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Season of Shadows
"Can you think of a better solution?"
Laura's mind searched frantically for alternatives. She simply could not marry this cold cynical man. But her newly orphaned niece, Sally, needed both Anton DeVere and her for a stable home I ife.
Laura stared at Anton in helpless confusion and finally replied hoarsely, "No--"
Totally immersed in her own feelings, she flinched in surprise at Anton's harsh reaction. "Do you think I want this marriage any more than you do?"
Laura's mind searched frantically for alternatives. She simply could not marry this cold cynical man. But her newly orphaned niece, Sally, needed both Anton DeVere and her for a stable home I ife.
Laura stared at Anton in helpless confusion and finally replied hoarsely, "No--"
Totally immersed in her own feelings, she flinched in surprise at Anton's harsh reaction. "Do you think I want this marriage any more than you do?"
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
2 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Whittal
56 books81 followersYvonne Whittal was born and raised in South Africa, the setting of most of her romances. She started writing stories at a young age, but didn't really get serious about writing until after she married and had children. She got many rejection letters from publishers, until a friend who loved romances gave her to encouragement to continue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 24, 2021
Trainwreck alert! Trainwreck alert!
On the HP tracks, heading in the direction of cynicism and misogyny , is our train - we'll call him Hero. Hero is cruel. Hero forces heroine to marry him and then rapes her on their wedding night (she fights). Hero gives heroine orgasms, but makes sure she admits it. Hero takes heroine in anger more than once. Hero cavorts with an OW. Hero brings OW to a dinner party at their house without telling the heroine. Hero promises he will never fall in love with anyone. Hero gives orders - don't walk in the mist. Don't see the artist who is painting your picture, etc. . .
Tied to the HP tracks, waiting in vain for white picket fences and love, is our heroine. Heroine is willing to marry because her soft heart can't leave her niece who has been left in the hero's care after her sister and husband were killed in a yachting accident. Heroine's soft mouth trembles a lot and her blue eyes are troubled. Heroine is pathetically happy when the hero remembers her birthday. Heroine doesn't know how to fight for her man against the OW because her only weapons are love and a marriage certificate. (yes, she actually thinks this to herself) Heroine is fascinated with an ancestor who looks just like the hero whose ghost is still haunting the place because his wife left him. Heroine won't tell the hero she's pregnant.
Like a grainy silent movie, the heroine is constantly being run over by the midnight train to crazy town - usually in bed - and usually with the heroine left at the scene of the wreckage regaining consciousness when the sun is high in the sky. He even leaves a note after one brutal encounter telling her not to ask for anything after sex ever again.
How do we finally resolve these issues?
If you believe the hero's grovel/explanation like the heroine obviously does, then it's all good and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you - will ship worldwide. If you can equate high feelings (no matter how negative) for love then you will believe that the hero is in love. No indifference here. But no matter what you believe, you will read wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the H rampages his way through this story and the heroine is run over again and again only to be limp with satisfaction and love. To belabor the train analogy - on a level crossing don't drive around the signs or blithely dive into this book without trigger warnings.
On the HP tracks, heading in the direction of cynicism and misogyny , is our train - we'll call him Hero. Hero is cruel. Hero forces heroine to marry him and then rapes her on their wedding night (she fights). Hero gives heroine orgasms, but makes sure she admits it. Hero takes heroine in anger more than once. Hero cavorts with an OW. Hero brings OW to a dinner party at their house without telling the heroine. Hero promises he will never fall in love with anyone. Hero gives orders - don't walk in the mist. Don't see the artist who is painting your picture, etc. . .
Tied to the HP tracks, waiting in vain for white picket fences and love, is our heroine. Heroine is willing to marry because her soft heart can't leave her niece who has been left in the hero's care after her sister and husband were killed in a yachting accident. Heroine's soft mouth trembles a lot and her blue eyes are troubled. Heroine is pathetically happy when the hero remembers her birthday. Heroine doesn't know how to fight for her man against the OW because her only weapons are love and a marriage certificate. (yes, she actually thinks this to herself) Heroine is fascinated with an ancestor who looks just like the hero whose ghost is still haunting the place because his wife left him. Heroine won't tell the hero she's pregnant.
Like a grainy silent movie, the heroine is constantly being run over by the midnight train to crazy town - usually in bed - and usually with the heroine left at the scene of the wreckage regaining consciousness when the sun is high in the sky. He even leaves a note after one brutal encounter telling her not to ask for anything after sex ever again.
How do we finally resolve these issues?
If you believe the hero's grovel/explanation like the heroine obviously does, then it's all good and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you - will ship worldwide. If you can equate high feelings (no matter how negative) for love then you will believe that the hero is in love. No indifference here. But no matter what you believe, you will read wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the H rampages his way through this story and the heroine is run over again and again only to be limp with satisfaction and love. To belabor the train analogy - on a level crossing don't drive around the signs or blithely dive into this book without trigger warnings.
January 29, 2018
I really disliked this H for 80% of the story. Anton was a lot older than the heroine Laura and he treated her terribly. He was very "rapey" because he forced Laura to have sex on their wedding night. I've read quite a few forcible seduction scenes and that wedding night was definitely a bit "rapey" because she kept pushing him off and telling him no. Eventually the author did turn things around so that Laura started to enjoy all the "rapiness" and even started lusting after him. But I couldn't like Anton, no matter how hard I tried. He was too cold and he spoke to her as if she was a dummy. Another BIG problem for me personally: I didn't find him sexy based on the author's physical description of him. He gave me the creeps sometimes. I've read romances with H's who were in their late 30's and the authors had portrayed them as appearing physically younger than their numerical age. I could live with a late 30's H who is really sexy but unfortunately Anton was not hot and he was "rapey". I liked the heroine Laura, even though she was a bit too passive. The little girl Sally was kinda annoying though with all her intrusive little demands and questions. Maybe if Sally had a dog she would have been occupied playing with it and so would have had less time to annoy me. I feel bad for finding Sally annoying, because her parents had just died.
The only really good thing about this novel was the great comeuppance for the wannabe OW Camilla. The snobby witch had not received the bulk of her sugar granddaddy late husband's wealth. She had then decided to manipulate Anton ( her ex ) into using his fortune as collateral so that she could purchase a company that was for sale. Anton knew the bitch was trying to play him so he turned the tables on her and made her think he was loving all the attention she was giving him. It ended up with a great comeuppance scene where Anton confronts Camilla, who tries to simper and flirt but then starts acting like a harpy:
" There was a frightening little silence, then Camilla's laughter jarred Laura's nerves. 'Don't be silly, darling,' she said caustically. 'You can't possibly love that insipid creature.'
'Laura could never be insipid even if she tried,' Anton corrected her harshly. 'She possesses a warmth and sincerity which is enviable, and in every other respect, Camilla, she's by far your superior.' He turned suddenly and saw Laura standing in the doorway. 'Come in, darling,' he smiled, holding out his hand to her. 'Countess von Dissel was just leaving.'
With her confidence restored, Laura went quickly to his side, and she was thankful for that strong, possessive arm he placed about her waist when Camilla's dark, venomous eyes raked her from head to foot before she returned her attention to Anton.
'You can't treat me like this and think you can get away with it!' she spat out the words.
'Can't I?' Anton smiled derisively.
'You know that when I sign those papers tomorrow Avron Enterprises will be mine and, with the von Dissel money behind it, I could ruin you.'
'With my money behind it, you mean,' Anton corrected harshly. 'The necessary papers were signed this morning, and Avron Enterprises has now become a subsidiary company of DeVere Enterprises.'
A shock of surprise rippled through Laura, but she was more concerned at that moment with Camilla, whose beautiful face went almost purple with rage.
'You fiend!' Camilla shouted when she managed to find her voice. 'You knew I—'
'Yes, I knew you wanted to buy the company, and I went along with your plans, making you believe that I was negotiating on your behalf while in actual fact I was doing so for myself.' A cynical smile curved his hard mouth. 'You wanted me to sign security for you until Karl's estate was wound up, and I agreed, but while you were congratulating yourself on your easy victory, I was having you investigated.'
'How dare you have me investigated as though I were some sort of criminal!' Camilla shouted at him, but Anton continued as if she had not spoken.
'I received a report yesterday, and I found it extremely interesting to discover that the bulk of Karl von Dissel's estate went to his children by his first marriage.'
So Camilla ends up with nothing but a small annual allowance from her dead hubby's will. That alone made me really start to like the novel, because Anton had not been cheating on Laura with the viper OW. Anton did grovel a lot and he apologized by explaining why his opinion of women was so low. That part shocked me because it dated back to an ancestor of his being allegedly betrayed by his fiancee. That side story line was sweet and sad, especially the part where the truth about the fiancee's alleged betrayal and desertion was revealed. There was also this wannabe OM called Alex. He was a very chivalrous guy who painted a portrait of Laura. The epilogue was really cute though. Laura and Anton have a chubby, adorable 5 month old baby boy called Friedrich and Sally is really happy now, so she is no longer annoying. Anton has also changed. He seems more youthful, is working less and dotes on Laura. He seems to really love her and is finally able to stop being cynical and enjoy life one day at a time.
The only really good thing about this novel was the great comeuppance for the wannabe OW Camilla. The snobby witch had not received the bulk of her sugar granddaddy late husband's wealth. She had then decided to manipulate Anton ( her ex ) into using his fortune as collateral so that she could purchase a company that was for sale. Anton knew the bitch was trying to play him so he turned the tables on her and made her think he was loving all the attention she was giving him. It ended up with a great comeuppance scene where Anton confronts Camilla, who tries to simper and flirt but then starts acting like a harpy:
" There was a frightening little silence, then Camilla's laughter jarred Laura's nerves. 'Don't be silly, darling,' she said caustically. 'You can't possibly love that insipid creature.'
'Laura could never be insipid even if she tried,' Anton corrected her harshly. 'She possesses a warmth and sincerity which is enviable, and in every other respect, Camilla, she's by far your superior.' He turned suddenly and saw Laura standing in the doorway. 'Come in, darling,' he smiled, holding out his hand to her. 'Countess von Dissel was just leaving.'
With her confidence restored, Laura went quickly to his side, and she was thankful for that strong, possessive arm he placed about her waist when Camilla's dark, venomous eyes raked her from head to foot before she returned her attention to Anton.
'You can't treat me like this and think you can get away with it!' she spat out the words.
'Can't I?' Anton smiled derisively.
'You know that when I sign those papers tomorrow Avron Enterprises will be mine and, with the von Dissel money behind it, I could ruin you.'
'With my money behind it, you mean,' Anton corrected harshly. 'The necessary papers were signed this morning, and Avron Enterprises has now become a subsidiary company of DeVere Enterprises.'
A shock of surprise rippled through Laura, but she was more concerned at that moment with Camilla, whose beautiful face went almost purple with rage.
'You fiend!' Camilla shouted when she managed to find her voice. 'You knew I—'
'Yes, I knew you wanted to buy the company, and I went along with your plans, making you believe that I was negotiating on your behalf while in actual fact I was doing so for myself.' A cynical smile curved his hard mouth. 'You wanted me to sign security for you until Karl's estate was wound up, and I agreed, but while you were congratulating yourself on your easy victory, I was having you investigated.'
'How dare you have me investigated as though I were some sort of criminal!' Camilla shouted at him, but Anton continued as if she had not spoken.
'I received a report yesterday, and I found it extremely interesting to discover that the bulk of Karl von Dissel's estate went to his children by his first marriage.'
So Camilla ends up with nothing but a small annual allowance from her dead hubby's will. That alone made me really start to like the novel, because Anton had not been cheating on Laura with the viper OW. Anton did grovel a lot and he apologized by explaining why his opinion of women was so low. That part shocked me because it dated back to an ancestor of his being allegedly betrayed by his fiancee. That side story line was sweet and sad, especially the part where the truth about the fiancee's alleged betrayal and desertion was revealed. There was also this wannabe OM called Alex. He was a very chivalrous guy who painted a portrait of Laura. The epilogue was really cute though. Laura and Anton have a chubby, adorable 5 month old baby boy called Friedrich and Sally is really happy now, so she is no longer annoying. Anton has also changed. He seems more youthful, is working less and dotes on Laura. He seems to really love her and is finally able to stop being cynical and enjoy life one day at a time.
November 11, 2012
3.5 rounded up
I came across this one on the Harley Harlots board and everything had to come to a stop for me to read. This was a major angry angstfest with one of the most incorrigible heros I have had the pleasure to hate in a long time.
The heroine, Lauren, was living her life, minding her own business, protecting her virginity well into her mid-twenties, when her sister and brother-in-law went and got themselves killed, leaving behind a 10 year old daughter. Instead of leaving their child in the care of the h, her only relative, they decided instead to make her the ward of a family friend, the rich and handsome Anton. Of course the child will end up being destroyed with no promise of a normal life if the H and h don't marry to provide her a stable home, so then the real fun starts.
The H insists they have a "real" marriage from day one and literally forces the issue, against the h's protests. There are many of these warm moments. On top of the repeated non-con, even when the h is being cooperative, the H enjoys saying all kinds of denigrating and humiliating things to the her while in the middle of the act (H: "You hate me, eh? I'm going to make you beg! h:"Please! Please!" H: "Ha! Ha! Not so pure, are you? You're just like all the other woman. Lying, wanton, little cheats!" h: sniff sniff.) All the way through. The guy was absolutely unforgivable.
Of course there was some serious OW action that the H loved throwing in the h's face. He invited the OW over one night to crash the h's party she was throwing. When he took the OW home, he stayed out two hours longer than he should, and came home reeking of her perfume. The h told him to go eff himself when he came on to her because how dare he want to do it after coming from another woman. He forbids her from having anything to say about how he conducts his affairs and then proceeds to force himself on her. Over and over this kind of crap happens.
With regard to other women: I my opinion, any issues revolving around other women is beside the point. Just the way this hero treated her on a daily basis was mind boggling horrible. It was especially awful if he loved her all along, like he was suppose to. So apparently his basic personality was alphahole. I'm certain that after their kiss-and-make-up honeymoon phase wears thin, his nasty behavior will make a revisit and all those vicious things he did to her will come creeping into her psyche.
Suprisingly, the issues with the H&h are resolved with still another 10% of the book remaining. The last part was focused on tying up loose ends such as sticking it to the OW. Also, there was a subplot involving an ancient ancestor and his lost love, which was pretty interesting that got resolved in a fun way.
So, I recommend this book to those who love utter trainwrecks, have thick skins and strong stomachs and crave a lot of WTFery in their "romances." If that's your bag, well, you've hit the jackpot. If you want a sweet, gentle, even remotely PC H, don't look for him here. He ain't nowhere to be found.
I came across this one on the Harley Harlots board and everything had to come to a stop for me to read. This was a major angry angstfest with one of the most incorrigible heros I have had the pleasure to hate in a long time.
The heroine, Lauren, was living her life, minding her own business, protecting her virginity well into her mid-twenties, when her sister and brother-in-law went and got themselves killed, leaving behind a 10 year old daughter. Instead of leaving their child in the care of the h, her only relative, they decided instead to make her the ward of a family friend, the rich and handsome Anton. Of course the child will end up being destroyed with no promise of a normal life if the H and h don't marry to provide her a stable home, so then the real fun starts.
The H insists they have a "real" marriage from day one and literally forces the issue, against the h's protests. There are many of these warm moments. On top of the repeated non-con, even when the h is being cooperative, the H enjoys saying all kinds of denigrating and humiliating things to the her while in the middle of the act (H: "You hate me, eh? I'm going to make you beg! h:"Please! Please!" H: "Ha! Ha! Not so pure, are you? You're just like all the other woman. Lying, wanton, little cheats!" h: sniff sniff.) All the way through. The guy was absolutely unforgivable.
Of course there was some serious OW action that the H loved throwing in the h's face. He invited the OW over one night to crash the h's party she was throwing. When he took the OW home, he stayed out two hours longer than he should, and came home reeking of her perfume. The h told him to go eff himself when he came on to her because how dare he want to do it after coming from another woman. He forbids her from having anything to say about how he conducts his affairs and then proceeds to force himself on her. Over and over this kind of crap happens.
With regard to other women: I my opinion, any issues revolving around other women is beside the point. Just the way this hero treated her on a daily basis was mind boggling horrible. It was especially awful if he loved her all along, like he was suppose to. So apparently his basic personality was alphahole. I'm certain that after their kiss-and-make-up honeymoon phase wears thin, his nasty behavior will make a revisit and all those vicious things he did to her will come creeping into her psyche.
Suprisingly, the issues with the H&h are resolved with still another 10% of the book remaining. The last part was focused on tying up loose ends such as sticking it to the OW. Also, there was a subplot involving an ancient ancestor and his lost love, which was pretty interesting that got resolved in a fun way.
