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Eternal Summer
Marika Vaughan was a little ashamed of feeling so happy. But for the first time in her life she had not been outshone by her glittering sisters.
She, Marika, was the one who would go to Greece, the land of ancient gods and eternal summer if she agreed to Nickolas Loukas's strange proposal.
Filled with the excitement of anticipation, Marika never stopped to wonder if the price might be too high!
She, Marika, was the one who would go to Greece, the land of ancient gods and eternal summer if she agreed to Nickolas Loukas's strange proposal.
Filled with the excitement of anticipation, Marika never stopped to wonder if the price might be too high!
188 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1969
19 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Anne Hampson
174 books151 followersAnne Hampson was born on 28 November 1928 in England. At age six she had two ambitions: to teach and to write. Poverty after WWI deprived her of an education and at 14 she was making Marks & Spencer's blouses at one shilling (5p) each.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 25, 2013
4 1/2 Stars ~ When Marika's mother writes to their benefactor in Greece for financial help, she had not expected him to barter funds for one of her daughters. Marika's father many years before had made a friendship with Nickolas' father that had survived long distance until the day her father died five years before. They thought the funds they received from Greece were a result of an investment her father had made in the Greek's hotels, but it turns out that investment had been repaid in full before her father died, and the monthly amounts they received were strictly a generous gesture based on the past friendship. Nickolas' father is ailing and worried that Nickolas will marry his sister-in-law, a despicable woman who had cheated on her husband, Nickolas' brother. To alleviate his father's fears and give him peace, Nickolas asks Marika to come to Greece and pretend to be his fiancee and in exchange he will pay off her mother's debts and provide an allowance for her to live on. Marika is 18 and had always been the hard worker and unselfish one in her family. Her older twin sisters were young women who took whatever they could to have an exciting life. Nickolas can easily see that Marika is just the sort of young woman that would please his father whose illness is terminal. Marika follows what her heart tells her her father would wish her to do, and so agrees to go to Greece and act as Nickolas' fiancee. Immediately on meeting Stephanos, she understands why her father had forged such a strong friendship. While she dislikes deceiving the older man, she agrees with Nickolas that he deserves to die with peace. And just as she thinks she's getting close to her fake fiance, she meets Hillary, the sister-in-law, and watches her flaunt what seems an intimate relationship with Nickolas.
This love story earned a well satisfied sigh. At first I didn't know how to take Nickolas but slowly he reveals himself to be a caring and generous man but not one to suffer fools. He's the typical Greek in his possessive and often arrogant attitudes. Marika initially refuses to go to Greece with Nickolas until she hears about his father, and although at times it seems she's very compliant, it's really just her age and lack of inexperience showing. I enjoyed her awakening and realization of what true love is. This is Anne Hampson's debut and I thoroughly enjoyed the magic she created.
This love story earned a well satisfied sigh. At first I didn't know how to take Nickolas but slowly he reveals himself to be a caring and generous man but not one to suffer fools. He's the typical Greek in his possessive and often arrogant attitudes. Marika initially refuses to go to Greece with Nickolas until she hears about his father, and although at times it seems she's very compliant, it's really just her age and lack of inexperience showing. I enjoyed her awakening and realization of what true love is. This is Anne Hampson's debut and I thoroughly enjoyed the magic she created.
May 27, 2013
I enjoyed the sweet romance and all the detailed stories about my favorite subject ever, Greek mythology. I liked how the heroine was originally in love with another guy and it took her a long time to fall in love with the hero. I thought that was realistic.
October 6, 2018
The classic Anne Hampson plotline (domineering H who is mysteriously attentive to OW; dim, but proud, h; meddling outsiders with uniformly bad ideas and interpretations of events).
October 13, 2024
This had lots of misunderstandings deliberate and accidental. If the MCs would have just talked! Well, then it wouldn’t be angsty! This also felt like a Greek brochure, there was lots of travelogue monologue.
August 23, 2013
Fun and relatively light for Anne Hampson!
