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Les oiseaux de jais
Non, Rowan ne veut pas abandonner ses études ! Non, elle ne suivra pas sa belle- mère, frivole et égoïste, dans cette demeure isolée ! Non, elle ne veut pas... Et pourtant elle capitule. Que deviendrait-elle sans ressources et sans abri ? Le maître des lieux, Cari Maitland, la considère d'emblée comme sa propre fille. Pourquoi ne le supporte-t-elle pas?Ce trouble étrange, qu'elle ressent en sa présence, est un signe qui ne trompe pas : n'est-elle pas déjà une femme ?
154 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1981
3 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Sara Craven
494 books269 followersAnne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 17, 2009
A good vintage Harlequin Presents with the downtrodden heroine who is under the evil stepmonster's thumb but still has some spunk and a smart mouth. The rather different aspect about this one is that the stepmonster has convinced Rowan to pretend to be a teenager when they go to stay with a distant cousin who is also the stepmom's love interest. Things get even more eye-raising when sparks fly between the hero, Carne who is is in his thirties, and Rowan who was supposed to be a sixteen year old. Nowaways, I don't think this author would have been able to get away with this plot device. And when Carne makes his move, you are still under the impression that he thinks Rowan is sixteen. I was sitting there reading and thinking, "Dude that girl is underaged as far as you know." I don't know if that would turn most readers off. I hope it doesn't make me a bad person that I kept reading, but I certainly didn't want to throw the book away without seeing how things would turn out.
The old-school HPs are a lot of fun because they heavily feature the lying evil wench who does everything to discredit the heroine to keep her and the hero apart. They don't rely on hot sex to fill in any plot holes, and can be a lot more creative. This one was no different. Again, maybe not for everyone with the rather questionable "is he really trying to seduce a sixteen year old moments." But I thought it was an enjoyable Saturday morning read.
The old-school HPs are a lot of fun because they heavily feature the lying evil wench who does everything to discredit the heroine to keep her and the hero apart. They don't rely on hot sex to fill in any plot holes, and can be a lot more creative. This one was no different. Again, maybe not for everyone with the rather questionable "is he really trying to seduce a sixteen year old moments." But I thought it was an enjoyable Saturday morning read.
August 15, 2016
Crazy stepmother goodness. Heroine must pretend to be 16 so the step-mom seems younger. (She’s really 19 – don’t see how the three years makes that much difference). Hero is in charge of the money they receive from the heroine’s father’s estate. Hero gets the bright idea that the do-nothing stepmom should be his housekeeper. Heroine ends up doing all the work. Hero is attracted to her, but fights it by believing she’s stealing an old lady blind. I’m skipping all sorts of plot points, but it wasn’t Craven’s best effort.
September 9, 2016
While reading Harlequins, a reader will often come across a vile character they would like to die an unpleasant death. In the case of Summer of the Raven, ALL the characters should die. Horribly. Painfully. Graphically.
The tiny h should die in a blaze of glory, burned at the stake, like the fricking stupid, doormat martyr that she is. The evil OW stepmother should either die of lead poisoning from all the makeup her vain, useless, manipulative self uses or maybe have her lying tongue cut off, and the so-called big fat jackass of a hero should die...hmmm, how do I say this, with one less man part than he was born with for jumping what he assumes to be a 16 year old girl. Yes, our hero makes it clear that he wants to have sex with a girl he believes to be 16. He's not happy about it hence the verbal and minor physical abuse, but still...
I am quick reader for which I am grateful as it means I wasted less time than I otherwise would have on this book. I don't know who recommended this on Goodreads, but when I remember who it was...grrrr. I should have known when I saw Sara Craven. She likes to torture her heroines almost as much as Penny Jordan.
The plot: The h's and her stepmother are bound together under the dad's trust until the h either turns 21 or one of them gets married. The useless stepmother (who needs to either die or be pilloried even more than the other two MC's) MAKES her step-daughter leave university and pretend to be 16 when they go live with a distant relative of the stepmother. The SM has her eye on this guy as he is an artist and is wealthy. Stepmom is supposed to take care of the housekeeping, but guess who does all the work instead? The doormat does her Cinderella routine, gets a job, and is threatened with a hiding by the H every third page or so. Ye gods.
There is no real attraction. No action. Just low level physical threats and abuse with a tad of verbal abuse from the H, and nasty innuendo from the stepmother. I was holding out hope that there might be some redemption or something, but the kicker for me :
The tiny h should die in a blaze of glory, burned at the stake, like the fricking stupid, doormat martyr that she is. The evil OW stepmother should either die of lead poisoning from all the makeup her vain, useless, manipulative self uses or maybe have her lying tongue cut off, and the so-called big fat jackass of a hero should die...hmmm, how do I say this, with one less man part than he was born with for jumping what he assumes to be a 16 year old girl. Yes, our hero makes it clear that he wants to have sex with a girl he believes to be 16. He's not happy about it hence the verbal and minor physical abuse, but still...
I am quick reader for which I am grateful as it means I wasted less time than I otherwise would have on this book. I don't know who recommended this on Goodreads, but when I remember who it was...grrrr. I should have known when I saw Sara Craven. She likes to torture her heroines almost as much as Penny Jordan.
The plot: The h's and her stepmother are bound together under the dad's trust until the h either turns 21 or one of them gets married. The useless stepmother (who needs to either die or be pilloried even more than the other two MC's) MAKES her step-daughter leave university and pretend to be 16 when they go live with a distant relative of the stepmother. The SM has her eye on this guy as he is an artist and is wealthy. Stepmom is supposed to take care of the housekeeping, but guess who does all the work instead? The doormat does her Cinderella routine, gets a job, and is threatened with a hiding by the H every third page or so. Ye gods.
There is no real attraction. No action. Just low level physical threats and abuse with a tad of verbal abuse from the H, and nasty innuendo from the stepmother. I was holding out hope that there might be some redemption or something, but the kicker for me :
September 2, 2022
Another contender for the Doormat Heroine Prize, this little twit describes herself as “naïve & stupid,” which is probably meant to be self-deprecating…but it’s not. She IS naïve & stupid. I don’t mind age-gap romance, but the female MC needs to have emotional maturity, mental sophistication, and/or romantic boldness to balance the gap, otherwise it comes off like a sleazy personals ad: “Ped0bear Seeks Mate: old guy likes ‘em young & dumb.”
Unfortunately, such is the case here. Carne is a real prince—the type who presses a blushing, nervous, inexperienced doormat into makeouts (not to mention tearing her clothes off a couple times) after accusing her of being an immature child. Then she freaks out & he flips, telling her to go “practice her embryonic wiles” on someone else. So…you’re pissed because she’s acting like a naïve, stupid 16-yr-old when you believe she’s a naïve, stupid 16-yr-old?? Um. Ok. Old guy likes ‘em young & dumb, indeed. 😶
Even so, my biggest problem wasn’t Carne (tho he was a predatory dick taking advantage of a girl he believed to be 16 *and* have daddy issues after her father’s death—so classy 🙄). Rather, it was how Rowan’s emotional development, appearance, & general attitude were even younger than the 16-yr-old she was pretending to be. And I’m supposed to buy she’s going to a university & thinking about supporting herself with a job?! JFC, this twit was closer to 12 than 20. There’s no reason a sophisticated guy like Carne would fall in love with a woman like Rowan because she’s not a woman to begin with. Where’s the common ground? The life experiences to bond over? The shared interests? These things can & do find overlaps in a believable age-gap romance, but here? Nope. I see no possibility of these two being happy unless Carne really is a perv who prefers boffing idiot teenagers to an actual adult relationship…which brings it around full-circle to the sleazy personal ads. Blech.
On a technical note, it’s also an incredibly boring story with no plot to speak of. The stepmother’s Evul!! antics were transparent, the side cast uninteresting, & the background premise was absurd, even by HP standards.
Unfortunately, such is the case here. Carne is a real prince—the type who presses a blushing, nervous, inexperienced doormat into makeouts (not to mention tearing her clothes off a couple times) after accusing her of being an immature child. Then she freaks out & he flips, telling her to go “practice her embryonic wiles” on someone else. So…you’re pissed because she’s acting like a naïve, stupid 16-yr-old when you believe she’s a naïve, stupid 16-yr-old?? Um. Ok. Old guy likes ‘em young & dumb, indeed. 😶
Even so, my biggest problem wasn’t Carne (tho he was a predatory dick taking advantage of a girl he believed to be 16 *and* have daddy issues after her father’s death—so classy 🙄). Rather, it was how Rowan’s emotional development, appearance, & general attitude were even younger than the 16-yr-old she was pretending to be. And I’m supposed to buy she’s going to a university & thinking about supporting herself with a job?! JFC, this twit was closer to 12 than 20. There’s no reason a sophisticated guy like Carne would fall in love with a woman like Rowan because she’s not a woman to begin with. Where’s the common ground? The life experiences to bond over? The shared interests? These things can & do find overlaps in a believable age-gap romance, but here? Nope. I see no possibility of these two being happy unless Carne really is a perv who prefers boffing idiot teenagers to an actual adult relationship…which brings it around full-circle to the sleazy personal ads. Blech.
On a technical note, it’s also an incredibly boring story with no plot to speak of. The stepmother’s Evul!! antics were transparent, the side cast uninteresting, & the background premise was absurd, even by HP standards.
December 22, 2021
I dropped my original rating from 3.5 stars to 2 stars. The heroine has a martyr complex a mile long. I think she secretly reveled in it. The hero was a creep that sets out to seduce the heroine when he believes her to be 16 years old. I guess I'm supposed to be okay with it since the heroine is actually 20. BUT, the hero doesn't know that. He thinks she is barely 16 and still sets out to do the deed.
Bah.. gross. Original review below.
___________________________________
3.5 to 4 stars I can't decide….. This gets high marks for the old skool WTF factor. It's been a long while since I was engrossed enough to read an HP in one sitting. This one was so intense, I found I just couldn't put it down. This is a Cinderella story, complete with an evil abusive stepmother and naive heroine. The plot really thickens as we see the H/h fighting their attraction and the hero ashamed that he is lusting after a 16 year old (she is really almost 20).
Good, intense. But I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked to see him "sweat" a bit more for his actions.
Bah.. gross. Original review below.
___________________________________
3.5 to 4 stars I can't decide….. This gets high marks for the old skool WTF factor. It's been a long while since I was engrossed enough to read an HP in one sitting. This one was so intense, I found I just couldn't put it down. This is a Cinderella story, complete with an evil abusive stepmother and naive heroine. The plot really thickens as we see the H/h fighting their attraction and the hero ashamed that he is lusting after a 16 year old (she is really almost 20).
Good, intense. But I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked to see him "sweat" a bit more for his actions.
September 9, 2016
An oldie but not a goodie. (Sorry, Leona.)
Rowan and Carne did not spend enough quality time together for me to be convinced of their love for each other. It seemed more like lust than love. Carne even admitted at the end that he "hardly knew" her, making his interest in Rowan doubly creepy since he'd believed she was only 16 to his 30-something! I would have felt more comfortable if Carne had kissed Rowan after he discovered her real age. But I guess the inner carnivore in him was too ravenous to wait. Okay, no more puns for me today.
This didn't work for me, but it doesn't mean it won't work for you.
Rowan and Carne did not spend enough quality time together for me to be convinced of their love for each other. It seemed more like lust than love. Carne even admitted at the end that he "hardly knew" her, making his interest in Rowan doubly creepy since he'd believed she was only 16 to his 30-something! I would have felt more comfortable if Carne had kissed Rowan after he discovered her real age. But I guess the inner carnivore in him was too ravenous to wait. Okay, no more puns for me today.
This didn't work for me, but it doesn't mean it won't work for you.
November 11, 2018
Great classic style HP.
January 10, 2016
Rowan is 19 and living in a somewhat pokey but still nice flat in London with her stepmother, Antonia. Rowan’s father has been dead for two years, and she and Antonia are reluctantly living together because otherwise they don’t get the allowance from Rowan’s father’s estate, which is all they have to live on, because Rowan’s father died in a plane crash with a lot of unexpected debt. The allowance is due to run out when Rowan turns 21, or she and Antonia stop living together. Antonia is 37 and beautiful.
I was once again ready to dismiss this book as another useless girl winning the man battle because she’s 19 and her rival is old. Sure, the old ladies in these books are always mean, terrible people and probably deserve to be slapped into far nastier marriages (or other arrangements) than the ones they’ve been planning with the heroine’s love interest, but let’s be honest: the heroine’s usually not much of a prize. Generally, her only asset is that she’s young.
I was prepared for Rowan to be hopeless and miserable and without a dream to call her own. Except: she surprised me. She’d dealt with the end of her boarding school education by finding somewhere else to finish her studies, and she was close to finishing her course. She was then planning to go on to get a qualification as a social worker. I was completely knocked over by a girl with ambitions beyond cleaning a hotel or maybe doing a secretarial course. Then, as a bonus: she was secretly a writer.
After that I was won over. Finally, a character in a Sara Craven romance who wants something, and it’s something that she won’t have to relinquish when she marries the hero!
As well as being beautiful and not quite horrible enough to make Rowan want to stab her, Antonia is heavily in debt from a failed business venture. She also has gambling debts from bridge. I hadn’t realised this was a possible thing. I thought bridge was something old people played so they had something to do with their hands while they talked about the recent murder of poor rich Uncle Foster, thereby providing the amateur detective investigating the case with vital clues to identify the killer.
Apparently, bridge was once cool like poker is now? I don’t really get it. James Bond never played bridge, I’m fairly sure.
Anyway, Antonia’s backer in the failed business venture is now calling in the loan. He’s Antonia’s sort of cousin, and Antonia will have to work off the debt acting as his housekeeper at his remote Lake District house. And Rowan will have to come along too.
No, Rowan says, she will not. She can stay in London and finish her course and go on welfare. Antonia can look after her own mess.
Antonia turns on the charm. It’s not that much of an ask, really. Of course Rowan will have to pretend to be 16, but Antonia still needs the allowance, and this is what Rowan’s father would have wanted, etc.
The set up for Rowan to agree is nicely shaded. Rowan feels that she is obliged to look after Antonia. She can’t handle confrontation well, and she’s got used to Antonia using her to take the fall when anything in Antonia’s life goes wrong. Rowan’s not happy with the role she’s been assigned, and she spends much of the book wishing she hadn’t agreed.
Her ultimate and tortured reason for agreeing was that she fell at first sight for Antonia’s cousin Carne. She was definitely going to the Lakes District to watch Antonia winning Carne, thereby eternally blighting Rowan’s one chance at happiness. She was looking forward to the dagger in her heart, because then she could begin her colourless existence as a broken hearted spinster. It would give her something interesting to bitterly rave about on her deathbed.
Carne: what a name! He’s called meat! How do you name a hero meat? Isn’t there a huge romance publishing machinery to make sure that sort of thing doesn’t happen? Sara Craven has plenty of Spanish-speaking characters in her other books, so unless we’re in a strange alternate universe where Spain never existed, she did it deliberately. I couldn’t get over it. I also spent a lot of time trying to work out pronunciation. Was it the Spanish meat word? Was it Kahn, like how Kirk yells ‘KAAAAHN’ in Star Trek? Was it like Kayne? My head went with Kahn, but in my heart he was secretly Kayne.
Anyway, Carne had dropped a passed-out drunk Antonia back at the flat she shared with Rowan, and they’d shared a look. It was more on Rowan’s side, because Carne by that stage already thought Rowan was 16.
And he was to persist in thinking she was 16 for most of the book, and be pretty put out by it. He was quick to establish that when he felt her up and later began initiating pre-sex scenarios that it wasn’t paedophilia. She was past the age of consent. But he could never quite justify the age gap to himself. When he did learn the truth (after a period of intense crankiness over the lies), he uncomfortably acknowledged that 19, while better, was only marginally so.
Rowan has an exciting and terrible time being Antonia’s dogsbody and Carne’s sort of Lolita. Carne is a famous portrait painter and rich businessman. He once had a crush on Antonia and Antonia is pretty sure she can win him back.
Like most old lady rivals, she focuses her energies in the wrong direction. She probably could have succeeded if she’d done at least a half-assed job of being Carne’s housekeeper, if she’d gritted her teeth and been mildly nice to his frail aunt, and if she’d stayed away from the demon bridge. Instead, she concentrates her energies on convincing Carne that Rowan is mentally unbalanced, and convincing Rowan that Carne is definitely picking Antonia as his bride.
I think because I liked that Rowan had dreams of her own that I was prepared to overlook the age gap. I got the feels a bit, especially as Rowan’s suffering turned pretty dramatic at a number of points. Given that both Carne and Rowan had creative interests, it looked like they would end up being fairly solid as a couple.
This book was more fun than I’d expected.
I was once again ready to dismiss this book as another useless girl winning the man battle because she’s 19 and her rival is old. Sure, the old ladies in these books are always mean, terrible people and probably deserve to be slapped into far nastier marriages (or other arrangements) than the ones they’ve been planning with the heroine’s love interest, but let’s be honest: the heroine’s usually not much of a prize. Generally, her only asset is that she’s young.
I was prepared for Rowan to be hopeless and miserable and without a dream to call her own. Except: she surprised me. She’d dealt with the end of her boarding school education by finding somewhere else to finish her studies, and she was close to finishing her course. She was then planning to go on to get a qualification as a social worker. I was completely knocked over by a girl with ambitions beyond cleaning a hotel or maybe doing a secretarial course. Then, as a bonus: she was secretly a writer.
After that I was won over. Finally, a character in a Sara Craven romance who wants something, and it’s something that she won’t have to relinquish when she marries the hero!
As well as being beautiful and not quite horrible enough to make Rowan want to stab her, Antonia is heavily in debt from a failed business venture. She also has gambling debts from bridge. I hadn’t realised this was a possible thing. I thought bridge was something old people played so they had something to do with their hands while they talked about the recent murder of poor rich Uncle Foster, thereby providing the amateur detective investigating the case with vital clues to identify the killer.
Apparently, bridge was once cool like poker is now? I don’t really get it. James Bond never played bridge, I’m fairly sure.
Anyway, Antonia’s backer in the failed business venture is now calling in the loan. He’s Antonia’s sort of cousin, and Antonia will have to work off the debt acting as his housekeeper at his remote Lake District house. And Rowan will have to come along too.
No, Rowan says, she will not. She can stay in London and finish her course and go on welfare. Antonia can look after her own mess.
Antonia turns on the charm. It’s not that much of an ask, really. Of course Rowan will have to pretend to be 16, but Antonia still needs the allowance, and this is what Rowan’s father would have wanted, etc.
The set up for Rowan to agree is nicely shaded. Rowan feels that she is obliged to look after Antonia. She can’t handle confrontation well, and she’s got used to Antonia using her to take the fall when anything in Antonia’s life goes wrong. Rowan’s not happy with the role she’s been assigned, and she spends much of the book wishing she hadn’t agreed.
Her ultimate and tortured reason for agreeing was that she fell at first sight for Antonia’s cousin Carne. She was definitely going to the Lakes District to watch Antonia winning Carne, thereby eternally blighting Rowan’s one chance at happiness. She was looking forward to the dagger in her heart, because then she could begin her colourless existence as a broken hearted spinster. It would give her something interesting to bitterly rave about on her deathbed.
Carne: what a name! He’s called meat! How do you name a hero meat? Isn’t there a huge romance publishing machinery to make sure that sort of thing doesn’t happen? Sara Craven has plenty of Spanish-speaking characters in her other books, so unless we’re in a strange alternate universe where Spain never existed, she did it deliberately. I couldn’t get over it. I also spent a lot of time trying to work out pronunciation. Was it the Spanish meat word? Was it Kahn, like how Kirk yells ‘KAAAAHN’ in Star Trek? Was it like Kayne? My head went with Kahn, but in my heart he was secretly Kayne.
Anyway, Carne had dropped a passed-out drunk Antonia back at the flat she shared with Rowan, and they’d shared a look. It was more on Rowan’s side, because Carne by that stage already thought Rowan was 16.
And he was to persist in thinking she was 16 for most of the book, and be pretty put out by it. He was quick to establish that when he felt her up and later began initiating pre-sex scenarios that it wasn’t paedophilia. She was past the age of consent. But he could never quite justify the age gap to himself. When he did learn the truth (after a period of intense crankiness over the lies), he uncomfortably acknowledged that 19, while better, was only marginally so.
Rowan has an exciting and terrible time being Antonia’s dogsbody and Carne’s sort of Lolita. Carne is a famous portrait painter and rich businessman. He once had a crush on Antonia and Antonia is pretty sure she can win him back.
Like most old lady rivals, she focuses her energies in the wrong direction. She probably could have succeeded if she’d done at least a half-assed job of being Carne’s housekeeper, if she’d gritted her teeth and been mildly nice to his frail aunt, and if she’d stayed away from the demon bridge. Instead, she concentrates her energies on convincing Carne that Rowan is mentally unbalanced, and convincing Rowan that Carne is definitely picking Antonia as his bride.
I think because I liked that Rowan had dreams of her own that I was prepared to overlook the age gap. I got the feels a bit, especially as Rowan’s suffering turned pretty dramatic at a number of points. Given that both Carne and Rowan had creative interests, it looked like they would end up being fairly solid as a couple.
