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Dancing Hill
"She Was Guilty of Being Too Beautiful". In 1840 a woman was lost in a world ruled by men. Sabrina's hot rebellious spirit had freed her from the tyranny of her papa, but it could not free the dazzling red-haired beauty from her own confused emotions. When she met Johnny Graham and saw the scorn in his eyes, she was plunged once more into a complicated web of deceit and treachery. How could she prove to him that the scandalous accusations against her virtue were false? How could she ever make him believe that she loved only him?
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 1978
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Holland
29 books18 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 26, 2024
This has been recently re-released as "Scandalous Bride" and available on Kindle Unlimited. (Sheila Holland is one of the pen names used by popular vintage Harlequin writer Charlotte Lamb).
I did not care for the story of a Mary Sue and her no-good hero who let their awful relatives railroad their romance time and time again. No grovel, insta-forgiveness, and no comeuppance for the villains either.
I did not care for the story of a Mary Sue and her no-good hero who let their awful relatives railroad their romance time and time again. No grovel, insta-forgiveness, and no comeuppance for the villains either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2022
I liked it. It’s a sweet story. Very well written.
Two girls, Sabrina and Charity lose their father. There isn’t much money.
Sabrina has previously been to London as a governess but she came back and gave no explanation.
She would prefer to be a governess again but since charity is too soft and weak and incapable, for her sake she accepts an invitation from their mother’s brother.
They reach his house. Charity is warmly welcomed by their aunt but Sabrina is looked at suspiciously. She is too flamboyantly attractive.
Sabrina finds out that her old love, Dr Graham is now the doctor in the village.
He hates her. Thinks she is a lying cheat.
Story goes on from there.
Interesting twists to keep reader interest going.
Finally Johnny and Sabrina sort out their differences and a hea occurs.
I found the writing good and the story just what a good historical should be.
There are no bodice ripping bedroom scenes at all. The love is understated. No panting kisses and stuff like that.
A nice gentle love story. Like Elizabeth Gaskell would write perhaps.
That’s it.
Two girls, Sabrina and Charity lose their father. There isn’t much money.
Sabrina has previously been to London as a governess but she came back and gave no explanation.
She would prefer to be a governess again but since charity is too soft and weak and incapable, for her sake she accepts an invitation from their mother’s brother.
They reach his house. Charity is warmly welcomed by their aunt but Sabrina is looked at suspiciously. She is too flamboyantly attractive.
Sabrina finds out that her old love, Dr Graham is now the doctor in the village.
He hates her. Thinks she is a lying cheat.
Story goes on from there.
Interesting twists to keep reader interest going.
Finally Johnny and Sabrina sort out their differences and a hea occurs.
I found the writing good and the story just what a good historical should be.
There are no bodice ripping bedroom scenes at all. The love is understated. No panting kisses and stuff like that.
A nice gentle love story. Like Elizabeth Gaskell would write perhaps.
That’s it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews