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A Lifetime and Beyond
Although Kelly Cormack had loved her wayward mother, she'd promised herself never to follow in her footsteps where men were concerned.
Until Ryan Devlin came along. It was bad enough that he confronted her with the knowledge that the man she'd called her father wasn't, and that her real father was waiting to meet her in Australia. But the greatest shock of all was Kelly's realisation that, where Ryan was concerned, she'd inherited her mother's tragic talent and weakness for loving unwisely...
Until Ryan Devlin came along. It was bad enough that he confronted her with the knowledge that the man she'd called her father wasn't, and that her real father was waiting to meet her in Australia. But the greatest shock of all was Kelly's realisation that, where Ryan was concerned, she'd inherited her mother's tragic talent and weakness for loving unwisely...
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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November 16, 2016
Re A Lifetime and Beyond - AF takes us from the sophistication of the Hollywood elite sojourning in France to the wilds of the Australian Outback and a full fledged cattle muster. Our h and H are the appropriate representative of each lifestyle. We have an orphaned 20 yr old h whom the H refers to as a 'promiscuous, gold digging, Hollywood brat,'; and a manly mid thirties, Alpha domineering, but not the most suave H around by a long shot-- plus this is one H that the h doesn't refer or defer to at all, he is too much of a troglodyte. But he is cute with his little troggie ways, so we and the h can forgive him a lot.
The story starts with the H stalking the h at an elite hotel in France that is populated by the Hollywood creme de la creme. He is there to invite the h to meet her hitherto unknown father with a trip to the Australian Outback.
The h's mum was an actress who was doomed to keep falling in love with handsome and Catholic but unfortunately already married men. To be clear, most of her men where separated from their wives and living apart. But since they were Catholic, they did not divorce, just went their separate ways from their spouses and usually those ways were a beeline to the h's mum. The h actually thought a French guy was her father, but gradually over the years realized that he was not, tho she never consciously acknowledged it until after her mum died.
Since her mother died, the h has been living with her mum's last lover, who the h was hoping her mum would finally tie the knot with as he was now single. The h thinks of the man, a famous director, as another father substitute and his French retreat is a welcome respite from the relentless media and catty Hollywood insiders that have endlessly speculated about and torn apart the h's mum's character and life.
The h loved her mother, a lot. She isn't like her, but she understood her mother's ways. When the h had to go rescue her BFF from the overly amorous advances of a pushy ski instructor and got expelled from her finishing school for it, the mum did not get angry. She just took the h at her word that she was helping a friend and circumstances went bad. The h's mum also knew that the Hollywood lifestyle wasn't the best place for her daughter, so she sadly shipped her off to Ireland and the h's grandmother when she was younger. The h grew up with a woman who was pretty hard and tough, but really doted on her and had no problems with the h's illegitimacy - unlike the rest of her family, including her aunt who swears the h will come to a bad end and sees nothing good in her.
The stalkerific and judgmental H has naturally talked to the h's former school and her aunt, (the grandmother passed away,) and also overheard some of the Hollywood starlets gossiping about the h being a tart with a heart and shacking up with her mum's former lover.
Of course the H takes all this as the undeniable truth engraved in stone. So it is with that very bad opinion of the h that he follows her back to her abode. Only to find the h laying on the side of the verge after an adventurous goat decided that the French lane was a great place to go walkabout and almost got ran over by the h's borrowed motorcycle and she went off the road. The H panics in a funny feeling kinda way, cause this h is a babe and hot with it, but since she is lying there, he thinks she is dead. Then she turns her head to look at him and gives him a startle or six and some grey hair.
The H helps the h up and dictates that he will drive the motorcycle back to her house and she can drive his car. When the h expresses doubt about the wisdom of going anywhere with potential Australian serial killers, the H introduces himself, admits he knows who she is, but declines any further information. After a bit of argument which the H only wins cause he is bigger and kinda slow witted but intimidating, the H follows her home. The h ditches him as soon as possible and the befuddled, angry and lust crazed H wonders what just hit him.
The next day he returns and since no one answers the gates or the door at the French estate, he wanders around until he come upon the h sunbathing topless. He then completely loses his mind when she starts needling him verbally and jumps into the pool, (after undressing,) and proceeds to start the initial punishing kissings that leads to a lurve club moment.
Fortunately the moment isn't right and the h gets away, but the H does finally manage to convey to the h's stand in dad director that he is there to take the h to Australia to meet her bio dad and that he is her brother. The director stand in dad tells the h who the H is and what he wants, and we get to experience the horror right along with the h when she thinks she just almost climbed her half brother's tower of power.
Fortunately that only lasts a paragraph and we find out the H is adopted. The H's dad is legally his dad too, but not biologically. The h is visibly relieved and happy she won't have to worry about finding a hairdresser to cover the white hair she almost got from fright.
Then the h hears the nasty rumors about her status in the director dad stand in's bed warming queue and realizes that Australia sounds lovely this time of year and is a great place to avoid gossip. The h is actually just on respite, while waiting for her placement results to enter the Sorbonne and the last royalty check from her mum's latest movie.
The mum had died with her finances in a bit of a mess, so the h isn't exactly rich right at the moment. This seems to make her a gold digger in the eyes of the H, but the h makes it a point to say she doesn't value relationships by the size of the bank account and isn't it a shame that the H does.
The H reacts suitably surly and gruff, but the h has him verbally hung out to dry and she has a quirky but hilarious sense of humor. In terms of age the H is about 13 years or so older, but in maturity the h is older by a century at least. They still manage to make to the H's and dad's cattle station tho.
The h meets her dad and finds out that he fell in love with her mum after he had separated from his Catholic wife, but they parted and he never tracked the h's mum down until he ran into her six years later with the H in tow, and found out he had a daughter -- but he promised to keep away at the h's mum's request. The h's mum never sent her for a visit and since she was now gone, the father figured the promise he made to stay away did not count anymore.
We also find out that the H was the product of a teenage affair between the h's dad's wife's sister and some guy. The sister gave the baby to the dad and his wife and then proceeded to forget the H ever existed and wouldn't meet with the H went he went to check his bio mother out. In fact she told the H and her sister to keep him away and the H ran off for a few months, but then never mentioned her again - tho his dad reckons he just buried his hurt and ignored it.
The h gets introduced around the cattle station and learns to ride a horse, cooks lunch for a full muster crew left in the lurch and we get a really vivid description of rounding up cattle with a helicopter. We also have a potential OM for the h in the form of an infatuated stockman and the H has his OW hanging all over him in the form the station house's housekeeper.
(To be fair it is only hinted that the H and she are shagging it up, but the woman is clearly bent on getting the H and since he does some kissing on her and disappears into her bungalow after a fight with the h, it isn't that much of a leap of imagination. ) Naturally this OW is very possessive and hostile to the h, while the dad is doing some subtle matchmaking to throw the H and h together.
Eventually the h's cooking, the horse riding lessons and the h's acceptance to the Sorbonne language program plus a check for $400,000.00 from the h's mum's last film leads to a blow out fight between the H and h, with the H storming off and the h left in the house alone. There is a power failure and the wanna be OM shows up to help the h out finding candles and lamps.
The H returns in the midst of the h and OM chatting with her in her jammies and after firing the stockman, the H and h wind up lurving it up in the storm tossed craze of passion. Since the H has no smooth moves and even less discernment, he finally figures out that the h is as pure as the driven snow when she has a pain filled response, so he really knows he has totally messed up. Now he has to beg, A LOT, to get back into the h's good graces.
Which he does do eventually, after the OW housekeeper walks in on the h and H in bed and freaks out and he has to spend several hours paying her off with money and getting her off the station and rehiring his head stockman he fired.
When the H comes back from sorting all of his messes, the h is packing to leave and he orders her to stay and marry him cause everyone knows that virginity is a get out of jail free card and the only fix for the wrong he has done is marriage per the iron bound rules of HPlandia. That the h is less than flattered at being ordered about and abandoned for hours while the H pays off his mistress is practically immaterial. The h is less melodramatic and tells him it had to happen sometime and she is going to France.
The h and H's dad wanders in and suggests the H find a different approach since ordering the h to the altar isn't getting anyone anywhere except to the local airstrip. Finally the H humbly apologizes for treating the h so terribly and being all judgy and getting everything wrong, but he loves her desperately and while the Outback can be hard and it isn't France, he will fill it with love for her.
So will she please, please, pretty please with sugar and honey on top marry him? The h likes that proposition and since she loves him right back, (otherwise what did he think last night was all about anyways?), she happily accepts his troth and the dad is very happy cause he knows his kids have the real deal true love of a lifetime and beyond.
I liked this one, it was fast, funny and the h was really great. The H had his rotten moments and if this was anywhere but HPlandia, I would srlsly doubt the longevity of the relationship, cause this h was WAY smarter than her H.
Still they were very cute together and the H had the humble asking part down pat for such a domineering guy. It was good he had that talent, he is probably going to need it a lot in the future with all his leaps. Do give this one a read when you need a nice lift and want a happy HP Outback adventure.
The story starts with the H stalking the h at an elite hotel in France that is populated by the Hollywood creme de la creme. He is there to invite the h to meet her hitherto unknown father with a trip to the Australian Outback.
The h's mum was an actress who was doomed to keep falling in love with handsome and Catholic but unfortunately already married men. To be clear, most of her men where separated from their wives and living apart. But since they were Catholic, they did not divorce, just went their separate ways from their spouses and usually those ways were a beeline to the h's mum. The h actually thought a French guy was her father, but gradually over the years realized that he was not, tho she never consciously acknowledged it until after her mum died.
Since her mother died, the h has been living with her mum's last lover, who the h was hoping her mum would finally tie the knot with as he was now single. The h thinks of the man, a famous director, as another father substitute and his French retreat is a welcome respite from the relentless media and catty Hollywood insiders that have endlessly speculated about and torn apart the h's mum's character and life.
The h loved her mother, a lot. She isn't like her, but she understood her mother's ways. When the h had to go rescue her BFF from the overly amorous advances of a pushy ski instructor and got expelled from her finishing school for it, the mum did not get angry. She just took the h at her word that she was helping a friend and circumstances went bad. The h's mum also knew that the Hollywood lifestyle wasn't the best place for her daughter, so she sadly shipped her off to Ireland and the h's grandmother when she was younger. The h grew up with a woman who was pretty hard and tough, but really doted on her and had no problems with the h's illegitimacy - unlike the rest of her family, including her aunt who swears the h will come to a bad end and sees nothing good in her.
The stalkerific and judgmental H has naturally talked to the h's former school and her aunt, (the grandmother passed away,) and also overheard some of the Hollywood starlets gossiping about the h being a tart with a heart and shacking up with her mum's former lover.
Of course the H takes all this as the undeniable truth engraved in stone. So it is with that very bad opinion of the h that he follows her back to her abode. Only to find the h laying on the side of the verge after an adventurous goat decided that the French lane was a great place to go walkabout and almost got ran over by the h's borrowed motorcycle and she went off the road. The H panics in a funny feeling kinda way, cause this h is a babe and hot with it, but since she is lying there, he thinks she is dead. Then she turns her head to look at him and gives him a startle or six and some grey hair.
The H helps the h up and dictates that he will drive the motorcycle back to her house and she can drive his car. When the h expresses doubt about the wisdom of going anywhere with potential Australian serial killers, the H introduces himself, admits he knows who she is, but declines any further information. After a bit of argument which the H only wins cause he is bigger and kinda slow witted but intimidating, the H follows her home. The h ditches him as soon as possible and the befuddled, angry and lust crazed H wonders what just hit him.
The next day he returns and since no one answers the gates or the door at the French estate, he wanders around until he come upon the h sunbathing topless. He then completely loses his mind when she starts needling him verbally and jumps into the pool, (after undressing,) and proceeds to start the initial punishing kissings that leads to a lurve club moment.
Fortunately the moment isn't right and the h gets away, but the H does finally manage to convey to the h's stand in dad director that he is there to take the h to Australia to meet her bio dad and that he is her brother. The director stand in dad tells the h who the H is and what he wants, and we get to experience the horror right along with the h when she thinks she just almost climbed her half brother's tower of power.
Fortunately that only lasts a paragraph and we find out the H is adopted. The H's dad is legally his dad too, but not biologically. The h is visibly relieved and happy she won't have to worry about finding a hairdresser to cover the white hair she almost got from fright.
Then the h hears the nasty rumors about her status in the director dad stand in's bed warming queue and realizes that Australia sounds lovely this time of year and is a great place to avoid gossip. The h is actually just on respite, while waiting for her placement results to enter the Sorbonne and the last royalty check from her mum's latest movie.
The mum had died with her finances in a bit of a mess, so the h isn't exactly rich right at the moment. This seems to make her a gold digger in the eyes of the H, but the h makes it a point to say she doesn't value relationships by the size of the bank account and isn't it a shame that the H does.
The H reacts suitably surly and gruff, but the h has him verbally hung out to dry and she has a quirky but hilarious sense of humor. In terms of age the H is about 13 years or so older, but in maturity the h is older by a century at least. They still manage to make to the H's and dad's cattle station tho.
The h meets her dad and finds out that he fell in love with her mum after he had separated from his Catholic wife, but they parted and he never tracked the h's mum down until he ran into her six years later with the H in tow, and found out he had a daughter -- but he promised to keep away at the h's mum's request. The h's mum never sent her for a visit and since she was now gone, the father figured the promise he made to stay away did not count anymore.
We also find out that the H was the product of a teenage affair between the h's dad's wife's sister and some guy. The sister gave the baby to the dad and his wife and then proceeded to forget the H ever existed and wouldn't meet with the H went he went to check his bio mother out. In fact she told the H and her sister to keep him away and the H ran off for a few months, but then never mentioned her again - tho his dad reckons he just buried his hurt and ignored it.
The h gets introduced around the cattle station and learns to ride a horse, cooks lunch for a full muster crew left in the lurch and we get a really vivid description of rounding up cattle with a helicopter. We also have a potential OM for the h in the form of an infatuated stockman and the H has his OW hanging all over him in the form the station house's housekeeper.
(To be fair it is only hinted that the H and she are shagging it up, but the woman is clearly bent on getting the H and since he does some kissing on her and disappears into her bungalow after a fight with the h, it isn't that much of a leap of imagination. ) Naturally this OW is very possessive and hostile to the h, while the dad is doing some subtle matchmaking to throw the H and h together.
Eventually the h's cooking, the horse riding lessons and the h's acceptance to the Sorbonne language program plus a check for $400,000.00 from the h's mum's last film leads to a blow out fight between the H and h, with the H storming off and the h left in the house alone. There is a power failure and the wanna be OM shows up to help the h out finding candles and lamps.
The H returns in the midst of the h and OM chatting with her in her jammies and after firing the stockman, the H and h wind up lurving it up in the storm tossed craze of passion. Since the H has no smooth moves and even less discernment, he finally figures out that the h is as pure as the driven snow when she has a pain filled response, so he really knows he has totally messed up. Now he has to beg, A LOT, to get back into the h's good graces.
Which he does do eventually, after the OW housekeeper walks in on the h and H in bed and freaks out and he has to spend several hours paying her off with money and getting her off the station and rehiring his head stockman he fired.
When the H comes back from sorting all of his messes, the h is packing to leave and he orders her to stay and marry him cause everyone knows that virginity is a get out of jail free card and the only fix for the wrong he has done is marriage per the iron bound rules of HPlandia. That the h is less than flattered at being ordered about and abandoned for hours while the H pays off his mistress is practically immaterial. The h is less melodramatic and tells him it had to happen sometime and she is going to France.
The h and H's dad wanders in and suggests the H find a different approach since ordering the h to the altar isn't getting anyone anywhere except to the local airstrip. Finally the H humbly apologizes for treating the h so terribly and being all judgy and getting everything wrong, but he loves her desperately and while the Outback can be hard and it isn't France, he will fill it with love for her.
So will she please, please, pretty please with sugar and honey on top marry him? The h likes that proposition and since she loves him right back, (otherwise what did he think last night was all about anyways?), she happily accepts his troth and the dad is very happy cause he knows his kids have the real deal true love of a lifetime and beyond.
I liked this one, it was fast, funny and the h was really great. The H had his rotten moments and if this was anywhere but HPlandia, I would srlsly doubt the longevity of the relationship, cause this h was WAY smarter than her H.
Still they were very cute together and the H had the humble asking part down pat for such a domineering guy. It was good he had that talent, he is probably going to need it a lot in the future with all his leaps. Do give this one a read when you need a nice lift and want a happy HP Outback adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Re-read:
She's still 4 star awesome, and he's still a 2 star horse's patoot.
Given her mother's scandalous past with a variety of married men the heroine is surprisingly normal and grounded. She is someone a normal person could be friends with, and when I say normal no one within the pages of a Harley.. Although she loved her mother, she has no desire to be like her. She is currently living with one of her mother's exes as he was one she felt was most like a real father or a real step-father. Too bad the H never lets a judgmental misconception or the opportunity to sneer at her supposedly lax morals go by.
The H arrives in France where the h is living with the faux step-father and asks her to go see her real father she never knew. The h's mother had kept it from her all these years. The H thinks she is gold-digging floozy of the worst kind because of gossip he overhears from two blatantly bitchy and jealous women and, heh, he might as well judge her. Possessing a brain and a spine, she doesn't just jump whenever he wants so he goes into offended alpha male and kisses her. She doesn't want to respond but does which makes the thought he is her half-brother pretty darn horrible. This misconception is straightened out after a long sleepless night as he was adopted by the biological dad. Whew.
He drags her out to the Outback where she's welcomed by her biological and smirked at by the bitchy housekeeper who wants the H. No matter what she does the H is there looming over with a big frowny face, and he will not cut her a break. Two by four please.
Even when they are about to have sex for the first time he is freaking inner monologuing about how innocent she SEEMS and wonders how she can act that well. Eye Roll!!! It takes an intact hymen to really open his eyes. Another two by four, thank you. The OW finds them and throws a wall-eyed fit that is quite something, and sadly is financially rewarded just to shut her up.
The heroine is awesome, but I feel sorry for her as the Outback sounds really terrible.
I lived in hot, arid, dry, wrinkle inducing, draining, sterile, scorpion AND rattlesnake infested,115 degrees, prickly, sandy, polluted, fry an egg in the skillet Scottsdale/Phoenix for four years, and simply do not care for the dessert. I am going to hunt down the idjit that created this sign.
The other downside is the hero. He kind of redeems himself, but I have a feeling he will be hiring ugly cowpokes from now on as he is not the trusting sort.
She's still 4 star awesome, and he's still a 2 star horse's patoot.
Given her mother's scandalous past with a variety of married men the heroine is surprisingly normal and grounded. She is someone a normal person could be friends with, and when I say normal no one within the pages of a Harley.. Although she loved her mother, she has no desire to be like her. She is currently living with one of her mother's exes as he was one she felt was most like a real father or a real step-father. Too bad the H never lets a judgmental misconception or the opportunity to sneer at her supposedly lax morals go by.
The H arrives in France where the h is living with the faux step-father and asks her to go see her real father she never knew. The h's mother had kept it from her all these years. The H thinks she is gold-digging floozy of the worst kind because of gossip he overhears from two blatantly bitchy and jealous women and, heh, he might as well judge her. Possessing a brain and a spine, she doesn't just jump whenever he wants so he goes into offended alpha male and kisses her. She doesn't want to respond but does which makes the thought he is her half-brother pretty darn horrible. This misconception is straightened out after a long sleepless night as he was adopted by the biological dad. Whew.
He drags her out to the Outback where she's welcomed by her biological and smirked at by the bitchy housekeeper who wants the H. No matter what she does the H is there looming over with a big frowny face, and he will not cut her a break. Two by four please.
Even when they are about to have sex for the first time he is freaking inner monologuing about how innocent she SEEMS and wonders how she can act that well. Eye Roll!!! It takes an intact hymen to really open his eyes. Another two by four, thank you. The OW finds them and throws a wall-eyed fit that is quite something, and sadly is financially rewarded just to shut her up.
The heroine is awesome, but I feel sorry for her as the Outback sounds really terrible.
I lived in hot, arid, dry, wrinkle inducing, draining, sterile, scorpion AND rattlesnake infested,115 degrees, prickly, sandy, polluted, fry an egg in the skillet Scottsdale/Phoenix for four years, and simply do not care for the dessert. I am going to hunt down the idjit that created this sign.
The other downside is the hero. He kind of redeems himself, but I have a feeling he will be hiring ugly cowpokes from now on as he is not the trusting sort.
April 1, 2020
Fun, cute and humorous for most parts. 3.5*
With likable mcs.
The step-siblings meet when the H comes from Australia to the south of France to take her with him to meet her father - of whom she wasn't even aware as she thought another man to be her father.
Her mother was a Hollywood actress with an Irish background and all the men in her life were married men, as was the h's father, also an Irishman.
Presently, the h's living with her dead mother's last lover, a man she adores a lot. But their living together is bound to be misconstrued by people, as by the H (who is actually her father's foster son).
They clash all the way to Australia and them some more in the bush. Lots of enjoyable and funny moments in the book to almost credit it as a rom-com but the whole paternity, parenting issues of both the h and the H pull it down somewhat.
I did not like a couple of things like his almost rapey-gropey move on her when he meets her for the second time and when she's sunbathing topless at her 'foster' father's place.
I know it's the French Riviera in the 80s but for an 18 yo to be topless at an older man's home made me uncomfortable even though the man is away at the time.
And once when the H goes off in a huff after dinner to be seen knocking at the young housekeeper/ wannabe ow's house, is left unexplained. Were they lovers? Doesn't seem so, as for most parts the H ignores/seems unaware of her and her come hither vibes. And his complete smitten-ness with the h is very obvious and adorable.
So, I am glad I read it and it left me with a smile on my face.
With likable mcs.
The step-siblings meet when the H comes from Australia to the south of France to take her with him to meet her father - of whom she wasn't even aware as she thought another man to be her father.
Her mother was a Hollywood actress with an Irish background and all the men in her life were married men, as was the h's father, also an Irishman.
Presently, the h's living with her dead mother's last lover, a man she adores a lot. But their living together is bound to be misconstrued by people, as by the H (who is actually her father's foster son).
They clash all the way to Australia and them some more in the bush. Lots of enjoyable and funny moments in the book to almost credit it as a rom-com but the whole paternity, parenting issues of both the h and the H pull it down somewhat.
I did not like a couple of things like his almost rapey-gropey move on her when he meets her for the second time and when she's sunbathing topless at her 'foster' father's place.
I know it's the French Riviera in the 80s but for an 18 yo to be topless at an older man's home made me uncomfortable even though the man is away at the time.
And once when the H goes off in a huff after dinner to be seen knocking at the young housekeeper/ wannabe ow's house, is left unexplained. Were they lovers? Doesn't seem so, as for most parts the H ignores/seems unaware of her and her come hither vibes. And his complete smitten-ness with the h is very obvious and adorable.
So, I am glad I read it and it left me with a smile on my face.
January 12, 2016
Kelly, daughter of a famous actress, has a complicated backstory. Ryan, the adopted son of Kelly's bio dad, only knows part of it. The parts he knows paint 19 year-old Kelly as a promiscuous gold-digger who is living with a much older man in France after her mother's death. At the opening of the novel, Ryan has come to France to persuade Kelly to visit her father on his station in Australia.
I liked this - it really moved along at a fast clip. Ryan is a little too aggressive at the beginning, but soon reigns in his hormones. There's a big age difference - 17 years? Heroine is not overly dramatic.
I liked this - it really moved along at a fast clip. Ryan is a little too aggressive at the beginning, but soon reigns in his hormones. There's a big age difference - 17 years? Heroine is not overly dramatic.
July 4, 2016
What a great story.!
If you want a reason to read this book and you are a fan of Diana Palmer books than this one is for you. He misjudged her and teaches her to ride is protective about her and thinks she is an experienced lady when in fact she is a virgin.
There is even an evil other woman who wants her man!!! The pool scene was hot and even when they make love it was hot!
I thought this was one great book.
Glad I overlooked some other reviews to read it.
If you want a reason to read this book and you are a fan of Diana Palmer books than this one is for you. He misjudged her and teaches her to ride is protective about her and thinks she is an experienced lady when in fact she is a virgin.
There is even an evil other woman who wants her man!!! The pool scene was hot and even when they make love it was hot!
I thought this was one great book.
Glad I overlooked some other reviews to read it.
June 11, 2020
3,5 stars
February 20, 2016
I enjoyed watching these two fight their way to a HEA. I liked that we got glimpses into the hero's change of heart and watched as he tried to woo the heroine.
January 12, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Aww this was a good deeply satisfying one. Taking back a bit from the book cuz the h was a total tease and could use some fixing. (Also this trails to a movies/ Hollywood back drop which isn’t my favourite)
Kelly’s mother was a well known Hollywood actress and with her death, Kelly’s been left to the guardianship of an older movie-producer man. One fine day she meets the H who assumes the worst about Kelly, her being a young girl and all.
The H is sent by his adoptive father to bring Kelly back to meet him, her real father. There is much friction as expected and Kelly is anything but compliant. Having a movie star mother, Kelly grew up around different men, her mother having married none! And yet, Kelly realizes that she wants anything but the glam and uncertainty that was her mother’s life.
Now that she’s cornered, the h agrees to go with the H and meet the outback life that she knows nothing of. Ryan is an alpha H, hot headed but very tender towards Kelly. Kelly I felt was lacking in social graces (the swimming pool scene) and didn’t operate with much modesty around men. If Ryan thinks the worst of her, Kelly encourages him of that and never tries to fix his projection of her in his mind.
They have their fun sparring and the book really picks up by the end. It was a sweet one and the ending was kind of really hot. I wish it was longer and there was a nice epilogue.
Aww this was a good deeply satisfying one. Taking back a bit from the book cuz the h was a total tease and could use some fixing. (Also this trails to a movies/ Hollywood back drop which isn’t my favourite)
Kelly’s mother was a well known Hollywood actress and with her death, Kelly’s been left to the guardianship of an older movie-producer man. One fine day she meets the H who assumes the worst about Kelly, her being a young girl and all.
The H is sent by his adoptive father to bring Kelly back to meet him, her real father. There is much friction as expected and Kelly is anything but compliant. Having a movie star mother, Kelly grew up around different men, her mother having married none! And yet, Kelly realizes that she wants anything but the glam and uncertainty that was her mother’s life.
Now that she’s cornered, the h agrees to go with the H and meet the outback life that she knows nothing of. Ryan is an alpha H, hot headed but very tender towards Kelly. Kelly I felt was lacking in social graces (the swimming pool scene) and didn’t operate with much modesty around men. If Ryan thinks the worst of her, Kelly encourages him of that and never tries to fix his projection of her in his mind.
They have their fun sparring and the book really picks up by the end. It was a sweet one and the ending was kind of really hot. I wish it was longer and there was a nice epilogue.
September 10, 2020
Angsty - great old-school romance.
Tortured - hot and cold - hurtful hero.
Tortured - spoiled (apparently) - sassy heroine.
Apart from the main plot line on their love, a story of a lost and found father is well described; h's father character is positive and their reunion is sweet and tender after the initial mistrust on the h's side.
As for the romance: push-and-pull, misunderstandings, bruising kisses and a touch of forbidden - H/s are stepsiblings but not blood connection, of course.
Tortured - hot and cold - hurtful hero.
Tortured - spoiled (apparently) - sassy heroine.
Apart from the main plot line on their love, a story of a lost and found father is well described; h's father character is positive and their reunion is sweet and tender after the initial mistrust on the h's side.
As for the romance: push-and-pull, misunderstandings, bruising kisses and a touch of forbidden - H/s are stepsiblings but not blood connection, of course.
November 1, 2019
Did men act like that in the eighties of XX? Rather not but I am allowed to sigh to such a hero from time to time ;-)
I would prefer to see more of H&h interactions (to see how and why they fall in love) but I am accustomed to Alison Fraser's novels by now.
I would prefer to see more of H&h interactions (to see how and why they fall in love) but I am accustomed to Alison Fraser's novels by now.
February 19, 2021
JUST BRING KELLY HOME --- PLEASE!
The telegram Ryan Devlin received was brief, but it was enough to persuade Kelly to go with him to Australia --- to meet the father she'd never known.
It was not an easy decision. Particularly as it meant being thrown constantly in the company of Ryan, her fathers emissary and devoted adopted son. Ryan made it clear he considered Kelly a spoiled, worthless brat.
He also made it clear that he believed her to be as promiscuous as her deceased film-star mother .
The telegram Ryan Devlin received was brief, but it was enough to persuade Kelly to go with him to Australia --- to meet the father she'd never known.
It was not an easy decision. Particularly as it meant being thrown constantly in the company of Ryan, her fathers emissary and devoted adopted son. Ryan made it clear he considered Kelly a spoiled, worthless brat.
He also made it clear that he believed her to be as promiscuous as her deceased film-star mother .
September 11, 2022
"Πέρα από τα όρια", Alison Fraser, Χρυσά 431
Πολύ ωραίο!!! Πολύ καλή μετάφραση από την Φανή Πανταζή!
Πολύ ωραίο!!! Πολύ καλή μετάφραση από την Φανή Πανταζή!
June 5, 2017
A Lifetime and Beyond is the fifth romance novel by British author, Alison Fraser. After Kelly’s film star mother Rhea Cormack died, she came under the care of Jay Rutherford. She was only nineteen, and people on the Riviera talked, but Jay was like the father she’d never known. Then Ryan Devlin turned up on a mission from her real father. Paddy Devlin owned a cattle station in the Northern Territory, and he’d promised Rhea he’d stay out of Kelly’s life, but now Rhea was gone, and he was determined to make up for lost time.
Kelly accompanied Ryan back to Australia, but biting her tongue at Ryan’s insinuations was beyond her, and they clashed stridently and often. Only for Paddy’s sake did they call a truce. Kelly knew Ryan didn’t trust her motives, but what was soon obvious to Paddy and the stockmen took quite a bit longer to sink in for the pair. Fraser gives the reader strong characters, natural dialogue and a believable plot with a happy ever after ending. Enjoyable romance.
Kelly accompanied Ryan back to Australia, but biting her tongue at Ryan’s insinuations was beyond her, and they clashed stridently and often. Only for Paddy’s sake did they call a truce. Kelly knew Ryan didn’t trust her motives, but what was soon obvious to Paddy and the stockmen took quite a bit longer to sink in for the pair. Fraser gives the reader strong characters, natural dialogue and a believable plot with a happy ever after ending. Enjoyable romance.
June 20, 2023
The stars are for the heroine.
I changed my mind, just 2 or 3 of AF's Hs are worth , the others are garbage.
This one is a scumbag with double standards like most of the Hs in HP, did he see that he is the real whore in the mirror? That his OWs are all whores instead of insulting the OWs he insulted the innocent heroine. Like another book from the same author he just payed off his OW, the OWs always are rewarded instead of punished. The punishments are always for the hs in almost the whole length in most of the books. I bet that he still was having sex with her, he should get the OW at the end, two despicable persons that deserved each other.
I changed my mind, just 2 or 3 of AF's Hs are worth , the others are garbage.
This one is a scumbag with double standards like most of the Hs in HP, did he see that he is the real whore in the mirror? That his OWs are all whores instead of insulting the OWs he insulted the innocent heroine. Like another book from the same author he just payed off his OW, the OWs always are rewarded instead of punished. The punishments are always for the hs in almost the whole length in most of the books. I bet that he still was having sex with her, he should get the OW at the end, two despicable persons that deserved each other.
October 31, 2022
as usual would have liked an epilogue or not so rushed ending. Love the authours stories as she is a great story teller and her stories keep you engaged but cannot understand why all her books come to such an abrupt end or maybe because of her good stories it dissapoints me that the story ended ;)
June 30, 2024
Enjoyed this story!
September 18, 2024
The heroine in this one definitely had backbone but I had the overall impression that she finally settled for him which detracted from the whole thing. Didn’t like the hero very much.
March 31, 2025
A good read but she should have gone back to Europe and gotten her degree. He was way, way, way too old for her
September 2, 2025
Heroine (19) has lots of personality and takes a good while to realise she has fallen for the stern hero (34). There's lots of encounters, he's super jealous of everyone that looks at her once they arrive in Australia (and he thinks she is a gold digger/promiscuous) and it's lovely as she finally gets a home. He's an awesome hero - he even gives her a lovely horse (which she falls in love with before she falls for him lol).
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