who tries to kidnap Olivia and gets his ass beaten by Nick. Then there's the dramatic, love declaration moment where Nick's heart felt feelings are poured out and his misconceptions about Olivia's intentions towards Greg are cleared up. Nick came across as a gangster/business tycoon who had everybody ( including the police in New York and Sicily ) quaking at the mere whisper of his surname "Baretta". It was shocking and OTT silly to read about how no one in New York and the little Sicilian would come to the heroine's aid. In the Sicilian town, everybody worshipped Nick and there were even hints of mafia corruption because there was another villain who bullied the townsfolk.
All I have to say about this state of affairs is that:
I also wondered whether the author was trying to pun on the H's surname because there's a model of handguns called "Beretta". Was this the author's cheesy way of oomphing up the H's scary/sexy appeal ? This novel was extremely politically incorrect and there were a couple plot holes, but I didn't read it to expand my intellectual horizons or to grumble about the plight of women in yesteryear's society. I read it to enjoy myself with some campy, old school romance and enjoy it I certainly did and I'm not apologizing for it.
Safety: No cheating, no OW and no OM.
The H Nick Baretta was totally old school and politically incorrect while the heroine was the damsel in distress whose troubles were added to by the H. It was stereotypically formulaic. This was a pseudo love triangle with the key players being the H Nick, the heroine Olivia and his dumber than rocks younger brother, Greg. I've called it a pseudo love triangle because Greg was actually just an obsessed admirer of Olivia's and in his warped mind they were in a relationship. In actuality, Olivia had merely thought of Greg as a friend and had dated him informally while in New York on a brief modelling assignment. Olivia had never been intimate with Greg and had warned him on many occasions that she was not interested in taking things to the next level. Greg, however, was completely besotted and failed to heed her words. When Olivia had to return home to England, Greg became hysterical and attempted suicide by slitting his wrists. I felt sorry for Greg at first then I just laughed at him, but he was so pathetic, that...
Greg was a delusional insecure imbecile. Who the hell attempts suicide after being in a non relationship with a girl who had not even been intimate with him ? Platonic dating does not constitute a committed relationship. This guy needed a psychiatrist to help him deal with his compulsive attachment issues. Seriously. Greg was so incompetent that he couldn't even kill himself successfully. Or, maybe he just cut deep enough to get attention from his big brother but not enough to actually cause harm ? Lots of wrist slitters cut horizontally when they ought to be cutting vertically because that's the direction in which the vein is located.
The real story begins when our H Nick gets outrageously vindictive about the "evil" bitch who had caused his "poor" brother to almost die. Nick pampered Greg as if he was a baby and put all the blame on the heroine.
Nick is the stereotypical vengeful H and then some ! His brand of vengeance is taken a step further than the average H but he never does succumb to rape ( which is commendable and Nick didn't do much that was praiseworthy ). Nick storms across to England to blackmail Olivia into returning with him to New York because Greg's life is apparently more important than her next assignment or the financial prospects of her modelling agency. Olivia is forced to return to New York and pretend to be there for Greg while he recovers.
The poor heroine is confused, scared and has a budding latent attraction to the H's mafioso-tycoon persona. But her overriding feeling is anger because of his selfishness and cruelty:
The heroine is full of sympathy for Greg's plight and wants to help but whatever she does is not satisfactory for the H. Olivia's attitude to Nick's brutish bossiness is:
This is where the shit storm starts to fall down upon Nick's plans. Nick hadn't anticipated that he himself would start to fall into lust with Olivia so now our H is in a quandary: should he take the woman he wants for himself or should he force her to play pretend girlfriend with the oblivious Greg ? The big bad H is in turmoil because he's thinking:
This is the H, Nick:
This is the heroine, Olivia:
This part was so drama filled and tacky that I was glued to the pages to see how it would unravel. Poor Olivia doesn't want to be in this position, pretending to be Greg's girlfriend until he gets "strong" enough to be dumped. There was something really comically nonsensical about this part because I kept laughing at the distorted logic in Nick's grand plan. Didn't Nick stop to think that Greg might try to commit suicide again in the future when Olivia eventually ends the role playing ? Or, was poor Olivia supposed to pretend until the end of time and would Nick be happy with that especially when he was becoming increasingly caveman jealous of Greg's demands on the heroine ? What a tangled web Nick wove for himself with his grand plan crumbling slowly around him. Nick's weakness, ironically, was Olivia. It's interesting that Nick had also become obsessed with her. The one solution to his brother's plight is the one thing he desires most for himself ! I love a besotted hero who is fighting to hang on to his bachelorhood.
I would have enjoyed this novel a lot more had the author not taken a convenient way out by providing another woman for Greg. That wasn't the resolution Greg needed. The other woman was a sulky, jealous teenager whose name I can't recall because I skimmed over the parts that included her. I can't believe the author made Greg realize that he was suddenly in love with Her Pouty Sulkiness. That was a major weakness in the novel. Greg's compulsive attachment to Olivia needed to be addressed properly, but maybe he was just a superficial young man whose attentions can be easily swayed by the next pair of impressive cleavage. In any event, Her Pouty Sulkiness was the type of controlling female who would take charge of Greg's life and plot his entire future for him. I know there's no such literary device as the omniscient reader but sometimes I like to make guesses about the possible outcomes of a story beyond the ending; in Greg's case, I totally predict ( using my non omniscient reader powers ) that he will end up being a thoroughly pussy whipped by Her Pouty Sulkiness:
There was a lot of forced, passionate kissing and hot make out sessions between Nick and Olivia. Nick came very close to forcible seduction but stopped before things progressed. There's also a weirdo mafioso type of guy who tries to kidnap Olivia and gets his ass beaten by Nick. Then there's the dramatic, love declaration moment where Nick's heart felt feelings are poured out and his misconceptions about Olivia's intentions towards Greg are cleared up. Nick came across as a gangster/business tycoon who had everybody ( including the police in New York and Sicily ) quaking at the mere whisper of his surname "Baretta". It was shocking and OTT silly to read about how no one in New York and the little Sicilian would come to the heroine's aid. In the Sicilian town, everybody worshipped Nick and there were even hints of mafia corruption because there was another villain who bullied the townsfolk.
All I have to say about this state of affairs is that:
I also wondered whether the author was trying to pun on the H's surname because there's a model of handguns called "Beretta". Was this the author's cheesy way of oomphing up the H's scary/sexy appeal ? This novel was extremely politically incorrect and there were a couple plot holes, but I didn't read it to expand my intellectual horizons or to grumble about the plight of women in yesteryear's society. I read it to enjoy myself with some campy, old school romance and enjoy it I certainly did and I'm not apologizing for it.
Safety: No cheating, no OW and no OM.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2018
I thought I was getting a revenge story, but instead I got a triangle. *sigh* Triggers: attempted suicide.
The premise was ridiculous. Heroine rejected a marriage proposal from the hero's brother whom she dated casually. Hero's brother slits his wrists. It's the heroine's fault. Sicilian hero will bring "photographic model" heroine from London to NYC to visit brother in the hospital until he is "better." Meanwhile, hero will deliver punishing kisses while heroine tries to escape him.
The logic fails are so huge that I could barely pay attention to the details. How on God's green earth - or in HPlandia, for that matter - is a suicidal person suppose to "get better" when the object of his obsession is there by coercion and planning an exit strategy? Why is a woman to blame for the brother's mental health problems? What the hell is the hero thinking trying to get the heroine into bed if he thinks she will eventually marry his brother?
It gets more absurd when the scene shifts to Sicily and Mama Mia! the cliches come thick and fast. Thankfully there is an OW for the drama king brother to latch on to so that the H/h could pair off (only after a attempted kidnapping/rape of the heroine by a local thug).
Not a romance. The hero is a bully. The heroine is ridiculously passive until she bolts mindlessly into new problems. There's plenty of absurd drama if you can get past the cardboard characters and wooden dialogue.
The heroine is the "Deadly Angel" since she's so beautiful she inspires suicide. I need to lie down and rest my brain.
The premise was ridiculous. Heroine rejected a marriage proposal from the hero's brother whom she dated casually. Hero's brother slits his wrists. It's the heroine's fault. Sicilian hero will bring "photographic model" heroine from London to NYC to visit brother in the hospital until he is "better." Meanwhile, hero will deliver punishing kisses while heroine tries to escape him.
The logic fails are so huge that I could barely pay attention to the details. How on God's green earth - or in HPlandia, for that matter - is a suicidal person suppose to "get better" when the object of his obsession is there by coercion and planning an exit strategy? Why is a woman to blame for the brother's mental health problems? What the hell is the hero thinking trying to get the heroine into bed if he thinks she will eventually marry his brother?
It gets more absurd when the scene shifts to Sicily and Mama Mia! the cliches come thick and fast. Thankfully there is an OW for the drama king brother to latch on to so that the H/h could pair off (only after a attempted kidnapping/rape of the heroine by a local thug).
Not a romance. The hero is a bully. The heroine is ridiculously passive until she bolts mindlessly into new problems. There's plenty of absurd drama if you can get past the cardboard characters and wooden dialogue.
The heroine is the "Deadly Angel" since she's so beautiful she inspires suicide. I need to lie down and rest my brain.
June 11, 2013
Deadly Angel was an entertaining read, and it definitely had plenty of tension and emotion to it. When I read Harlequin Presents, those are some of my biggest criteria, so the book scores in that way. However, I couldn't give it high marks because of some issues that were too serious to overlook. Let's discuss those first.
Nick is a bully. He is used to throwing his weight around and using his sinister reputation to get what he wants. I like tough, scary heroes, but I don't like bullies. I thought he was way too physically intimidating with Olivia. He forces her to kiss him and pushes her around in a way that felt uncomfortable to me. He does not rape her, Thank God. However, his behavior was still hard to swallow. I think I would have flung the book against the wall if Olivia hadn't been a courageous woman who didn't bow to his intimidation (any more than she could avoid). I don't quite understand why she fell in love with him though. He wasn't nice to her. He didn't treat her that well. He didn't show her much gentleness. Even with the scary, sexy, cool literary men I love, I need to see and feel that he is a man the heroine could love. I didn't quite feel that with Deadly Angel. Yes, he's sexy if you like a domineering, rough, demanding hero who threatens her constantly.... But all of a sudden, she realizes she is deeply in love with him? Huh? I did appreciate his loyalty to his family and that he worked hard to bring his family business back from the edge of oblivion. Some of his methods, not so much.
Another aspect I struggled with is the almost stereotypical presentation of Sicilians as violent, dangerous people. Maybe I don't know much about Sicilians, but I don't think it's right to label a group of people some way. People have done plenty of that with black people, and I'm not having that. I really dislike movies/books about the Italian/Sicilian mafia, and this book sort of took me too close to that perception. If I was Sicilian, I think I'd be a bit offended. I'd be curious to see what a person of Sicilian ancestry thinks about it. Maybe I am taking it too seriously....
I liked Olivia. I felt for her situation. You can't help if you don't love someone, and what Greg did was not her fault. But she did was right in that she went to him to help him when he was in the hospital and recovering. I didn't quite get her actions towards the end of the book though. Why would she get in the car with that slug? I would have kept on walking and I probably would have started screaming to draw attention to myself. But I guess it gave Nick the chance to be protective....
Anyway, I give some points for dramaticism, emotion, and the fact that this book kept my interest, but I have to subtract points for Nick's brutish nature and the stereotyping of Sicilians. I think 3.5/5.0 stars is a fair rating.
Nick is a bully. He is used to throwing his weight around and using his sinister reputation to get what he wants. I like tough, scary heroes, but I don't like bullies. I thought he was way too physically intimidating with Olivia. He forces her to kiss him and pushes her around in a way that felt uncomfortable to me. He does not rape her, Thank God. However, his behavior was still hard to swallow. I think I would have flung the book against the wall if Olivia hadn't been a courageous woman who didn't bow to his intimidation (any more than she could avoid). I don't quite understand why she fell in love with him though. He wasn't nice to her. He didn't treat her that well. He didn't show her much gentleness. Even with the scary, sexy, cool literary men I love, I need to see and feel that he is a man the heroine could love. I didn't quite feel that with Deadly Angel. Yes, he's sexy if you like a domineering, rough, demanding hero who threatens her constantly.... But all of a sudden, she realizes she is deeply in love with him? Huh? I did appreciate his loyalty to his family and that he worked hard to bring his family business back from the edge of oblivion. Some of his methods, not so much.
Another aspect I struggled with is the almost stereotypical presentation of Sicilians as violent, dangerous people. Maybe I don't know much about Sicilians, but I don't think it's right to label a group of people some way. People have done plenty of that with black people, and I'm not having that. I really dislike movies/books about the Italian/Sicilian mafia, and this book sort of took me too close to that perception. If I was Sicilian, I think I'd be a bit offended. I'd be curious to see what a person of Sicilian ancestry thinks about it. Maybe I am taking it too seriously....
I liked Olivia. I felt for her situation. You can't help if you don't love someone, and what Greg did was not her fault. But she did was right in that she went to him to help him when he was in the hospital and recovering. I didn't quite get her actions towards the end of the book though. Why would she get in the car with that slug? I would have kept on walking and I probably would have started screaming to draw attention to myself. But I guess it gave Nick the chance to be protective....
Anyway, I give some points for dramaticism, emotion, and the fact that this book kept my interest, but I have to subtract points for Nick's brutish nature and the stereotyping of Sicilians. I think 3.5/5.0 stars is a fair rating.
April 20, 2018
Sweet befuddled h, angry psycho don’t-mess-with-me dude, suicidal younger bro as the wannabe om, a potpourri of sec. characters with ‘wise knowing eyes’, NYC-London-Sicily locales…..What else- a last minute cold-eyed villain. And yes, we have a story.
For most of the book, people including cops go pale and do the H’s bidding and so I was pretty sure he was a Mafioso. He is Sicilian to boot and kept passing menacing threats/looks too! But to my disappointment, that never came to pass.
In spite of its farcical plot and simplistic conflict, I enjoyed it. It was predictable, sweet and simple. The h/H had an explosive yet endearing chemistry and for all his posturing, the h was never really scared of him and even the reader could tell that he would never hurt her.
What were the weak links? Or some of them..
The brother who at the beginning slashed his wrists for the h (sending the H into a vengeful rage) nicely and conveniently fell for another girl by the end and gave the h his blessings on her love for the H. A tad too convenient but who is complaining?
The H is angry when he thinks that the h had dumped lil bro and upped back to England. He drags her back to sit and hold the brother’s hand by his hospital bed. And the H is conversely but again angry when he feels that maybe the h wants the little bro after all and so wants to break them up. So now he isn't worried for his brother's mental state?
For all his love and devotion to his brother, he does all to seduce the h. Even saying that his brother won’t mind so long as we do it before the wedding!
Dint like the h kissing both brothers within the same day.
How could the brothers' mother invite and accept the h into her home so warmly. I would think as the woman ‘responsible’ for her son attempting suicide, she would be somewhat cool to her.
ETA- And No Sex!! That was a letdown. A couple with such chemistry mandate a sexscene!
For most of the book, people including cops go pale and do the H’s bidding and so I was pretty sure he was a Mafioso. He is Sicilian to boot and kept passing menacing threats/looks too! But to my disappointment, that never came to pass.
In spite of its farcical plot and simplistic conflict, I enjoyed it. It was predictable, sweet and simple. The h/H had an explosive yet endearing chemistry and for all his posturing, the h was never really scared of him and even the reader could tell that he would never hurt her.
What were the weak links? Or some of them..
The brother who at the beginning slashed his wrists for the h (sending the H into a vengeful rage) nicely and conveniently fell for another girl by the end and gave the h his blessings on her love for the H. A tad too convenient but who is complaining?
The H is angry when he thinks that the h had dumped lil bro and upped back to England. He drags her back to sit and hold the brother’s hand by his hospital bed. And the H is conversely but again angry when he feels that maybe the h wants the little bro after all and so wants to break them up. So now he isn't worried for his brother's mental state?
For all his love and devotion to his brother, he does all to seduce the h. Even saying that his brother won’t mind so long as we do it before the wedding!
Dint like the h kissing both brothers within the same day.
How could the brothers' mother invite and accept the h into her home so warmly. I would think as the woman ‘responsible’ for her son attempting suicide, she would be somewhat cool to her.
ETA- And No Sex!! That was a letdown. A couple with such chemistry mandate a sexscene!
February 25, 2019
"Deadly Angel" is the story of Olivia and Nick.
Honestly, this book should have been called "Violent Devil" instead of "Deadly Angel", as it's more about the cuckoo hero.
The book begins at the point when the H's brother attempts suicide by slitting his wrist, because the woman he's pursuing told him to F off. Our H, being the great smartass he is, thinks this is a valid reason for him to go and harass the woman responsible.
He goes and threatens the h, who is just a model doing her job, that if she doesn't come with him he would destroy her. She tries to run away innumerable times, but all he does is capture her, violently kiss her, put a guard on her and threaten to kill her. Furthermore, his plan makes the brother think that the h is genuinely interested in him, and forcibly kiss and lavish his creepy attentions on her.
And then the hero falls for the heroine, and instead of realizing he bought this situation on to himself, he starts having angry, tantrum filled fights and kisses with the h. And then the drama as expected, and finally this torture ends.
Not worth my time. Ah big nope.
The hero and his brother were crazy stupid. The heroine has bursts of backbone and tries very hard, until the insane family keeps capturing her and she develops Stockholm syndrome.
Egh
SWE
1.5/5
Honestly, this book should have been called "Violent Devil" instead of "Deadly Angel", as it's more about the cuckoo hero.
The book begins at the point when the H's brother attempts suicide by slitting his wrist, because the woman he's pursuing told him to F off. Our H, being the great smartass he is, thinks this is a valid reason for him to go and harass the woman responsible.
He goes and threatens the h, who is just a model doing her job, that if she doesn't come with him he would destroy her. She tries to run away innumerable times, but all he does is capture her, violently kiss her, put a guard on her and threaten to kill her. Furthermore, his plan makes the brother think that the h is genuinely interested in him, and forcibly kiss and lavish his creepy attentions on her.
And then the hero falls for the heroine, and instead of realizing he bought this situation on to himself, he starts having angry, tantrum filled fights and kisses with the h. And then the drama as expected, and finally this torture ends.
Not worth my time. Ah big nope.
The hero and his brother were crazy stupid. The heroine has bursts of backbone and tries very hard, until the insane family keeps capturing her and she develops Stockholm syndrome.
Egh
SWE
1.5/5
January 16, 2013
Ludicrous story. The hero was completely unreasonable (far beyond the level of the usual HP hero) and acted like a spoiled, violent child. The portrayal of Sicily and Sicilians was cringe-worthy, though that kind of thing is to be expected in an early 80s HP. Mostly I couldn't get over the fact that the hero was a big pouty baby most of the time -- not much of a fantasy when you yourself wouldn't touch the hero with a 10-foot pole. :-)
December 6, 2016
4 VENGEFUL STARS
COMPLETE REVIEW IN A FEW.
COMPLETE REVIEW IN A FEW.
June 4, 2020
Sarah Holland once again delivers angsty train-wreck that starts with the Sicilian tycoon Nick Baretta getting news about his brothers near committed suicide because of of a model, the beautiful English heroine Olivia Courtney. In a rage he decides to come after the girl who had so cruelly broken his brothers heart, but seeing her the first time he will soon find himself losing his cold sicilian heart...
The only type of cruel Alphas that equal the Greek tycoons are the Sicilian tycoons. So i knew that the hero with looks of an Deadly Angel would be a fascinating man to read about. The sexual tension simmers between Nick and Olivia the whole time ,and with the way Nick controlled and ordered her around i understood her bitter dislike to him. She was really smart when she refused to take the sleeping pills and her escape after that, but poor her when Nick was furious when he catched her, haha! How they fight and how they make love-Oh how their chemistry was SEXY as HELL! Nick is one of a hell sexy man, violent and dangerous...but there was this vulnerability in him when he probed Olivia about love, he totally revealed what a besotted fool he is at those times, and i just wanted to hug him! When he finally lets go of his pride after saving her at the end and really shows his heart through his eyes,ahhh it was a romantic moment i will never forget. Holland really created a intense love-story in this one (you should read hers "The Devil`s Mistress") and one who will get thrown into my "favourite" shelv!
The only type of cruel Alphas that equal the Greek tycoons are the Sicilian tycoons. So i knew that the hero with looks of an Deadly Angel would be a fascinating man to read about. The sexual tension simmers between Nick and Olivia the whole time ,and with the way Nick controlled and ordered her around i understood her bitter dislike to him. She was really smart when she refused to take the sleeping pills and her escape after that, but poor her when Nick was furious when he catched her, haha! How they fight and how they make love-Oh how their chemistry was SEXY as HELL! Nick is one of a hell sexy man, violent and dangerous...but there was this vulnerability in him when he probed Olivia about love, he totally revealed what a besotted fool he is at those times, and i just wanted to hug him! When he finally lets go of his pride after saving her at the end and really shows his heart through his eyes,ahhh it was a romantic moment i will never forget. Holland really created a intense love-story in this one (you should read hers "The Devil`s Mistress") and one who will get thrown into my "favourite" shelv!
January 9, 2014
Heroine dating both brothers was kind of creepy. Couldn't get into it.
April 12, 2015
just read this again! love the intense angst and how hero cud not help falling for his brother's sweetheart! i liked dat he was not motivated by revenge but was really madly attracted to olivia. poor nick, he was totally besotted and found himself in a difficult situation as his brother had attempted suicide due to olivia's rejection. so how cud he claim her for himself!? loved the hate/love relationship between nick and olivia. it made for an intense and awesome read!
December 9, 2016
How did they fall in love in the course of a few weeks only when they constantly were in senseless fights and bickering?
The book is full of high drama conversations resulted by hurricanes in a cup of water???
The book is full of high drama conversations resulted by hurricanes in a cup of water???
October 17, 2021
Ahhh Sarah Holland’s HQ romances
Providing the necessary rapey hero / independent &indifferent heroines 😪
Honestly a timeless classic
This one has so many tropes if I think about it
Bad boy / good girl
Forbidden attraction
Brothers x girl
X boyfriends hot creepy older brother who’s basically obsessed with heroine … as he should be
Honestly given the fact that nick was so hell bent on putting the blame for his little brothers suicidal attempt on Olivia for more than half the book … but was basically a goner for her at first site and tries to cover that with his hostility…..
yeah that’s basically like romance crack to me
Pleaseeeeee I felt like all that was needed was for me to play some of that 80s background soap opera music while reading this 🤭😊
Providing the necessary rapey hero / independent &indifferent heroines 😪
Honestly a timeless classic
This one has so many tropes if I think about it
Bad boy / good girl
Forbidden attraction
Brothers x girl
X boyfriends hot creepy older brother who’s basically obsessed with heroine … as he should be
Honestly given the fact that nick was so hell bent on putting the blame for his little brothers suicidal attempt on Olivia for more than half the book … but was basically a goner for her at first site and tries to cover that with his hostility…..
yeah that’s basically like romance crack to me
Pleaseeeeee I felt like all that was needed was for me to play some of that 80s background soap opera music while reading this 🤭😊
November 28, 2024
Sarah Holland tries so hard to be her mother, Charlotte Lamb. But she’s just not.
July 30, 2025
As an Italian American, I can't help being annoyed (as well as a bit offended) by the author's not-so-subtle references to the (to use the proper term) Cosa Nostra in this book. The H is Sicilian; therefore, he has to be a future Don Corleone, naturally! While it's stated he's a businessman, between the tough characters he deals with, the cryptic phone messages, the loyal but kind of dumb guy who works for him (watching old gangster films, I take it) and all the talk of vendettas, well, you get the idea!
The whole relationship between the H and h was based on sex attraction with more than a hint of violence; you can just picture these two purchasing leather boots with whips to match! There was nothing romantic, just his urge to get in her panties and her desire to toss them off for him.
And that whole suicide attempt (phony if you ask me) by his younger brother (the OM, whom the h had been dating platonically before she met the H) just didn't ring true, and how convenient that there's a gorgeous young woman waiting in the wings for him to come to his senses! Meanwhile, he keeps babbling on about his future marriage to the h. This guy was either a master manipulator or a citizen of La la Land.
If the h hadn't chickened out so many times and just told the OM firmly (after he was back home and recovered) that she was not going to marry him, a lot of ridiculousness could have been avoided, (including the really dumb "kidnapping" at the end, where the H and h finally declare their lust, oh, pardon me, I meant "love") but since the majority of this book was ridiculous, I guess that would have meant it wouldn't exist, which would be no great loss!
Skip this one!
The whole relationship between the H and h was based on sex attraction with more than a hint of violence; you can just picture these two purchasing leather boots with whips to match! There was nothing romantic, just his urge to get in her panties and her desire to toss them off for him.
And that whole suicide attempt (phony if you ask me) by his younger brother (the OM, whom the h had been dating platonically before she met the H) just didn't ring true, and how convenient that there's a gorgeous young woman waiting in the wings for him to come to his senses! Meanwhile, he keeps babbling on about his future marriage to the h. This guy was either a master manipulator or a citizen of La la Land.
If the h hadn't chickened out so many times and just told the OM firmly (after he was back home and recovered) that she was not going to marry him, a lot of ridiculousness could have been avoided, (including the really dumb "kidnapping" at the end, where the H and h finally declare their lust, oh, pardon me, I meant "love") but since the majority of this book was ridiculous, I guess that would have meant it wouldn't exist, which would be no great loss!
Skip this one!
September 28, 2018
This book gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, the writing was decent and the story had potential. I real liked the way some of emotional tension and passionate scenes were written. The downside...I do not like affairs and emotional/physical abuse and blackmail--from both our male love interests. One was so obsessed that he basically threatens suicide and really just needed a psychiatrist. And the other, cannot think past his d!$%, to the point that he wants what he thinks is his brother's girl--and to refuses to hear any other point of view, takes away her livelihood, kidnaps her intending to force his brother and her to marry and misplaces his self loathing and blame on the heroine when he realizes his own attraction to her. I will give props that the heroine doesn't take it all lying down at first--then she realizes she loves him and just lets the crazy wash over her.
I get the whole forbidden love thing, but threats of strangling, blackmail, and kidnapping, made their romance sound more like a case of stockholm syndrome rather than true love. I always have to say this, but I love a good case of old-school Harlequin fem-fail. However, much like everyone, I have my limits of how crazy the leads can be.
I get the whole forbidden love thing, but threats of strangling, blackmail, and kidnapping, made their romance sound more like a case of stockholm syndrome rather than true love. I always have to say this, but I love a good case of old-school Harlequin fem-fail. However, much like everyone, I have my limits of how crazy the leads can be.
November 25, 2020
I enjoyed it. Vintage HP with lots of passion.
The h is an idiot though. She goes into the bedroom of the H’s brother in the middle of the night because she thinks he had a nightmare. So what if he had a nightmare. No wonder the H doesn’t trust her.
And the h steps in the car of the enemy of the H because she is afraid of him. Any idiot knows that whatever you do, you don’t step into a car with a psycho lunatic. He didn’t even have to force her or threaten her. She was scared and that was enough for her to step into the car.
Because the h is an idiot, the H has to rescue her several times. But she is a beautiful idiot, so in the end she gets the H. Who said looks aren’t everything?
The h is an idiot though. She goes into the bedroom of the H’s brother in the middle of the night because she thinks he had a nightmare. So what if he had a nightmare. No wonder the H doesn’t trust her.
And the h steps in the car of the enemy of the H because she is afraid of him. Any idiot knows that whatever you do, you don’t step into a car with a psycho lunatic. He didn’t even have to force her or threaten her. She was scared and that was enough for her to step into the car.
Because the h is an idiot, the H has to rescue her several times. But she is a beautiful idiot, so in the end she gets the H. Who said looks aren’t everything?
January 20, 2021
"4,5/5" η βαθμολογία του!
"Ένα άτυχο φωτομοντέλο" - Σάρα Χόλαντ, Σειρά Χρυσά, νούμερο 150, έτος έκδοσης στην Ελλάδα: 1982
Μόλο που ο Νικ Μπαρέτα πίστευε το αντίθετο, η Ολίβια δεν αισθανόταν καθόλου υπεύθυνη για την απόπειρα αυτοκτονίας του αδερφού του, του Γκρέγκ. Εκείνη, όχι μόνο δεν τον είχε προκαλέσει, αλλά αντίθετα προσπάθησε με κάθε τρόπο να τον αποθαρρύνει. Σίγουρα ήταν ένα όμορφο και διάσημο φωτομοντέλο και άρεσε στους άντρες, αλλά, αν παντρευόταν τον καθένα που την ερωτευόταν, θα έπρεπε να είχε κάνει δεκάδες γάμους! Στο κάτω - κάτω κι εκείνη ήταν ερωτευμένη με τον Νικ που την αντιπαθούσε κι όμως αντιμετώπιζε με ψυχραιμία τις πικρόχολες παρατηρήσεις του....
ΜΟΥ ΑΡΕΣΕ ΠΟΛΥ - ΠΟΛΥ!!!!!!! ΣΧΕΔΟΝ ΤΕΛΕΙΟ!!!!
"Ένα άτυχο φωτομοντέλο" - Σάρα Χόλαντ, Σειρά Χρυσά, νούμερο 150, έτος έκδοσης στην Ελλάδα: 1982
Μόλο που ο Νικ Μπαρέτα πίστευε το αντίθετο, η Ολίβια δεν αισθανόταν καθόλου υπεύθυνη για την απόπειρα αυτοκτονίας του αδερφού του, του Γκρέγκ. Εκείνη, όχι μόνο δεν τον είχε προκαλέσει, αλλά αντίθετα προσπάθησε με κάθε τρόπο να τον αποθαρρύνει. Σίγουρα ήταν ένα όμορφο και διάσημο φωτομοντέλο και άρεσε στους άντρες, αλλά, αν παντρευόταν τον καθένα που την ερωτευόταν, θα έπρεπε να είχε κάνει δεκάδες γάμους! Στο κάτω - κάτω κι εκείνη ήταν ερωτευμένη με τον Νικ που την αντιπαθούσε κι όμως αντιμετώπιζε με ψυχραιμία τις πικρόχολες παρατηρήσεις του....
ΜΟΥ ΑΡΕΣΕ ΠΟΛΥ - ΠΟΛΥ!!!!!!! ΣΧΕΔΟΝ ΤΕΛΕΙΟ!!!!
April 19, 2024
I liked the dramatic plot and the main characters and the hero's sidekick and his girl - points in favour. But the writing is a little formulaic and it stunted the power of the scenes. I think with more flowery prose - hinting at emotions, rather than telling us exactly, and some elegant descriptions of the settings - it would have been a better novel. Still enjoyable though and much better than the awful Billionaire/Virgin drivel they pump out today.
Read
December 14, 2018Need a few reasons why this booked sucked? :
"I could get to like hurting you."
"You stupid little bitch!"
'Shut up' x5
'You little bitch!'
"how much I'd like to kill you"
"Darling, I've never been violent with you...I lashed out in self-defense"
All these lines were said by the HERO!!!!! to the heroine!!!! And not early in the book before they fell in love very late in the story. Yikes. This book is very anti-feminist. The heroine is held captive(tries to escape 3 times!) for the health of another man, because of course it's her job to tend to a male ego incapable of hearing 'no'. Most scenes take place in front of another character so no intimacy was built at all. He hero is erratic and cruel. He has psychopathic tendencies to control the heroine and her life. The 'villain' randomly shows up and kidnaps the heroine and is rescued annnnnnd story ends. Skip this piece of crap that puts women back 100 years.
"I could get to like hurting you."
"You stupid little bitch!"
'Shut up' x5
'You little bitch!'
"how much I'd like to kill you"
"Darling, I've never been violent with you...I lashed out in self-defense"
All these lines were said by the HERO!!!!! to the heroine!!!! And not early in the book before they fell in love very late in the story. Yikes. This book is very anti-feminist. The heroine is held captive(tries to escape 3 times!) for the health of another man, because of course it's her job to tend to a male ego incapable of hearing 'no'. Most scenes take place in front of another character so no intimacy was built at all. He hero is erratic and cruel. He has psychopathic tendencies to control the heroine and her life. The 'villain' randomly shows up and kidnaps the heroine and is rescued annnnnnd story ends. Skip this piece of crap that puts women back 100 years.
June 8, 2021
He could neither forgive nor forget
Nothing Olivia could say would diminish Nick Baretta's hatred for her. The woman who had cruelly rejected and deceived his brother Greg would suffer for her callousness.
Now, though she was innocent, Olivia must deal with Nick's dangerous threats.
"I make a point of getting what I want, " he informed her, and Olivia knew she must escape. For it was obvious that while he wanted to hurt her, he also wanted to make love to her ...and she doubted she could refuse him.
Nothing Olivia could say would diminish Nick Baretta's hatred for her. The woman who had cruelly rejected and deceived his brother Greg would suffer for her callousness.
Now, though she was innocent, Olivia must deal with Nick's dangerous threats.
"I make a point of getting what I want, " he informed her, and Olivia knew she must escape. For it was obvious that while he wanted to hurt her, he also wanted to make love to her ...and she doubted she could refuse him.
November 4, 2015
These two had some crazy chemistry! It was driving them off their heads, so I could even understand why she got into that car at the end.
I loved the fact that Olivia tried to escape so many times but also wanted to help his pathetic brother. And the hero is such a God; at the beginning, while the brother is dying in the hosp bed, hero arrives and tells him "You will live" and he does live, hehe!
I loved the fact that Olivia tried to escape so many times but also wanted to help his pathetic brother. And the hero is such a God; at the beginning, while the brother is dying in the hosp bed, hero arrives and tells him "You will live" and he does live, hehe!
August 21, 2013
I wanted to give more stars! It's just Nick is so intimidating... Scary actually, compared to other brooding Hero I am used to. The way he always grabs Olivia's hair is kinda creepy. Also, I think there are too many loose ends with this story; the characters, are not well developed and the ending was rushed.
April 17, 2013
it is the most interesting book i have read so far i have read it at least 30 times or so.
August 31, 2016
I loved this story a lot. The hero straggled hard between his intense feelings to the heroine and his loyalty to his brother. The heroine is such a strong character, though. Loved it!
December 23, 2021
Don't do it h! It's a recipe for domestic abuse!
Dohh..
Dohh..
April 1, 2017
well it was a bit ridiculous....if there had been a few sex scenes I would have like it better.
Instead there was multiple kissing scenes that kept getting interrupted.
On the whole it was a bit too contrived for me ....meet the evil neighbor that tries to kidnap her for example, twice she encounters sexual predators (he saves her). It just was a bit unnecessary really. She told him a million times she wasn't going to marry his brother and he continues to believe she will...he forces her to go everywhere and she simply wants to go home and he won't let her.... why is it so hard to believe that she's NOT interested in his suicidal brother....It made no sense.
But on the whole I wanted to know what was going to happen but was disappointed that the HEA occurred at lightening speed, as if the author ran out of page space.
Instead there was multiple kissing scenes that kept getting interrupted.
On the whole it was a bit too contrived for me ....meet the evil neighbor that tries to kidnap her for example, twice she encounters sexual predators (he saves her). It just was a bit unnecessary really. She told him a million times she wasn't going to marry his brother and he continues to believe she will...he forces her to go everywhere and she simply wants to go home and he won't let her.... why is it so hard to believe that she's NOT interested in his suicidal brother....It made no sense.
But on the whole I wanted to know what was going to happen but was disappointed that the HEA occurred at lightening speed, as if the author ran out of page space.
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June 18, 2018It wasn't Olivia's fault that Greg Baretta had fallen in love with her - she had never promised him anything, she had done everything to discourage him and let him down lightly, in fact - and she was horrified when he attempted to kill himself because of her, but what else could she have done? And what could she do now - now that Greg's formidable brother Nick had whisked her back to New York, and to Greg, to 'make amends' as he saw it? Was there any way out of this appalling situation?
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