November 15, 2019
I picked up this old Harlequin romance and knew that it would be old-fashioned, and I wasn't surprised. I liked the premise, with Marika kind of coerced into going to Greece with her benefactor, in order to pretend an engagement for the benefit of his father, who is on his deathbed. She immediately becomes close to the entire family, starting to have particularly strong feelings for Nickolas, making her wish the pretense could be real. But Hilary, the business partner and ex-sister-in-law, also has designs on Nickolas and warns Marika off. So Marika calls her friend David to come along and pose as her boyfriend in order to make Nickolas jealous. Pros: There is a lot of description of the beautiful Delphi area of Greece. I looked up some pictures of the places described and found myself immersed in the setting. In addition, Hampson includes a lot of history about the Greeks and the related mythology, which was fascinating. Cons: Nickolas is an arrogant jerk, but he excuses this by saying that Greek men are used to being the authority figure in any relationship, so it's OK. Plus he calls Marika "child." Ick. I get that he's older (she's only 17, after all) and that she is naïve and innocent, but they're supposed to be the main character love interest, so calling her "child" is a huge turn-off. So basically the pros and cons evened out, and I found this Harlequin to be OK, but nothing particularly special. I will, however, probably look for more from this prolific author because she's great at setting a scene and providing history without going overboard.
March 2, 2022
If you are reading this book you will get your happily ever after ending after so many misunderstandings and ego clashes...
March 8, 2022
E o carte care m-a surprins placut. Si e prima pe care o citesc scrisa de aceasta autoare.
O poveste frumoasa de dragoste, care m-a purtat pe plaiurile Greciei si am descoperit si cateva dintre povestile zeilor si respectul pe care locuitorii tarii il au pentru istoria, legendele si traditiile lor.
Marika, ajunge in Grecia, fiind aleasa de Nicholas, printr-un santaj, sa mearga cu el, jucand rolul de logodnica a acestuia pana la moartea tatalui lui, despre care se stia ca nu o mai duce mai mult de 2 ani.
Pleaca cu stragere de inima dar fara teama, deoarece era un fel de Cenusareasa pentru mama si surorile ei.
Ajunsa in Grecia trebuie sa isi joace rolul bine, astfel incat sa nu afle tatal ca e o minciuna. Cea care stie insa adevarul, e bunica lui Nicholas, in care Marika isi gaseste un aliat de nadejde.
Acesta nu prea pare ca are ochi pentru ea, ci pentru cumnata lui, vaduva fratelui sau, care nu e in relatii bune cu cei din familie. Si in plus, Nicholas e si o fire rece si dura si care explodeaza usor.
Cu toate acestea, oare, se poate ca o logodna falsa sa duca la mai mult de atat?
Recomand cartea si sincer as mai citi oricand o alta carte de-a autoarei. O lectura placuta. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
O poveste frumoasa de dragoste, care m-a purtat pe plaiurile Greciei si am descoperit si cateva dintre povestile zeilor si respectul pe care locuitorii tarii il au pentru istoria, legendele si traditiile lor.
Marika, ajunge in Grecia, fiind aleasa de Nicholas, printr-un santaj, sa mearga cu el, jucand rolul de logodnica a acestuia pana la moartea tatalui lui, despre care se stia ca nu o mai duce mai mult de 2 ani.
Pleaca cu stragere de inima dar fara teama, deoarece era un fel de Cenusareasa pentru mama si surorile ei.
Ajunsa in Grecia trebuie sa isi joace rolul bine, astfel incat sa nu afle tatal ca e o minciuna. Cea care stie insa adevarul, e bunica lui Nicholas, in care Marika isi gaseste un aliat de nadejde.
Acesta nu prea pare ca are ochi pentru ea, ci pentru cumnata lui, vaduva fratelui sau, care nu e in relatii bune cu cei din familie. Si in plus, Nicholas e si o fire rece si dura si care explodeaza usor.
Cu toate acestea, oare, se poate ca o logodna falsa sa duca la mai mult de atat?
Recomand cartea si sincer as mai citi oricand o alta carte de-a autoarei. O lectura placuta. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews