Harlequin Presents Readers discussion

Ok, this book should have been better. Here's the thing, it had a cute H/h collision that causes them to have to pretend to be engaged. The EVIL cousin sets them up to make trouble but the grandma wants them to marry, so plays the heavy. I thought this was great and actually laughed about some of the high jinks. However, from there the falling in love part kinda tapers out. I really liked how they have 'honeymoon' but it left me feeling a little detached from the story somehow. Overall, I enjoyed it but just kept coming back to the idea that it could have been better.
Would love to hear what others thought...

Megan, how do you get the books in advance? mills and boon?

i did not realize I was getting them in advance? maybe i should wait until everyone else comments on them before I say anything...sorry. I thought since sept was up everyone was reading those?

Oh no, don't stop commenting on them. I can just never find them, so I wonder where everyone gets theirs from! (Besides, if you stop commenting, how will I know whether or not to buy it after I finally find it?)
:D

These books are available in ebook form one month ahead of publication date from the Harlequin website. For example, this particular book has a publication date of September 1 but became available in ebook format on August 1 at eharlequin.com. Some of us read the Mills & Boon Modern editions which are published several months in advance (and often under a different title) or sometimes simultaneously with HPs. The Modern editions are also available online from the Mills & Boon website, but if you are in the US, you will be charged in pound sterling which will be more expensive given the currency exchange rate. Hope that answers your question, Lady Jaye.

Megan- you should feel free to comment and start discussions for group reads any time. I do warn members here that if they have not read the books and start reading the group discussion threads, they may see spoilers.

If you are still concerned about spoilers, you could always hide the spoilers by placing the relevant text as follows:

(view spoiler)[ spoiler text (hide spoiler)]

Oh yeah- I think if you are a harlequin ambassador you receive books ahead of time too, but am not sure.

Harlequin Ambassador Info .

love the info, thanks! I could not figure out how to do the spoiler thing! I do get mine electronically (love, love, love my sony reader if anyone wanted to know) which is why i didn't realize i was ahead of the regular release date.
My only concern is that my opinion does not keep other from reading it. sometimes i have really enjoyed ones that others did not...case in point was last months LG set- i thought the books were ok, but almost everyone else was very upset about them! I had the best time with all the comments on those books:-)

Lady Jaye, if Harlequin Ambassador means having a subscription with Harlequin then I fall in that catagory. I have subscribed to Harlequin Presents since the early 70's and receive the books about two month before they come out in the shops. I received the Oct. shipment the last of July. The shipment usually come out the first of the month two months ahead. Ginny

Oh, thanks Ginny.

I've dropped outta HA program 'cuz I haven't read the feebies I got & they're unappetizing, I don't have the space to shelf the freebies anymore.

Anyhoo this SC book was quite bizarre towards the end. I was wavering between 3 & 4*. I thought she coulda made the H or h put the evil beyotchy cousin thru' the wood chopper for once. SC always lets the evil manipulator get away w/ murder just 'cuz HEA is achieved. I don't think I will reread this but it did keep my attention focused 'till the end so as a longtime fan, I gave the book a generous rating for the usual angst & good set up.

Finished Wife in the Shadows and though I did not care for the herotobegin with he greww on me. Of course I did't like the way the evil cousin treated the herione and did not like the cousin and was happy that she got he "come uppance" as my grandmother used to say . I did like that the hero did not follow through on cheating. Oh I know, I know that my thinking this can be torn to shreds but he did soften up. I did think the herione fell in with the situation too quickly. Ginny

I agree with Verity that this book turned out to be a little weird. I felt that the second half of the book was totally disembodied from the first half of the book as there was no flow or continuity. I read in a review somewhere a reader saying that a hero in a different book seemed to have had a "personality transplant." That's a really good way to describe the sudden 180 degree change in the hero. One moment he is the classic harlequin presents jerk with no morals and no scruples, then another moment he is suddenly in love with his wife and develops some sensitivity and decency- sort of like some spirit kicked out the hero and took over his body in a sudden attack of the body snatchers. The little interlude with the "stranger" was also quite bizarre and really not in keeping with the hero's personality as previously presented to the reader.

To me it felt like I started reading one book and finished with a completely separate book- even the tone and the writing style seemed to have suddenly changed. The book was overall okay, I think I would give it 3 stars, I just think it would have been better if there had been a little bit of continuity instead of the abrupt change. At least there should have been some rationale for the sudden change.

It seemed like SC had a slight plot cramp / ran outta ideas & I was quite blindsided when it took a turn to Freakyville. Iit wasn't the worst HP by her but yeah the transition wasn't smooth. I kept thinking it was prolly a figment of heroine's imagination & she'd snap outta it any moment.

After reading and absolutely hating The Highest Stakes of All, I added Sara Craven to by "do not buy" list. If any of you have read both, how does this one compare?

Verity wrote: "It seemed like SC had a slight plot cramp / ran outta ideas & I was quite blindsided when it took a turn to Freakyville. Iit wasn't the worst HP by her but yeah the transition wasn't smooth. I kept..."

LOL. That about sums it up, Verity.

Kate wrote: "After reading and absolutely hating The Highest Stakes of All, I added Sara Craven to by "do not buy" list. If any of you have read both, how does this one compare?"

I think the first half of the book had the same tone and feel as The Highest Stakes of All (except for the bizarre 1970s setting). Certainly the hero seemed to have been made in the same mold as the hero in THSOA in the first half of the book. Then the second half of the book just kind of leaves you feeling like you got caught up in a hurricane as it really doesn't feel like you are dealing with the same hero or even the same book. I think this hero redeems himself in the second half while the hero in the Highest Stakes of All was beyond redemption. This hero is also not as reprehensible as the hero in THSOA aside from his lack of morals, cavorting with married women, the almost cheating and just generally not being a nice person- no rape or child abuse, at least. This particular book was just kind of bizarre for the reasons I stated before. It's kind of like the manuscript got mixed in with the manuscript for a completely different book and the two halves got mixed up.

Kate wrote: "After reading and absolutely hating The Highest Stakes of All, I added Sara Craven to by "do not buy" list. If any of you have read both, how does this one compare?"

My gutless self is still shying away from THSOA, scared it would turn me off SC for eternity & beyond. Maybe someday when I''m 3 sheets to the wind I'll take a crack @ it haha

The second half was so much better then the 1st half that it felt like 2 different books. It made me a little sad that the emotional build up did not prepare me for the romantic love of the second half. I agree with others that it seemed like 2 books chopped together. After reading the whole beach house part, I actually went back to see if I had missed some major connector piece!

Who knows, maybe hero got hit by a roaming truck on the way to Freakyville but SC forgot to mention that his personality makeover was triggered by the Head-meets-asphalt incident, hence the I-dunno-U-from-Adam-but-U're-so-boinkable-so-let's-do-it detour.

3meg wrote: "The second half was so much better then the 1st half that it felt like 2 different books. It made me a little sad that the emotional build up did not prepare me for the romantic love of the second..."

Yes, agree that the second half was so much better.

Verity wrote: "Who knows, maybe hero got hit by a roaming truck on the way to Freakyville but SC forgot to mention that his personality makeover was triggered by the Head-meets-asphalt incident, hence the I-dunno..."

You crack me up.

I think most of us agree that the second part was much better than the first part of the book. Generally I don't care for SC's books. At the moment I can't think of a plot or title of any of her books. I did enjoy that the evil cousin did't get away with her dirty tricks. This one goes in my Goodwill bag. Ginny

That second part did throw me,for a minute there ,I thought that she was having an affair, then I thought ,NAH,not in an HP.It was confusing till I finally caught on.I guess the author wanted to show what they would be like had they not met under the circumstances that they did met in.His personality did do a complete 360 turn at the end of the book.I guess shen was trying to prove that "rakes"do make the best lover,husband,father,lol!

SC doesn't write cheating heroines, not that I can recall, but her heroes often can't keep their king dongs in their pants tho'.

That is what confused me ,her heroines do not cheat,her H's afre total A's sometimes.

Count of McSlut gets an Xtra credit from me for not plundering his hawt date's treasure after dinner. @ least he had a modicum of self-control.

Verity wrote: "Count of McSlut gets an Xtra credit from me for not plundering his hawt date's treasure after dinner. @ least he had a modicum of self-control."

Verity, do you think it was self-control rather than his conscience. Even though the lady had given him the come-on, having a sexual encounter could have caused her to be hurt. Do you think she knew he was married? He wasn't known to be celibate over a period of time. Even though I didn't like him I was glad he didn't follow through with his intentions whether it was self-ocntrol or conscience. Ginny

Virginia,by that time he was 3 months married and I think that maybe he began to have some kind of feelings towards the h.It may have been an attack of conscience,who knows.After the aborted seduction attempt with that woman,he drove back to the heroine tout suite.And who should almost kill him with a car collision but the evil ex mistress.

Yeah unfortunately we weren't privy to McSlut's thought process to conclude 1 way or anotha. I'd like to think his restraint was due to both self-control & attack of conscience. Sometimes I wish SC would write her stories w/ more balanced & insightful POV instead of her signature heroine's view. It woulda certainly endeared her heroes more to readers to understand the heroes' motivations.

Verity wrote: "Yeah unfortunately we weren't privy to McSlut's thought process to conclude 1 way or anotha. I'd like to think his restraint was due to both self-control & attack of conscience. Sometimes I wish SC..."

Yes, indeed Verity. That is why I don't really like the vintage HP books- no hero's POV. For me, the story is so much more enjoyable when we see the H's side of things. Even when he is acting like a jerk, at least we get to see why he is acting like a jerk. That makes it a lot easier to forgive. I'm a grudgeaholic so I need a lot of reasons to forgive a mean hero and his POV helps.

Lulu,totally agree with you,you sound a bit like me,lol!

Vashti wrote: "Lulu,totally agree with you,you sound a bit like me,lol!"

we are all in agreement that it is so much better to know what the hero is thinking. McSlut, I like that, Could have let us in on some of his thoughts. I like many of the vintage Harlequins and other series but there were times there were incidents and no explanations. As I read your notes I recalled a book that I think was Silhoute Special Edition where the h left the hero (they were married) when she wanted to surprise him so she paid him a visit in adifferent city where they had an apartment, he did not see her but , somethingshe saw him and there was a woman with him in their bedroom.She was a writer who settled in the northeast after leaving him and had their daughter. He knew nothing about her being pregnant. Click ahead to a few years she is at a party that her agent or publishing company hosted and he was there with a woman of course. I don't recall the title or author but I really would have liked to know what he was thinking. But there were many unanswered questions for me. Ginny