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The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell

(McBride Family #1)

Samantha James (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 1,749 ratings · 127 reviews

A cruel twist of fate changed Simon Blackwell's life irreparably. A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever, taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hunge ...more

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ebook, 384 pages

Published October 13th 2009 by HarperCollins e-books (first published March 2007)

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Nov 25, 2018 Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: steamy, made-me-swoon, never-been-kissed, favorites, made-me-cry, heroine-i-adore

Simon was a very tortured hero. He lost his wife and two kids and he is filled with guilt and pain. Annabel his forced wife wants to seduce him and even though he is trying hard to resist her sweet Annabel is determined to fight for his love and heal him. Emotional and romantic read. I recommend! Safe: virgin heroine and long celibate hero!

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Jan 28, 2008 D.L. rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one. Not even my worst enemy.

My Take:

This book caused me physical pain. I wasn’t even through the first page when I severely regretted the purchase of this novel. I spent the few hours it took me to read it alternately crying from the headache and laughing from just how bad it could get. She managed to use parallel structure in every... single... paragraph.

It’s difficult to call Simon Blackwell the hero of the story, because in no way does he act like a hero throughout the 300-pages of this drivel. His biggest accomplishm My Take:

This book caused me physical pain. I wasn’t even through the first page when I severely regretted the purchase of this novel. I spent the few hours it took me to read it alternately crying from the headache and laughing from just how bad it could get. She managed to use parallel structure in every... single... paragraph.

It’s difficult to call Simon Blackwell the hero of the story, because in no way does he act like a hero throughout the 300-pages of this drivel. His biggest accomplishment is coming out of his world of self pity and realizing he loves his wife. He spends the majority of the novel drunk or wallowing in his misery, or both. His lamentations come off more as angst than any real sorrow. His character lacked a certain amount of dimension. It was if he had a switch which flipped between his unending sadness and his desire to have sex with Annabel. The fury with which he attempts to deny his attraction to her almost becomes laughable as Samantha James fails to reveal his logic in the denial. Also, she doesn’t develop the growing love that Simon supposedly feels for Annabel, making his final confession seem somewhat arbitrary.

The character I could not stand was Annabel. Yes, she was described as independent and courageous, but I thought she was a bit of an idiot. Definitly TSTL. This is your typical romance plot where the heroine loves a troubled man and therefore endures the neglect he heaps upon her in the hopes that one day her kindness will cause him to love her back. Not my cup of tea, but if it’s yours and you can withstand severe abuse of the English language, you may find this novel acceptable.

And what was the secret passion of Simon Blackwell!? I never actually figured it out. That he loved Annabel? It wasn’t that secret… When you have a title that obvious and you still don’t know the answer by the end, you know something’s wrong.

What to Watch Out For:

Simon is haunted by his past. Simon is haunted by his dreams. Simon is haunted by thunderstorms. I am haunted by the excessive use of parallel structure in this novel. And the use of broken sentences. Incomplete sentences. To show emotion! Exclamations seem to be a favorite. Descriptions are dull, repetitive, and by page thirty you could probably recite along. Do not read this if you have any appreciation of prose and the English language. Also, you can still see the formula etched onto the pages. Someone really should call the publishers about that. The novel is not only predictable, there is little transition between the stages of there relationship. Simon and Annabel move from sparring, to denied attraction, to accepted attraction without love, to one-true-love at a jarring pace, with long plateaus followed by sudden changes in the status quo. The entire novel is resolved in the final ten pages, with a fairly unsatisfying climax for anyone who enjoys any sense of suspense- or any use of their senses.

...more

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Jan 05, 2021 Chitra *CJ* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: wicked-banter, v-card, smitten, post-bridgegasm, tearjerker, scarred-disability, im-the-lioness-hear-me-roar, trigger, heroines-i-love, heartbreaking

“I am! Say whatever you wish. Ask whatever you wish!” Leaning back in his chair, he reached for his cup.

“Very well then…Do you pleasure yourself?”

Simon nearly choked. “I beg your pardon?”

Her mouth pursed. “I believe you heard me".

"The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell" is the story of Anne and Simon.

Spinster heroine meets brooding hero. There is resentment from both sides, until a clandestine kiss in the moonlight, thanks to a catty OW leads to a scandal and a forced wedding. Coming to his h ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Daniella rated it did not like it · review of another edition

The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell can be an entertaining read for people who like heavy drama, and extremely sad, brooding heroes.

But sadly, I don't belong in that category.

The angst in this book was just too much. At times, I felt like I was being smothered by its intensity--I just couldn't breathe. My frustration mounted every time Simon pushed Anne away for some cowardly reason and another. Oh, I don't want to feel alive. Oh, I don't want to love again. Oh, I don't want to get hurt.
description

All ...more

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Jun 18, 2015 Zoe rated it liked it · review of another edition

I really struggle with this review. This is a very ordinary romance, predictable, and somewhat unbelievable. I winced quite a few times reading the conversations, mostly at what the heroine, Anne, said. The internal dialogues from the hero, Simon, are sometimes....., I don't take much pride in saying this, womanly. This book is like an itch that is just barely out of your reach. It had its moments, where my heart tightened reading the passages. For that I almost gave 4 stars. Those passages wher I really struggle with this review. This is a very ordinary romance, predictable, and somewhat unbelievable. I winced quite a few times reading the conversations, mostly at what the heroine, Anne, said. The internal dialogues from the hero, Simon, are sometimes....., I don't take much pride in saying this, womanly. This book is like an itch that is just barely out of your reach. It had its moments, where my heart tightened reading the passages. For that I almost gave 4 stars. Those passages where Simon showed his feelings were written very well and very touching. But everything else.......Anne is almost good. I really like how she was portrayed in the first half of the book. She was witty, smart, strong but not fierce. I liked her a lot. Then she started pining for Simon too much, wanting him to love her, trying to seduce him and becomin upset when Simon would not open up anywhere outside of the bedroom. It is all very normal and to be expected, I mean her reactions. But how it was written, it made me feel that she was just one pathetic woman waiting for her husband to love her and she would go as far as standing naked in front of him (just metaphorically speaking, she did not do that). My early positive feelings quickly turned sour.

I cannot say that I "understand" Simon's struggles. His predicament is indeed dire. Losing 3 cloest people in his life, I think his struggles were only natural for anyone who has suffered such huge losses. But I am not sure what that did for the book. To have a hero who is so love with his dead wife, throw in other "conditions" imposed by the writer (celibacy, mastrubation, so on and so forth), Simon's relationship with Anne feels really cheap.

Ah I cannot say that I have done well in writing this review. I feel that some parts of the story (maybe 20%) really touched me (mostly something that Simon did or said). The rest was a bad novel with all the cliches stuffed in it. I sometimes find that the heros talk and think as if they were women. I don't mean that they must stick to the traditional gender roles but there are things such men do not bother with. "Overanalyze" for example. They would drink, brood, get mad and do stupid crxp. But they will not think things over again and again and again and again or nicely tell us readers exactly what they are thinking at a particular tender moment. I sometimes feel that it is the writer behind those male characters. Most unattractive.

Same thing goes for the heroines too. Sometimes they say things that are so pathetic that even as a woman I cringe too. Have you no pride or self respect, woman? But that is my problem. As I learned from ex boyfriends, I have too much pride. So it is a personal preference.

After much deliberation I decided on 3 stars. Again those parts where I really felt touched are indeed precious. But the rest of the story really was not impressive. I find it difficult to overlook that. Maybe Ms. James evolved as a writer and I would be curious to read more from her if she has. I do think she has something good going. ...more

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Sep 26, 2007 Sara ♥ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

WOW. Like I said before, Simon has ISSUES with a CAPITAL I. Seriously. But of course, it all works out in the end--Annie wins him over with her undying devotion... or it may possibly have been her undying attempts to seduce him.... *hmmmm* I can't QUITE remember... hahaha! Men can be SO STUBBORN, can't they? All-in-all, a good read. I'll have to try Samantha's other books... minus the Scottish ones. I don't do skirts....

Excuse me ladies, my husband is trying to seduce ME.... *laughs at the sad a ...more

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Nov 30, 2018 lily waheed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

First time author and definitely not last !
What a wonderful story and what great characters, the H was tortured and in great pain God my heart broke for him, the h was strong and sweet at the same time I loved her , I love details and this author writes beautiful details 😍

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Nov 03, 2019 kookyquinn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 28, 2010 MBR rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hottest-sex-scenes-ever, widowed-hero, favorites, brooding-hero, sizzling-sexual-tension, re-read-pile, historical-romance, tortured-hero, unforgettable-hero, forced-marriage

One of my absolute favs.
My review: http://bit.ly/c3QsnJ ...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: publisher-avon, victorian, genre-historical-romance, regency

Annabel McBride has always longed for the love and passion that she has seen within in her own family, and children of her own. When a almost accident puts Simon Blackwell in her path, she doesn't know if she should run away or draw closer. After sharing a passionate embrace and then having to be married when caught, Annabel hopes that she will be loved in this marriage, however all her hopes are dashed when it is more than obvious that Simon has no intention of sharing a bed with her let alone ...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Zeek rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hist-rom, romance

As a whole, I liked the story. Still, I felt like it seemed to be missing ... something. Something bogged the novel down. Some have suggested that Simon's secret took too long to reveal. My feeling was more that it took too long for him to give in to his lust for Anne. Believe me I love sexual tension being drawn out as much as the next person, but it didn't work for this one. I know too that after a couple gets together you need another conflict to keep the reader interested, so it could be the ...more

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Oct 27, 2018 Hart's Reader Group rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sexy-nobleman, strong-female-lead, historical, hot-sex, intelligent, virgin-heroine, warm-fuzzies, marriage-of-convenience, beta-hero, regency

This is another annual re-read for me. I love the depth of emotion in this book, the depth of characters and plot, and the sensuality that jumps from the pages. I am addicted to Samantha James's Regency romances. ...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Lisa added it · review of another edition

the first historical romance book that i read and this one is one of my favorites!

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Jan 14, 2019 Rose Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hero-and-heroine-in-married, heroine-with-pride, historical-romance, marriage-of-conveina, nice-second-characters, second-chance, virgin-heroine, with-cute-epilogue, feisty-heroine, hero-was-in-love-with-someone

Loved it.....
One of the historical romance where I love h>H
Heroine Anne was beautiful, passionate, funny,fierce and will slap Hero if he disrespects her....my favorite kind :D
But she was also vulnerable and wishing for someone to love her for who she is!
And our hero Simon....what to say...he is tooo scared to love and then lose her...but his body doesn't have those confusions :D ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Veronica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, pregnant-mc, genre-romance-historical, virgin-heroine, marriage-of-convenience, married, didn-t-like-mc

3 Stars

The tragedy in Simon Blackwell’s life is well known to everyone in London. A gossipy city, Simon prefers to live alone in his home and visit London only when forced to do so. When his aunt coerces him to visit her for her birthday, there’s no polite way to decline and he’s resigned to a boring trip to London.

Annabel McBride might be the only woman in London who doesn’t know about Simon’s life and the pain he’s been through. But what she does know is that he’s a rude, crude man she’s force 3 Stars

The tragedy in Simon Blackwell’s life is well known to everyone in London. A gossipy city, Simon prefers to live alone in his home and visit London only when forced to do so. When his aunt coerces him to visit her for her birthday, there’s no polite way to decline and he’s resigned to a boring trip to London.

Annabel McBride might be the only woman in London who doesn’t know about Simon’s life and the pain he’s been through. But what she does know is that he’s a rude, crude man she’s forced to marry because he compromised her. She’s hopeful that the fire that burns between them will be enough to have a happy life, but Simon’s moods are unpredictable.

Simon might be attracted to Anna, burn for her in the middle of the night and might crave for her smiles and company, but he’s determined never to let another person in his heart again. After all, he’s found out the hard way how fragile life really is. And if it can be lost once, what’s to stop it from happening again?

My Opinion

Simon and Annabel’s introduction to each other was the part that really hooked me to the story. While Anna is trying to catch her nephew as he runs around the park, Simon comes to rescue and saves him from his wayward running. He berates her, angry that a mother could be so careless with her child – all before she has the chance to tell him that she’s not the mother or the nanny.

When Simon and Anna are caught in the compromising position and forced to marry, Anna knows that because their kiss was so sizzling, their marriage might be exactly that. Having grown up in a household where love was so tangible and within reach, it doesn’t even occur to her that maybe her husband isn’t interested in loving anyone again.

Simon’s character is more that of a reserved person who’s lived alone for a while. He’s a loner by choice and a real opposite of Anna.

What really brought down my opinion of this book is how Anna handled finding out Simon’s tragedy. There are a number of emotions you go through when you find out that your partner has had such a pain-filled life and frankly, the only one I can’t excuse is anger.

I found that Anna getting angry because Simon hadn’t told [about it] was the worst possible way she could react. If this were to happy to my friend, I’d tell her it’s a manipulation technique and the appropriate response would be either words of comfort and awkwardness. Anna couldn’t give Simon either, instead accusing him of treachery and betrayal.

Frankly, the fact that Simon had to apologize for something he had no control over was what really got on my nerves. My opinion of Anna really soured after that point. Yes, she was a woman who had been taken away from her family the minute after her marriage and living in an isolated part could do a lot to a person, but there’s little to excuse such a behaviour. ...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance-prior-to-wwll

Ordinary, somewhat predictable romance. Nothing too special.

Ok, but not worth buying. This was a typical regency-style romance novel. A couple meets, they kiss once. Her family forces them to marry due to the kiss. They grow to love each other, have a fight and separate and then get back together at the end. This is an ok formula. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes the conversations and characters make it interesting and entertaining. But this story wasn’t one of those. There were no major probl ...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Dancer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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May 19, 2013 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, english-romance

A highly emotional story. No murder plots or the like, just a straight forward romance with two unlikely people. The first time that Simon and Anna met he yelled at her, the second she was rather rude to him, the third both of them parted angry with the other. The fourth time they met they kissed and then there fate was sealed. However after there marriage Simon has no intentions of ever touching his young wife again, he plans to remain married for a respectable amount of time and then have ther ...more

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May 13, 2010 Keri added it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-historical

I just couldn't get past page 75 or whatever the page number was after the kiss and they were discovered. ...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Tammy Walton Grant rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tropes-shotgun-marriage, favorites, romance-historical, hr-victorian, calibre, romance-tortured-heroes, romance-angsty, 2011-november, 2011-december

awesome - review to come.

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Jul 02, 2020 Michelle Connolly rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, kindle, series, tortured-scarred-hero, children, bad-rushed-ending, ruined-compromised-fallen-heroine, widow-widower, arranged-marriage-forced-convenienc, 3-stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. While in some aspects the story and characters were very deep and engaging, in others they just fell flat. I felt like Simon's sadness and depression was so well done that it was very hard for me to believe in his recuperation when and how it happened in the book. The ending didn't feel right to me and it felt a little bit rushed.

As I read the first few chapters, I thought I was really going to like The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. The heroine, Anne, ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 DKC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: regency, romance, historical-fiction

Ok, chickadees, this is regency romance. Basic escapist fare for those who want to be swept up into a different time/place for a while.

That said, I did not find this so very basic. Was Simon the typical alpha, insanely jealous of everyone, busting in and ripping up bodices? NO. And I was glad of it. He's suffering not only from loss and grief (which is a pretty complicated process for those of you who haven't actually had to deal with that reality yet), he is laboring under a huge dollop of gui Ok, chickadees, this is regency romance. Basic escapist fare for those who want to be swept up into a different time/place for a while.

That said, I did not find this so very basic. Was Simon the typical alpha, insanely jealous of everyone, busting in and ripping up bodices? NO. And I was glad of it. He's suffering not only from loss and grief (which is a pretty complicated process for those of you who haven't actually had to deal with that reality yet), he is laboring under a huge dollop of guilt. While it may seem ridiculous that he has been acting like a celibate monk out on the moors, it's not that weird. Alcohol is a depressant, and when you add that dependency to Simon's confusion regarding his personal responsibility vs moral culpability, and you have one hell of a vicious cycle. Simon isn't like the - oooh, myriad, by my count -- typical brooding hero that maybe (view spoiler) We're talking a deep, massive loss, horrible physical injury, and lots of time alone to get stuck in a tunnel he can't see his way out of. Does he have issues with wanting Anne? Hell, yes! And as much as there were times that I wanted her to snap her fingers and go, "Oh no, you didn't!" and walk away, Anne takes the high road. Because of that, I admire her, too.

Speaking of Anne, she may have seemed the typical regency heroine, but that's not really giving her full props. She acknowledges early on that she misjudged Simon, before the fateful kiss. As a young miss who wasn't really in any hurry to marry -- unlike so many impoverished ladies in the genre -- and who already had a very comfy spot in her family social structure, it is a huge step outside of her bailiwick when she marries Simon. And yet, she stiffens her spine and decides to make the best of it. While someone else sees as a "doormat" character, I see a very strong woman, with the mindset of the times, who speaks her mind without becoming uncouth or outright rude. Anne has a voyage of discovery to make; not just about Simon and his angst, but also about herself. When she does realize her own breaking point, she takes action -- not a petulant, whiny, selfish decision or action, but one coming from a full realization of who she is as a woman, a wife, and prospective mother.

That Simon realizes the toll this will take upon both of them, speaks well for his character development, and brings about a satisfactory resolution. Frankly, I applaud that the story takes into account that an intense sexual expression of emotions doesn't fix all harms, or take the place of real devotion and trust. That they do come to place of healing and harmony is to be expected of the genre, and I would've been quite annoyed otherwise.

One more item of note -- I don't mind a little mystery in my historical romances, and by all means, scatter a few evil villains/villainesses around when called for. This story didn't need any of it, and it would've been silly to throw that kind of plot device into the mix. I find it refreshing to read a "slice of life" romance, and it stands out from the many, many others.

Read this one, and enjoy that it's not "just like the others"! ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Marina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

At first, it was really quite cliché : the instant dislike and attraction is so over used. But then, the book managed to get better and better. It hasn't made me cry or get up and roam around (which I sometimes do when the suspense is too much and I need to Move) but that's just a matter of taste. I found this book fantastic : there was no unnecessary drama (the subject was enough in and of itself) and the people are decent and thoughtful. It's heart warming and sad at times but this was a reall ...more

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Aug 26, 2017 Cindy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, romance, victorian

#1 in the series, copyright 2007. This is Annie's story. She's the youngest of the 3 McBride siblings & her story is the most boring, inane waste of time I've read in I can't even remember when!

Simon has a terrible secret & he's not going to share it with Annie until about chapter 12. They were forced into marriage after they're caught kissing at a party. Annie has no idea what she's getting into. Simon's first wife & 2 kids were killed in a fire under strange circumstances. In fact, it defies ...more

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Apr 26, 2019 Janine Matsko-Bolacker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the 2 main characters; Simon Blackwell and Anne McBride. They started out not quite liking each other but eventually....well you know the rest! The road they travel to get to their ultimate destination is fraught with misunderstanding and trial, but it is paved with passion and caring. This is my first book by the author and I like her style of writing. I would definitely like to read more books by her.

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Dec 27, 2020 Sherly Nyo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: torturedhero, virginheroine, forcedmarriage

This is my third book by Samantha James. All read within the same week! Love all three so far, although Gabriel's Bride is my favorite.
Guilt-stricken, tortured and a bit of a recluse hero meets vivacious, beautiful, bold and resilient heroine. One kiss is all it takes to force them into a marriage neither of them wants.
They found passion. And later on, they found love.
Would have loved to see the hero grovel more. ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Monique Peterson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, historical-fiction, fiction, scarred-hero-heroine, adult, love-hate-relationship, romance, family-saga, favorites, marriage

As of late I've really been into books in which one or both of the characters is either physically or mentally/emotionally scarred. I think it makes them more relatable, as they aren't paragons of perfection. Overall I enjoyed the story and hopefully they make significant appearances in the latter books of the series. ...more

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Jun 15, 2018 Sharyn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Too predictable. Simon is a character full of angst, and it wasn't difficult to guess why. Anne was not entirely likeable so it was difficult to connect with her. I did continue to read because I liked other characters, as well as the setting, and will read the next two books which are about Anne's brothers. ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Ashley-Anne rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, romance, historical-fiction

A good illustration of how silly this was: the author used 77 exclamation points in the first 95 pages.

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Aug 18, 2019 Lissa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is not the book where they agree to the relationship rules in a carraige

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About Samantha James

Samantha James

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Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.

Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.

In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!

Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."

The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."

That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.

Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...

To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.

Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
...more