Partners in Love

by Jean Saunders

Robin Pollard thought nothing could threaten the beauty of her Cornish home, until a stranger named Luke Burgess invaded her world. As a property developer Luke was unsurpassed, but building wasn't his only game. When it came to seduction he was a master, and suddenly Robin was drunk with a desire more powerful than she had dreamed possible. Now her promise to be Luke's assistant seemed like a terrible mistake.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

186 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1984

About the author

Jean Innes was born on 8 February 1932 in London, England, but she have lived in the West Country almost all her life. She married with Geoff Saunders, her childhood sweetheart, and they have three grown up children. She lived in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, where she wrote full time. She passed away on 3 August 2011, after contracting an illness, after being rushed to Weston General Hospital.

Jean began her career as a magazine writer and had published around 600 short stories. She start to published gothic romance novels under her married name Jean Saunders and her maiden name Jean Innes in the 1970s. In 1980s, she created, to wrote historical romances, two pseudonyms, her most popular, Rowena Summers and Sally Blake. In 1991 her novel, "The Bannister Girls," was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of Year award. In 2004, she began to used the penname Rachel Moore.

She was an active member and enthusiast of Swanwick, the Writers' Summer School, which takes place in Derbyshire, England, every August, she was a committee member several times, and also Vice-Chairman. She was elected the seventeenth Chairman (1993-1995) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. As a member of the Romance Writers of America she had given talks at conferences in various venues of the USA. She was a member of the Crime Writers' Association. She also was a member and past committee member of the West Country Writers' Association.

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heroine is the childish, immature, spoiled squire's daughter who throws a tantrum at hero because he wants to develop "her" corner of paradise in the seaside county of Cornwall into a tourist resort. On the other hand, he is a giant manwhore of epic proportions who has a mistress in every port, convenient since he has so many projects going in so many towns and countries, and he merely wants to add heroine to the collection. There is one mistress he favors above others as he makes blatantly clear when he spends the night with her and the rest of the time oozily all over her in front of a horrified heroine during a business trip to Ibiza. However, since he won't put a ring on it, the OW finds herself another schmuck who will and the hero grudgingly goes along with it, even trapping the heroine into playing his fiancee so OW's husband-to-be doesn't get jealous. I didn't like a single character in this story and the author unfortunately did not pull this off as a love story. In my opinion, the hero will be cheating on his wife with the favored mistress as well as many others before the honeymoon is over. And I can't bring myself to feel sorry for the heroine because she was SO DAMN UNPLEASANT the entire time.

[Resilient Jax11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin is a stubborn young woman who moves back home with her father, James, following her employer’s death. To help her recover and grieve her loss Robin retreats in the beauty and tranquility of her Cornish home. Luke is a successful young developer who has good looks and sex appeal. Unbeknownst to Robin, Luke and her father establish a business partnership for a vacation getaway development near her favorite isolated cove. Robin is anything but happy since the new project could result in tourists invading her private getaway spot. Luke puts effort into gaining Robin’s trust, but she will not easily be swayed; regarding business matters or matters of the heart. Luke’s charm normally gets him any woman he wants, but he cannot win over the one he seems to want most. Robin refuses to allow Luke to take advantage of her father and to be another conquest on Luke’s list of women. Although their attraction is evident to others, Robin refuses to acknowledge that she is attracted to Luke or that his interest in her is genuine. Will Luke with Robin’s approval for the project? Does she mean as much to him as others think? Will Robin’s stubbornness and pride not only sabotage her prospective love interest but also her father’s business deal? You’ll have to read to find out!

"Falling in love with Luke would be so easy, as effortless as breathing, and it was the one thing she was determined not to do."

I really enjoyed reading this book! I love romance novels, but the ones I’ve recently selected have been the typical damsel in distress type books where the woman was portrayed as overly insecure and unable to comprehend why a successful or wealthy man would choose her. Eventually, her self-berating frustrates me, but the chemistry and back and forth tongue and cheek with Luke were intense in a good way. I couldn’t put the book down. The book is filled with passion and many beautiful moments that left me wanting to read more. I sympathized with Robin’s struggles of not wanting to be another woman on a man’s list, and I found myself excited to read more. I understand why some of the other reviewers eventually grew tired of Robin, but I found this book to be balanced. Thankfully Luke wasn’t a stalker type heartthrob. Stubborn but well rounded. This book is a light romance novel that can easily be read in one or two sittings. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author!

[Mana Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Pollard is determined to protect her Cornish home from handsome delevoper Luke Burgess and in an attempt to keep an eye on his work she becomes his secretary. She instead finds herself falling for him despite pushing away all of his advances.

If you’re looking for a light romance and it delivers! It is predictable like most romance novels, however, it still left me feeling swept up in the emotion of two people in love. What I didn’t really care for was Robin’s personality. At first I really liked her stubbornness and independence, but eventually she just seemed very childlike and catty. If you’re looking for a quick romance novel to escape for a little bit, Partners in Love is a good choice.

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin is without a job and she lives with her father until she figures out what she gonna do.
Then a ruthless business man buys her father lands and she instantly hates him.

This book is na old romance and Robin is really annoying for most part of the book and I could not get her dislike/love for Luke because he was not a manhore, what he did was only business and he is a pretty decente guy. So the hate/love matter was mostly on her part.


James her father knew more about love than she did and he was only looking out for her.

In the end everything turns out pretty magic and happy ending.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received this book as an ARC and I give my review freely.

I did not care for this book. It just felt forced to me and there weren't any connections that would have told me that they were truly in love. I really did not care for Robin at all she was a 20+-year-old who acted like she was a spoiled 12-year-old who didn't get her way all the time through the whole book. Just wasn't grabbing me the way I thought it would have.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

From time to time you want to read a well written traditional romance. This is a well written romance than can be appreciated, an engaging and entertaining read.
It's well written, with a lovely setting and a likable cast of characters.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC

[Resilient Jax11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin is a stubborn young woman who moves back home with her father, James, following her employer’s death. To help her recover and grieve her loss Robin retreats in the beauty and tranquility of her Cornish home. Luke is a successful young developer who has good looks and sex appeal. Unbeknownst to Robin, Luke and her father establish a business partnership for a vacation getaway development near her favorite isolated cove. Robin is anything but happy since the new project could result in tourists invading her private getaway spot. Luke puts effort into gaining Robin’s trust, but she will not easily be swayed; regarding business matters or matters of the heart. Luke’s charm normally gets him any woman he wants, but he cannot win over the one he seems to want most. Robin refuses to allow Luke to take advantage of her father and to be another conquest on Luke’s list of women. Although their attraction is evident to others, Robin refuses to acknowledge that she is attracted to Luke or that his interest in her is genuine. Will Luke with Robin’s approval for the project? Does she mean as much to him as others think? Will Robin’s stubbornness and pride not only sabotage her prospective love interest but also her father’s business deal? You’ll have to read to find out!

"Falling in love with Luke would be so easy, as effortless as breathing, and it was the one thing she was determined not to do."

I really enjoyed reading this book! I love romance novels, but the ones I’ve recently selected have been the typical damsel in distress type books where the woman was portrayed as overly insecure and unable to comprehend why a successful or wealthy man would choose her. Eventually, her self-berating frustrates me, but the chemistry and back and forth tongue and cheek with Luke were intense in a good way. I couldn’t put the book down. The book is filled with passion and many beautiful moments that left me wanting to read more. I sympathized with Robin’s struggles of not wanting to be another woman on a man’s list, and I found myself excited to read more. I understand why some of the other reviewers eventually grew tired of Robin, but I found this book to be balanced. Thankfully Luke wasn’t a stalker type heartthrob. Stubborn but well rounded. This book is a light romance novel that can easily be read in one or two sittings. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author!