This book was more fun than I’d expected.
April 10, 2022
First off, two stars for the cover.
So, guess that leaves no room for the rest.
Mean evil stepmother, ( why are they always portrayed as such? )
Its not always the case..well in real life I suppose.
This is a fairy tale HEA right? Nope.
Heroine, geez..don't think I can call her that.
Maybe weak, doormat? Idiot? doesn't stand up for herself? Yes that will do.
Hero? Rapey Hero at that to said doormat.
Low blow physical threats and abuse he uses..what a guy *rolls eyes*
No attraction or action here folks.
Cinderella had it made..
This really disappointed me as I would grab any new Sara Craven book that came out back then.
But alas, SO many years have gone by, and so have the times.
This kind of stuff just doesn't fly for me anymore. :(
So, guess that leaves no room for the rest.
Mean evil stepmother, ( why are they always portrayed as such? )
Its not always the case..well in real life I suppose.
This is a fairy tale HEA right? Nope.
Heroine, geez..don't think I can call her that.
Maybe weak, doormat? Idiot? doesn't stand up for herself? Yes that will do.
Hero? Rapey Hero at that to said doormat.
Low blow physical threats and abuse he uses..what a guy *rolls eyes*
No attraction or action here folks.
Cinderella had it made..
This really disappointed me as I would grab any new Sara Craven book that came out back then.
But alas, SO many years have gone by, and so have the times.
This kind of stuff just doesn't fly for me anymore. :(
October 16, 2021
i’ve never hated a stepmother/OW more than i hated this one. absolutely vile creature.
February 27, 2009
Gotta love those vintage Harlequin booklets. It is rather refreshing coming across a book, especially one in the Harlequin/Silhouette line, with quite a good story without the required quota of sex scenes. But this one was written in the beginning of the 80's when the "mattress dancing" in books was definitely a no-no.
I like my books a little on the steamy side, I'm not dead, but I found I didn't miss it that much in this book. The author had woven an intricate plot, heaving with fairy-tale reference, with the evil, conniving stepmother, a naive and stubborn heroine that didn't know that well when to shut it, and a brooding, short-tempered hero with a cradle-robbing fetish...And despite it all, especially the latter, the whole thing still worked. And worked quite well.
It could be dubbed as "Two proud idiots and the evil bitch that should've been pushed off the frickin' cliff" yet it worked. Go figure.
I would've loved to have a little insight into the hero, but though it was written in the third person, it still told the story from the heroine's point of view, occasionally coming off as a little childish and asinine, but that was easily forgotten when the plot started thickening.
The characterization had a little to be desired, except in the case of the evil stepmom that ended up being the most developed character of the bunch and one the reader could more easily understand.
I wasn't put off by the age difference or the jail-bait theme. Maybe because I was prepared (thanks to Danielle's review) or maybe because I knew she wasn't really jail-bait, though the hero didn't. Not that she tried to act her true age, anyway. No wonder he bought the tale...I kept hoping he'd be a little quicker on the uptake, though.
Yes, the story had a dubious plot device, the conflict could've been easily resolved with a little backbone, some bitch-slapping, and a long talk, but I can't help but give it a great rating.
It was entertaining, refreshing (despite its age), and one of those books that once you pick up have to read through just to see what the idiots would come up with next, and to get the usual HEA fix.
If you're a fan of vintage, old-school Harlequin stories, you don't want to miss this one.
I like my books a little on the steamy side, I'm not dead, but I found I didn't miss it that much in this book. The author had woven an intricate plot, heaving with fairy-tale reference, with the evil, conniving stepmother, a naive and stubborn heroine that didn't know that well when to shut it, and a brooding, short-tempered hero with a cradle-robbing fetish...And despite it all, especially the latter, the whole thing still worked. And worked quite well.
It could be dubbed as "Two proud idiots and the evil bitch that should've been pushed off the frickin' cliff" yet it worked. Go figure.
I would've loved to have a little insight into the hero, but though it was written in the third person, it still told the story from the heroine's point of view, occasionally coming off as a little childish and asinine, but that was easily forgotten when the plot started thickening.
The characterization had a little to be desired, except in the case of the evil stepmom that ended up being the most developed character of the bunch and one the reader could more easily understand.
I wasn't put off by the age difference or the jail-bait theme. Maybe because I was prepared (thanks to Danielle's review) or maybe because I knew she wasn't really jail-bait, though the hero didn't. Not that she tried to act her true age, anyway. No wonder he bought the tale...I kept hoping he'd be a little quicker on the uptake, though.
Yes, the story had a dubious plot device, the conflict could've been easily resolved with a little backbone, some bitch-slapping, and a long talk, but I can't help but give it a great rating.
It was entertaining, refreshing (despite its age), and one of those books that once you pick up have to read through just to see what the idiots would come up with next, and to get the usual HEA fix.
If you're a fan of vintage, old-school Harlequin stories, you don't want to miss this one.
June 28, 2015
First line: ROWAN transferred the weight of the shopping bag wearily to her other hand and paused to catch her breath before mounting the remaining stairs to the flat.
I couldn't sleep last night, so I picked up this old Harlequin Presents by Brit author Sara Craven hoping to knock myself out.
Didn't work.
I was up waaayyy past my bedtime, because I just had to find out how the book ended. How could Carne resolve the mess in the end, and still come out a hero? Would Rowan be redeemed in the eyes of those she cared about? Would I still be awake to care?
Rowan is the 19-year-old daughter of the evil, vain stepmother, forced to live together per terms of Daddy's will in order to continue collecting their quarterly allowance. Rowan take college classes, works, cooks, cleans. Stepmommy primps, smokes, gambles, and chases wealthy men. Classic Cinderella. There are a couple of references to beauty comparisons with magical mirrors. Classic Snow White. Rowan gets caught taking an afternoon nap on the estate owner's bed, and references to Sleeping Beauty are bandied about. I'm sure there are other references, the frequency of which would probably have made Walt cringe, but I may have missed them.
I found enjoyable the sheer dated British feel to this book. It was, quite simply, the 1980's in Britain. Big hair. Power suits. Sweaters. Excessive smoking anywhere and everywhere. And that's what I love about books - that they can take you back in place and time so rapidly when well written.
Good writing is not the problem here, though. The actual romance was. What may have worked as a romantic plot device in 1981, does not work now. Carne is in his 30's, and fully believes, for most of the book, that Rowan is 16. And when he makes his move, we can squarely file his playbook under Dubious Consent. I'd love to see this book re-written for the current times, and wonder if Carne wouldn't get slapped with charges of child molestation. Suffice to say, the romance did not work for me.
I feel asleep at 4 am.
I couldn't sleep last night, so I picked up this old Harlequin Presents by Brit author Sara Craven hoping to knock myself out.
Didn't work.
I was up waaayyy past my bedtime, because I just had to find out how the book ended. How could Carne resolve the mess in the end, and still come out a hero? Would Rowan be redeemed in the eyes of those she cared about? Would I still be awake to care?
Rowan is the 19-year-old daughter of the evil, vain stepmother, forced to live together per terms of Daddy's will in order to continue collecting their quarterly allowance. Rowan take college classes, works, cooks, cleans. Stepmommy primps, smokes, gambles, and chases wealthy men. Classic Cinderella. There are a couple of references to beauty comparisons with magical mirrors. Classic Snow White. Rowan gets caught taking an afternoon nap on the estate owner's bed, and references to Sleeping Beauty are bandied about. I'm sure there are other references, the frequency of which would probably have made Walt cringe, but I may have missed them.
I found enjoyable the sheer dated British feel to this book. It was, quite simply, the 1980's in Britain. Big hair. Power suits. Sweaters. Excessive smoking anywhere and everywhere. And that's what I love about books - that they can take you back in place and time so rapidly when well written.
Good writing is not the problem here, though. The actual romance was. What may have worked as a romantic plot device in 1981, does not work now. Carne is in his 30's, and fully believes, for most of the book, that Rowan is 16. And when he makes his move, we can squarely file his playbook under Dubious Consent. I'd love to see this book re-written for the current times, and wonder if Carne wouldn't get slapped with charges of child molestation. Suffice to say, the romance did not work for me.
I feel asleep at 4 am.
October 15, 2015
I can't decide who was more annoying? Rowan, the child-woman female protagonist or Crane, the world weary much older male protagonist. Both of them hardly spent any quality time with each other to be in love. It seemed like a simple case of lust. I can understand Rowan's attraction for Crane but I can't imagine how she fell in love. He didn't really do anything to endear himself to her. A few brutal and punishing kisses, an attempt to rape don't really go a long way in making someone fall in love.
As for Crane, he seemed like one heck of a confused guy. I can blame Rowan's youth for being confused. Crane was fighting his attraction for Rowan but he had no reason for forcing himself on Rowan out of sheer anger. Alright, she lied about her age.
This being an old-skool Harlequin, the alpha males have every right to force themselves on the heroine and their anger often justifies it and we are told how the heroine soon starts responding because she is in love with the hero.
The ending was very unsatisfactory. I doubt how successful or lasting their marriage will be. Neither did I feel either of them to be in love. A marriage based on strong attraction doesn't bode too well for their marriage.
As for Crane, he seemed like one heck of a confused guy. I can blame Rowan's youth for being confused. Crane was fighting his attraction for Rowan but he had no reason for forcing himself on Rowan out of sheer anger. Alright, she lied about her age.
This being an old-skool Harlequin, the alpha males have every right to force themselves on the heroine and their anger often justifies it and we are told how the heroine soon starts responding because she is in love with the hero.
The ending was very unsatisfactory. I doubt how successful or lasting their marriage will be. Neither did I feel either of them to be in love. A marriage based on strong attraction doesn't bode too well for their marriage.
March 5, 2023
I'm down to my last handful of SCs now and I sincerely hope they aren't all like this. God it was slow. So much housework and tedium. I'm afraid this h, Rowan, was a complete doormat to her SC trademark peignoir wafting slattern/slut stepmother, going along with all manner of shenanigans for fairly tenuous reasons. As to the H, Carne (?!🙄 short for carnal I presume), artist in his mid 30s panting after a girl he believed to be 16. It's a hard no from me. There was no emotional connection, no depth and a mild amount of tiresome hard kisses/clothing ripping. The whole thing was as relentlessly dull as a wet weekend in the Lake District (where it is set).
November 16, 2014
this was a modern day cinderella story ! rowan was cinderella personified. she let her stepmother abuse her and paid for it dearly in the end. antonia had no scruples to let her pass for a thief so dat she cud save her own skin. ders a limit to stupidity! rowan did not have to do the household chores, nor to lend antonia money and neither to let her spread nasty stories about her. i cud not believe carne cud fall for rowan when he thought she was only 16, he even nearly raped her twice!
September 6, 2013
This is the second Sara Craven I read but the first I review.
In this the heroine is Rowan who is pretty much Cinderella to her evil stepmother Antonia.They have been on their own ever since Rowans father died and are forced to live together because his will stated that they had to reside under the same roof to get allowance money from what was left of his fortune.
It was less because her father wanted Antonia to take care of Rowan and more with Rowan taking care of her stepmother.Also the stepmother smokes and drinks so if you at first couldnt tell she was supposed to be the villain you can hardly miss.
One night Antonia returns home in a drunken state escorted by a strange man who mistakes Rowan for being younger than she is. (also Antonia told him she was 16 when shes really 19) The man turns out to be Carne who is a distant cousin of the stepmother and who she has been borrowing money from. Hes handsome,hes from a rich family but not only that hes a world famous portrait painter too! And he can wear a a suit frilly shirt without looking effeminate. Very important that.
The next day Antonia without Rowans consents gives up their apartment and reveals that they are to go to Carnes house in the country where Antonia will act as his housekeeper to repay the money Antonia squandered awya. Rowan of course questions why she has to come with since she has school to finish. But in the end her stepmother plays on her guilty conscience and she relucantly agrees.
When they arrive,surprise surprise all the housekeeping tasks falls to Rowan but with Antonia taking the credit and making out like Rowan is a lazy girl who has dropped out of school.
It turns out Antonia is also planning to become Carnes wife and so she does all she can to drive a wedge between Rowan and Carne.
Strangest phrase in this whole book "embryo charms" is used when Rowan and Carne has a "moment" out in the gardens one day. By moment I mean they kissed and Carne disgusted tells her to get no ideas.
But still he keeps sending out vibes and confusing her...but even though hes like "your alluring eyes wont trick me you teenage morally corrupt girl!" Its still he who progresses things. I just found him mean and immature. (hes like 35 years old) Rowan was the more grown up of the two despite being only 19. Not a good match at all.
These books werent written so long ago,but yet I feel they could just as well be from a century ago.I mean of course people are using cars and wearing jeans but still uses insults like "swinish" obsessed with marrying and getting gambling debts playing bridge. gambling debts...from playing Bridge.Imagine that.
Didnt like.
In this the heroine is Rowan who is pretty much Cinderella to her evil stepmother Antonia.They have been on their own ever since Rowans father died and are forced to live together because his will stated that they had to reside under the same roof to get allowance money from what was left of his fortune.
It was less because her father wanted Antonia to take care of Rowan and more with Rowan taking care of her stepmother.Also the stepmother smokes and drinks so if you at first couldnt tell she was supposed to be the villain you can hardly miss.
One night Antonia returns home in a drunken state escorted by a strange man who mistakes Rowan for being younger than she is. (also Antonia told him she was 16 when shes really 19) The man turns out to be Carne who is a distant cousin of the stepmother and who she has been borrowing money from. Hes handsome,hes from a rich family but not only that hes a world famous portrait painter too! And he can wear a a suit frilly shirt without looking effeminate. Very important that.
The next day Antonia without Rowans consents gives up their apartment and reveals that they are to go to Carnes house in the country where Antonia will act as his housekeeper to repay the money Antonia squandered awya. Rowan of course questions why she has to come with since she has school to finish. But in the end her stepmother plays on her guilty conscience and she relucantly agrees.
When they arrive,surprise surprise all the housekeeping tasks falls to Rowan but with Antonia taking the credit and making out like Rowan is a lazy girl who has dropped out of school.
It turns out Antonia is also planning to become Carnes wife and so she does all she can to drive a wedge between Rowan and Carne.
Strangest phrase in this whole book "embryo charms" is used when Rowan and Carne has a "moment" out in the gardens one day. By moment I mean they kissed and Carne disgusted tells her to get no ideas.
But still he keeps sending out vibes and confusing her...but even though hes like "your alluring eyes wont trick me you teenage morally corrupt girl!" Its still he who progresses things. I just found him mean and immature. (hes like 35 years old) Rowan was the more grown up of the two despite being only 19. Not a good match at all.
These books werent written so long ago,but yet I feel they could just as well be from a century ago.I mean of course people are using cars and wearing jeans but still uses insults like "swinish" obsessed with marrying and getting gambling debts playing bridge. gambling debts...from playing Bridge.Imagine that.
Didnt like.
January 15, 2020
Often with these vintage HPs it's not the number of years the age difference spans that is squicky, it's the experience difference, the imbalance on nearly every front, except trembling the h is always totally the best at trembling.
Anyways, in Summer of the Raven it's even worse cause the H believes the 19 y old h is only 16. Naturally his male treacherous body syndrome means that he can't resist her, little Lolita tart that she is!
Luckily this was written by Sara Craven and the H looks so good, and we are assured, not at all effeminate in his green velvet dinner jacket and frilly white shirt so it was still enjoyable.
Anyways, in Summer of the Raven it's even worse cause the H believes the 19 y old h is only 16. Naturally his male treacherous body syndrome means that he can't resist her, little Lolita tart that she is!
Luckily this was written by Sara Craven and the H looks so good, and we are assured, not at all effeminate in his green velvet dinner jacket and frilly white shirt so it was still enjoyable.
September 22, 2022
cw: pedophilic hero, abuse and neglect
A very politically incorrect vintage Harlequin Presents. The hero is in the assumption that the heroine is sixteen (she’s not) and is still messing around with her. I enjoyed it but it’s definitely not right. This had some very good drama surrounding the heroine’s stepmother and her supposed “relationship” with the hero. I loved the misunderstandings that this causes and I definitely don’t regret reading it, though I completely understand why other readers might not be comfortable reading it.
A very politically incorrect vintage Harlequin Presents. The hero is in the assumption that the heroine is sixteen (she’s not) and is still messing around with her. I enjoyed it but it’s definitely not right. This had some very good drama surrounding the heroine’s stepmother and her supposed “relationship” with the hero. I loved the misunderstandings that this causes and I definitely don’t regret reading it, though I completely understand why other readers might not be comfortable reading it.
February 22, 2026
I read this last time in the Covid period. It was a very dark time for me. So in a way I could feel the horror and trauma of the heroine. She lost her mother and when she was twelve her father married a small time film actress. The step mother was selfish, cruel and narcissistic. She turned the girl’s father against the girl many times but by the time he died he was very disillusioned by her true nature.
He set a codicil in his will that the daughter and the wife would have to live together till the girl was 21 or the wife got married. So basically it was for the step mother’s sake that the girl was to stay with her. If they separated then the allowance would be stopped.
So these two women are living together when the story starts. The heroine studies and I think she also works a bit?
The step mother is continuing her heavy spending and gambling which she used to do when her husband was alive. Plus she dresses very lavishly. The heroine’s father has left a lot of debt etc.
They have to leave the flat they initially took in Knightsbridge and shift to some place small. It’s more a servant quarter of a big house turned into apartments. There’s a big room. A tiny room and a sitting room and kitchen.
Anyway the step mother starts a boutique with the hero’s backing and the boutique fails.
The hero is a distant cousin of hers who had an affair with her in their youth.
I never understood the ages of stepmother and hero. It could be anything from 30 to 35. But who knows.
Anyway. The hero tells stepmother she should go to this house in the hills that he has and start doing the housekeeping to pay back her loan.
He has an aunt staying there who employs a village girl. Aunt is arthritic. Village girl is dismissed.
Heroine does not want to leave London and her studies but she’s still 19. She needs till 21 to get her money I think.
Step mother cries and weeps and says I need the money you will have to come with me.
So step mother concocts a fairytale. The heroine is underage. Only 16. She looks very small and fragile apparently.
Oh. Before this the hero brings the drunk stepmother home one night and she’s passed out. With help of heroine he puts her to bed.
He’s very handsome with grey eyes and tawny hair and a scar beside his mouth. Heroine develops an intense crush.
Hero flirts with her mildly and frankly throughout the story he gave very predatory vibes. He was touchy feely. Cupping her jaw. Undressing her and almost doing the deed. All when he thought she was an adolescent.
The artistic temperament I suppose. He was a successful painter.
Anyway. The story follows the heroine and her travails with the cruel stepmother and the abusive hero.
He sent her to her room. He threatened to thrash her thrice.
I have taken away a star because of that.
Otherwise it’s a very well crafted story. We meet the hero’s friends - a potter couple who run a studio where heroine works. Their son. The old lady who lives in the house.
A very creepy family who owns the village shop.
The geography of the place is also its own character.
There’s a lot that happens. The hero keeps saying the heroine is in his care and then getting physically intimate with her.
I wonder what their marriage will be like. She’s 19. He’s 35 .
She says as much at the end.
Hero tells her he needs her and he will teach her everything.
Good luck to them both. As a reviewer mentions, they were both artists. He’s a painter. She’s a budding writer of children’s books.
At the end the hero gifts her sketches of all the ravens she’s peopled her book with.
The whole story rests on the paedophilia angle. The hero being attracted to the heroine in spite of knowing she’s only 16.
The interactions of the hero and heroine were minimal. A lot of the story focussed on how she dealt with the horrors of a lying cheating abusive step mother.
Frankly I liked the heroine and empathised with her. She did the best with her circumstances. She tried to plan for her future. She was only 19. It’s a baby. Seriously 19 is also very innocent and new. Yet she tried to keep the promises she felt that her father would have wanted her to keep.
I can’t imagine why the other reviewers are hating her. Because…? She developed an intense crush on the hero? Maybe she had daddy issues. He represented safety and protection.
He was wealthy. He made her feel safe.
She did not stand up to the step mother??? Malignant narcissists are like that. They boil the frog. They slowly and surely overstep someone’s boundaries and start taking. More than they should.
That’s how this woman was. Extremely unscrupulous.
She even took money from the hero.
She did nothing. Preyed on others. Lied to the heroine that she was sleeping with the hero. Lied to the hero that the heroine was sponging on her and neither wanted to study nor work.
I really liked the way the characters have been built. I loved how the minutiae of their lives is described.
As for the immense age gap. This was the seventies. If a man was wealthy enough his predatory habits were excused.
I remember seeing many movies of those times on this theme. There was one with Goldie Hawn as the nubile nymphet.
There’s Gigi.
So that’s my review.
He set a codicil in his will that the daughter and the wife would have to live together till the girl was 21 or the wife got married. So basically it was for the step mother’s sake that the girl was to stay with her. If they separated then the allowance would be stopped.
So these two women are living together when the story starts. The heroine studies and I think she also works a bit?
The step mother is continuing her heavy spending and gambling which she used to do when her husband was alive. Plus she dresses very lavishly. The heroine’s father has left a lot of debt etc.
They have to leave the flat they initially took in Knightsbridge and shift to some place small. It’s more a servant quarter of a big house turned into apartments. There’s a big room. A tiny room and a sitting room and kitchen.
Anyway the step mother starts a boutique with the hero’s backing and the boutique fails.
The hero is a distant cousin of hers who had an affair with her in their youth.
I never understood the ages of stepmother and hero. It could be anything from 30 to 35. But who knows.
Anyway. The hero tells stepmother she should go to this house in the hills that he has and start doing the housekeeping to pay back her loan.
He has an aunt staying there who employs a village girl. Aunt is arthritic. Village girl is dismissed.
Heroine does not want to leave London and her studies but she’s still 19. She needs till 21 to get her money I think.
Step mother cries and weeps and says I need the money you will have to come with me.
So step mother concocts a fairytale. The heroine is underage. Only 16. She looks very small and fragile apparently.
Oh. Before this the hero brings the drunk stepmother home one night and she’s passed out. With help of heroine he puts her to bed.
He’s very handsome with grey eyes and tawny hair and a scar beside his mouth. Heroine develops an intense crush.
Hero flirts with her mildly and frankly throughout the story he gave very predatory vibes. He was touchy feely. Cupping her jaw. Undressing her and almost doing the deed. All when he thought she was an adolescent.
The artistic temperament I suppose. He was a successful painter.
Anyway. The story follows the heroine and her travails with the cruel stepmother and the abusive hero.
He sent her to her room. He threatened to thrash her thrice.
I have taken away a star because of that.
Otherwise it’s a very well crafted story. We meet the hero’s friends - a potter couple who run a studio where heroine works. Their son. The old lady who lives in the house.
A very creepy family who owns the village shop.
The geography of the place is also its own character.
There’s a lot that happens. The hero keeps saying the heroine is in his care and then getting physically intimate with her.
I wonder what their marriage will be like. She’s 19. He’s 35 .
She says as much at the end.
Hero tells her he needs her and he will teach her everything.
Good luck to them both. As a reviewer mentions, they were both artists. He’s a painter. She’s a budding writer of children’s books.
At the end the hero gifts her sketches of all the ravens she’s peopled her book with.
The whole story rests on the paedophilia angle. The hero being attracted to the heroine in spite of knowing she’s only 16.
The interactions of the hero and heroine were minimal. A lot of the story focussed on how she dealt with the horrors of a lying cheating abusive step mother.
Frankly I liked the heroine and empathised with her. She did the best with her circumstances. She tried to plan for her future. She was only 19. It’s a baby. Seriously 19 is also very innocent and new. Yet she tried to keep the promises she felt that her father would have wanted her to keep.
I can’t imagine why the other reviewers are hating her. Because…? She developed an intense crush on the hero? Maybe she had daddy issues. He represented safety and protection.
He was wealthy. He made her feel safe.
She did not stand up to the step mother??? Malignant narcissists are like that. They boil the frog. They slowly and surely overstep someone’s boundaries and start taking. More than they should.
That’s how this woman was. Extremely unscrupulous.
She even took money from the hero.
She did nothing. Preyed on others. Lied to the heroine that she was sleeping with the hero. Lied to the hero that the heroine was sponging on her and neither wanted to study nor work.
I really liked the way the characters have been built. I loved how the minutiae of their lives is described.
As for the immense age gap. This was the seventies. If a man was wealthy enough his predatory habits were excused.
I remember seeing many movies of those times on this theme. There was one with Goldie Hawn as the nubile nymphet.
There’s Gigi.
So that’s my review.
February 12, 2025
The heroine is dull, drippy and easily manipulated.
There OW is a slut.
The hero is a slimy know-it-all man-whore painter.
Absolute drivel.
There OW is a slut.
The hero is a slimy know-it-all man-whore painter.
Absolute drivel.
May 22, 2020
Middle of the road mostly. Weak heroine, rapey hero evil stepmother.
dnf-try-again-later
June 27, 2021I happen to like may/dec stories, but for it to work for me, the girl must have curves, she must look like a woman, or the book must feel like it’s a soulmates meeting type of books, which wasn’t the case here.
The h is described as a dull plain Jane, a skinny girl with small boobs and hips. She has pin straight hair and she dresses like a 12 yr old. Why would a man be attracted to such an image if he’s not attracted to children?
I would’ve believed in their love story if she had been a beautiful 16 yr old girl with a buxom body type, who looked like a full figured woman. That wouldn’t have grossed me out as much as seeing a 19 yr old who looked 12 falling in love with a 30+something pervert.
No chemistry.
This book is gross. Dnf 35%.
The h is described as a dull plain Jane, a skinny girl with small boobs and hips. She has pin straight hair and she dresses like a 12 yr old. Why would a man be attracted to such an image if he’s not attracted to children?
I would’ve believed in their love story if she had been a beautiful 16 yr old girl with a buxom body type, who looked like a full figured woman. That wouldn’t have grossed me out as much as seeing a 19 yr old who looked 12 falling in love with a 30+something pervert.
No chemistry.
This book is gross. Dnf 35%.
August 13, 2010
Ewww, cradle snatcher! you're probably thinking. I was practically thinking it. But by the end you can't help but think that perhaps intuitively Carne realised he was in love with a much more mature and beyond-her-years woman, than the child image being forcibly projected.
July 12, 2018
This is the first Sara Craven book I've read (admittedly I've not read many of hers yet) that's clearly been written in an off moment. You can't blame the author - they literally churned them out throughout their Mills & Boon writing careers, and not every single one can be good. This one tells the story of Rowan, a nineteen year old woman who has been supporting herself through college living with her selfish step mother after the death of her father. Her father (as all M&B father's apparently do in order to be able to get the last word, even beyond the grave) has written a clause into his will stating that Rowan and her step mother can have an allowance, if they continue living together (until one of them marries). Antonia (the step mother) however, gets into debt and ends up at the mercy of her cousin, the forbidding Carne and has to serve as housekeeper to his elderly aunt in his remote home halfway up a mountain in the Lake District. Antonia (realising that she'll break a nail if she takes the job) tricks Carne into believing that Rowan is only 16 and an unemployed ne'er-do-well she is responsible for (in order to get Rowan to come along and do all the work for her). Rowan (for some reason) goes along with this, even though it means she has to lie about her age, give up her college course, driving (and all the other perks of adulthood like alcohol consumption, being available for dashing heroes, etc). It also means that she ends up doing all the housework in the house, including tidying up after the step mother who seems to spend most of the book swanning around in a negligee, flicking fag ash on the floor, and insisting she's going to marry Carne.
Of course, it's a M&B, so Carne (an internationally famous portrait painter and fabulously wealthy) falls in love with Rowan - and this is where it gets a bit icky - after all, in his mind she is virtually a child. Indeed, she acts like a child for much of the book, including wearing a dreadful gingham nightie (doesn't anyone get dressed in this novel?) and her hair in bunches, as well as admitting that she's a school dropout (to throw Carne off the scent that she's really nineteen). This is not the first time I've seen this heroine-behaving-like-a-child motif in these books. Some of Penny Jordan's heroines do it too, and it suits them very well to behave in a way in which they will need looking after and make the hero fall in love with them this way, because they feel responsible for them somehow. There's something very performative in the way Rowan takes to the role like a duck to water and makes Carne fall in love with her (and not the stepmother).
What I did like about this book was the way art was used in it - there's an eighteenth-century author called Charlotte Smith who used the tropes of artistry in order to further her narrative - and Craven does something very similar here. Here, Carne records how he uses his artistry to literally paint the characters for what they really are - so the portrait of a wealthy man's superficially beautiful wife becomes just a recording of the jewellery she is wearing. It's very clever.
That's about all that's clever about this book though - it's not a great example from Craven who normally writes rich Gothic style romances. Bit of a disappointment this one - but interesting for the heroine as child motif.
Of course, it's a M&B, so Carne (an internationally famous portrait painter and fabulously wealthy) falls in love with Rowan - and this is where it gets a bit icky - after all, in his mind she is virtually a child. Indeed, she acts like a child for much of the book, including wearing a dreadful gingham nightie (doesn't anyone get dressed in this novel?) and her hair in bunches, as well as admitting that she's a school dropout (to throw Carne off the scent that she's really nineteen). This is not the first time I've seen this heroine-behaving-like-a-child motif in these books. Some of Penny Jordan's heroines do it too, and it suits them very well to behave in a way in which they will need looking after and make the hero fall in love with them this way, because they feel responsible for them somehow. There's something very performative in the way Rowan takes to the role like a duck to water and makes Carne fall in love with her (and not the stepmother).
What I did like about this book was the way art was used in it - there's an eighteenth-century author called Charlotte Smith who used the tropes of artistry in order to further her narrative - and Craven does something very similar here. Here, Carne records how he uses his artistry to literally paint the characters for what they really are - so the portrait of a wealthy man's superficially beautiful wife becomes just a recording of the jewellery she is wearing. It's very clever.
That's about all that's clever about this book though - it's not a great example from Craven who normally writes rich Gothic style romances. Bit of a disappointment this one - but interesting for the heroine as child motif.
February 26, 2026
Summer of the Raven follows Rowan and her evil stepmother Antonia. Antonia, having amassed a great deal of debt from a business venture, is forced to live with Carne Maitland, a distant relation, and she takes Rowan with her, pretending Rowan is younger than she actually is. Rowan is instantly attracted to Carne, but he thinks of her as an obnoxious child. I haven't read a lot of vintage Harlequins, and this probably was not a good place to start. I understand that evil OW are a convention in this line, but Antonia was so exaggerated and ridiculously loathsome and that it was almost unbelievable.
I felt like Carne and Rowan's relationship wasn't developed all that well. They kiss a few times (with him still thinking she's sixteen...yuck). When he finds out that she's been lying about her age, and after he thinks she's been intimate with another boy, he almost rapes her (which I understand that forced seduction are another convention in this genre). Again, I did not feel the love, though they had a few nice conversations here and there.
At the end, Rowan leaves after being accused of stealing things from Carne's aunt Sybilla. Carne of course thinks she's guilty, but then at the end he comes back and avows his love and asks her to marry him. I thought it was sweet how he helped with the illustrations of the book she was working on, but to me the romance wasn't there. I wish Carne and Rowan had more interactions before this instead of focusing on Rowan's job at the pottery shop and her fights with Antonia.
This book left me with more questions than answers. 1. Why did Rowan go with Antonia to Raven's Crag? She could've went off on her own. I think the author wants us to believe that Rowan was so enamored with Carne from her brief interaction with him at the beginning, but meh.... 2. WHERE DID CARNE GET THAT STUPID SCAR WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT EVERY OTHER PAGE? 3. Why did Antonia leave Carne's room after the night Rowan and Carne had their big fight? I shouldn't care this much, but I do.
I like Sara Craven's writing and I'd be willing to read more by her, but this book was a miss. I did like the scene where Rowan and Carne were talking in the forest and he called her a dryad, however.
I felt like Carne and Rowan's relationship wasn't developed all that well. They kiss a few times (with him still thinking she's sixteen...yuck). When he finds out that she's been lying about her age, and after he thinks she's been intimate with another boy, he almost rapes her (which I understand that forced seduction are another convention in this genre). Again, I did not feel the love, though they had a few nice conversations here and there.
At the end, Rowan leaves after being accused of stealing things from Carne's aunt Sybilla. Carne of course thinks she's guilty, but then at the end he comes back and avows his love and asks her to marry him. I thought it was sweet how he helped with the illustrations of the book she was working on, but to me the romance wasn't there. I wish Carne and Rowan had more interactions before this instead of focusing on Rowan's job at the pottery shop and her fights with Antonia.
This book left me with more questions than answers. 1. Why did Rowan go with Antonia to Raven's Crag? She could've went off on her own. I think the author wants us to believe that Rowan was so enamored with Carne from her brief interaction with him at the beginning, but meh.... 2. WHERE DID CARNE GET THAT STUPID SCAR WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT EVERY OTHER PAGE? 3. Why did Antonia leave Carne's room after the night Rowan and Carne had their big fight? I shouldn't care this much, but I do.
I like Sara Craven's writing and I'd be willing to read more by her, but this book was a miss. I did like the scene where Rowan and Carne were talking in the forest and he called her a dryad, however.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2019
To finish this book you must chant “it’s the 80s” to yourself because this is crazy. Why doesn’t the heroine just LEAVE?!!! She had 20x and 20 chances to bolt but there she is doing EVERYTHING in front of everyone and they just ignore it. Heroine had 0 reason to put up with her stepmother, none! Leave girlfriend! Finish college and get that j.o.b. She also claims to write...not a single scene of her writing! Nada. Talked about her typewriter but never using it. The most annoying thing is that the stepmom uses repetitive tricks and magically they work over and over! “Outta money, I need money, got money, gonna marry money” why does no one walk away from her? Glad the hero didn’t sleep with her but he could have set the heroine straight a long time ago. Hero....oh sweet oaf hero. He’s a freaking fool. How old is he cause he acts like he’s 10 years younger than the heroine. He a painter that never paints, he loves his elderly guardian who he never hangs with, talks about hiking a mountain they don’t. He’s a big big talker and a doer in the sense of being in the heroine’s space, and he THINKS she 16!!! Ew. And since it’s the 80s 19(!!!!!!) isn’t that much better author. The stepmother’s obvious easy refutable plan happens in the last 5 pages and the hero figures it out in the last 2 pages....not great pacing. I liked the guardian lady but she gets broken and sent to the hospital so we don’t see her, heroine’s boss fires her cause of a poor choice her son made but blamed the heroine....it was the 80s....if you repeat it enough you will finish the book. But not a great accomplishment. Skip unless you like thinking “it was the 80s”.
July 25, 2020
On the surface this should have been awful. 19 Year old and a much older artist, complicated by her mercenary and conniving stepmother, should have simply not worked. Somehow it does. Author makes a connection between the characters and us readers.
March 1, 2021
Some things didn’t make sense to me.
Read
October 4, 2023DNF
September 9, 2021
Young heroine old hero. It was good and entertaining.
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