So, I recommend this book to those who love utter trainwrecks, have thick skins and strong stomachs and crave a lot of WTFery in their "romances." If that's your bag, well, you've hit the jackpot. If you want a sweet, gentle, even remotely PC H, don't look for him here. He ain't nowhere to be found.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2014
Wow! This book is full of melodrama, angst and passion!
Laura's sister and brother in law are killed and their daughter needs a mother. Laura was happy to become a mother for little Sally but Sally wanted Anton as her father so the solution was for Laura and Anton to marry. But when sparks fly a loveless marriage of convenience soon turns into a deep passionate love story.
Amazing read. Old school Harlequin Presents are the best. New HP authors have nothing on old super talented authors like Yvonne Whittal. She doesn't hold back! The hero is a ruthless asshole, a true alpha male who never becomes a teddy bear but maintains his arrogance and masculinity even when he admits how much he adores and has always loved his convenient wife. He is super jealous and possessive of her and when he finds his wife in another man's apartment (an artist who is making her portrait) he doesn't hesitate to confront them.
Heroine is so in love with her husband and my heart broke for her when she was thinking her love would never be returned and that Anton is having an affair with a woman from his past. Other woman was deliciously evil and bitchy, other man was nice and decent and there is even a supernatural gothic element in this story which reminded me of my favorite book ever "Wuthering Heights."
The epilogue is heartwarming. The declaration of hero's love is touching and passionate and even if there is a rape scene there is no cheating whatsoever. So if u love 80's vintage Harlequins u will like this book. If u are into modern Harlequin authors this isn't the book for you.
Laura's sister and brother in law are killed and their daughter needs a mother. Laura was happy to become a mother for little Sally but Sally wanted Anton as her father so the solution was for Laura and Anton to marry. But when sparks fly a loveless marriage of convenience soon turns into a deep passionate love story.
Amazing read. Old school Harlequin Presents are the best. New HP authors have nothing on old super talented authors like Yvonne Whittal. She doesn't hold back! The hero is a ruthless asshole, a true alpha male who never becomes a teddy bear but maintains his arrogance and masculinity even when he admits how much he adores and has always loved his convenient wife. He is super jealous and possessive of her and when he finds his wife in another man's apartment (an artist who is making her portrait) he doesn't hesitate to confront them.
Heroine is so in love with her husband and my heart broke for her when she was thinking her love would never be returned and that Anton is having an affair with a woman from his past. Other woman was deliciously evil and bitchy, other man was nice and decent and there is even a supernatural gothic element in this story which reminded me of my favorite book ever "Wuthering Heights."
The epilogue is heartwarming. The declaration of hero's love is touching and passionate and even if there is a rape scene there is no cheating whatsoever. So if u love 80's vintage Harlequins u will like this book. If u are into modern Harlequin authors this isn't the book for you.
April 17, 2019
Well, that was brutal.
And, of course, I loved it.
Trainwreck lovers, just jump right in. StM said “Trainwreck Alert!” and Preeti gave it 4 stars and Jenny 5 stars so I didn’t think further and went straight into it. I pretty much came out of it black and blue, half-groggy, going WTF. So cool.
This is one of those books. You want to tell people, “Don’t! It’s awful!” and at the same time, “But read it, it’s also very good!”
This H made me frustrated. Because I couldn’t remember my 2nd grade science. What’s the animal that eats reptiles again?
Because this H is a Walking Reptile. Probably with a giant throbbing penis. And I needed some animal to come take a bite off his head. Both heads, if you know what I mean.
And yet, I can’t imagine anyone who could take this one out. An eagle could come swooping down behind his back and this asshole would probably raise his hand, swipe it down dead with one hand without batting an eyelid and get on with his life.
If you need a summation of this book, picture this: Man-reptile lifts woman by her neck till she’s practically off her feet struggling for breath, begging to be released, and he unleashes his magic penis and alternately hurts or pleasures her, taunting her as she pleads with him to stop.
And before anyone goes "Oooh kinky" this is a 1980s vintage romance. Whittal leaves most of it to our imagination, only providing the heroine’s distressed POV as to what actually happened.
I kept waiting for this heroine to get a clue: strap a knife to your back and the next time he lifts you, slash his throat. And when he drops you, slash that penis.
But she doesn’t and yet I couldn’t despise her supposed weakness. My heart ached for her, I understood her choices even if I didn’t necessarily like it.
She had lost her both her parents as a young teen. Her older sister raised her but then died in a mysterious yacht explosion with her husband, the H’s best friend. The couple, in what I can only assume was a moment of utter stupidity and insanity, made H the sole guardian of their daughter.
Niece is of course, going through the psychological ramifications of losing her parents. Heroine promises the child she would never leave her especially since there is no one else left in the world for her, they only have each other.
Now H has a doctor friend aka Village Idiot (more of that later) who tells the H that getting married to the h is the best way to give the child stability. The h knows she can’t compete in terms of providing for the child.
She very reluctantly agrees to a marriage of convenience because part of her is rightly horrified at the thought of leaving the girl to the not-so-tender mercies of the H. My idea of the right type of martyr, this h.
Of course, H wants a proper marriage and disregards her pleading for more time and just strap on, people, for the heart-wrenching ride.
H is ruthless, brutal, heartless, rapey. But Whittal, God bless her writing talent, somehow… almost… barely… manages to redeem this reptile by revealing his backstory of betrayals and his behaviour as a throwback to one of his ruthless ancestors.
And then she ruins it for me with a single non-explanation
Now it takes A LOT for me to be convinced a Hero is cheating, he has to pretty much admit it and this Hero blatantly stated that he didn’t.
But for me, Whitall implies differently, through his earlier comments, his later behaviour and the reactions of the OW which screamed not just a woman scorned but a woman very much bedded and then scorned.
Oh Whittal. A brute, rapey Hero, insensitive with children, and a possible cheater. Give me something to work with here.
But to be fair, it is never confirmed and many reviewers like Jenny and Ivy did not think he cheated so I think it’s just me.
There is a lovely OM artist who paints the h, falls in love with her, stands up to H with dignity but wisely waits at the side lines for her to get a clue, probably knowing he will die a brutal death if he interferes further.
Then the Village Idiot Doc who sees his friend the H’s lack of respect with h, his appalling behaviour with the OW at their dinner party and merely furiously chews on his cigar without telling him off.
And his equally idiotic enabling wife, the h’s only confidant, who keeps telling her to fight for the H, instead of helping her to take the girl and run. I wanted to dunk both their heads in a soup.
As h herself puts it eloquently:
"I always thought that loving someone came simply and naturally, but instead I find myself in a situation where I feel like a novice playing a game without knowing the rules. It's like being on a battlefield with everyone shouting "Fight, fight!" but there are no weapons about."
Whittal kept up the angst with the h’s hatred of H manipulating her weak flesh, alternating it with her fighting spirit,
H finally sheds his reptile skin and I must admit I bought the HEA despite it all.
There is a needless side story of some conspiracy theory of how the h’s sister and husband died which was annoying and lost a star. Yes, people, that lost a star for me, nothing else. Oh, the depths I’ve sunk to for a good trainwreck.
This book needs a PG25 rating. If you have a strong stomach for vintage high jinks and also an understanding of the era in which it is written (putting up with men’s bullshit was seen as a measure of a woman’s strength back then) this could work for you. Whittal’s story-telling skills saved it for me.
And, of course, I loved it.
Trainwreck lovers, just jump right in. StM said “Trainwreck Alert!” and Preeti gave it 4 stars and Jenny 5 stars so I didn’t think further and went straight into it. I pretty much came out of it black and blue, half-groggy, going WTF. So cool.
This is one of those books. You want to tell people, “Don’t! It’s awful!” and at the same time, “But read it, it’s also very good!”
This H made me frustrated. Because I couldn’t remember my 2nd grade science. What’s the animal that eats reptiles again?
Because this H is a Walking Reptile. Probably with a giant throbbing penis. And I needed some animal to come take a bite off his head. Both heads, if you know what I mean.
And yet, I can’t imagine anyone who could take this one out. An eagle could come swooping down behind his back and this asshole would probably raise his hand, swipe it down dead with one hand without batting an eyelid and get on with his life.
If you need a summation of this book, picture this: Man-reptile lifts woman by her neck till she’s practically off her feet struggling for breath, begging to be released, and he unleashes his magic penis and alternately hurts or pleasures her, taunting her as she pleads with him to stop.
And before anyone goes "Oooh kinky" this is a 1980s vintage romance. Whittal leaves most of it to our imagination, only providing the heroine’s distressed POV as to what actually happened.
I kept waiting for this heroine to get a clue: strap a knife to your back and the next time he lifts you, slash his throat. And when he drops you, slash that penis.
But she doesn’t and yet I couldn’t despise her supposed weakness. My heart ached for her, I understood her choices even if I didn’t necessarily like it.
She had lost her both her parents as a young teen. Her older sister raised her but then died in a mysterious yacht explosion with her husband, the H’s best friend. The couple, in what I can only assume was a moment of utter stupidity and insanity, made H the sole guardian of their daughter.
Niece is of course, going through the psychological ramifications of losing her parents. Heroine promises the child she would never leave her especially since there is no one else left in the world for her, they only have each other.
Now H has a doctor friend aka Village Idiot (more of that later) who tells the H that getting married to the h is the best way to give the child stability. The h knows she can’t compete in terms of providing for the child.
She very reluctantly agrees to a marriage of convenience because part of her is rightly horrified at the thought of leaving the girl to the not-so-tender mercies of the H. My idea of the right type of martyr, this h.
Of course, H wants a proper marriage and disregards her pleading for more time and just strap on, people, for the heart-wrenching ride.
H is ruthless, brutal, heartless, rapey. But Whittal, God bless her writing talent, somehow… almost… barely… manages to redeem this reptile by revealing his backstory of betrayals and his behaviour as a throwback to one of his ruthless ancestors.
And then she ruins it for me with a single non-explanation
Now it takes A LOT for me to be convinced a Hero is cheating, he has to pretty much admit it and this Hero blatantly stated that he didn’t.
But for me, Whitall implies differently, through his earlier comments, his later behaviour and the reactions of the OW which screamed not just a woman scorned but a woman very much bedded and then scorned.
Oh Whittal. A brute, rapey Hero, insensitive with children, and a possible cheater. Give me something to work with here.
But to be fair, it is never confirmed and many reviewers like Jenny and Ivy did not think he cheated so I think it’s just me.
There is a lovely OM artist who paints the h, falls in love with her, stands up to H with dignity but wisely waits at the side lines for her to get a clue, probably knowing he will die a brutal death if he interferes further.
Then the Village Idiot Doc who sees his friend the H’s lack of respect with h, his appalling behaviour with the OW at their dinner party and merely furiously chews on his cigar without telling him off.
And his equally idiotic enabling wife, the h’s only confidant, who keeps telling her to fight for the H, instead of helping her to take the girl and run. I wanted to dunk both their heads in a soup.
As h herself puts it eloquently:
"I always thought that loving someone came simply and naturally, but instead I find myself in a situation where I feel like a novice playing a game without knowing the rules. It's like being on a battlefield with everyone shouting "Fight, fight!" but there are no weapons about."
Whittal kept up the angst with the h’s hatred of H manipulating her weak flesh, alternating it with her fighting spirit,
H finally sheds his reptile skin and I must admit I bought the HEA despite it all.
There is a needless side story of some conspiracy theory of how the h’s sister and husband died which was annoying and lost a star. Yes, people, that lost a star for me, nothing else. Oh, the depths I’ve sunk to for a good trainwreck.
This book needs a PG25 rating. If you have a strong stomach for vintage high jinks and also an understanding of the era in which it is written (putting up with men’s bullshit was seen as a measure of a woman’s strength back then) this could work for you. Whittal’s story-telling skills saved it for me.
May 22, 2022
I finished this book convinced that he will continue to rape her any time she angers him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2014
Quite enjoyed re-reading this book again after 15 years!
March 24, 2020
"Season of Shadows" is the story of Laura and Anton.
This book has the age old trope of MC's marrying for the sake of their niece after the parents die in a tragic accident. He is the guardian, she is the aunt. They marry because the child wants them in her life, and soon the H resolves to relentlessly seducing the h, while she is putty in his penis charms. The book then has a lot of forced seduction, marital rape, choking, the H entertaining OW and loads of angst, to the point where the h wants to die than be in love with a ruthless cad. It was difficult to see the spineless h suffer because she was in lurve, and I wish someone pushed the H off a cliff. I somehow wished the charming OM would woo her away, but alas, she had an empty skull.
So aggravating. GAH!
SWE/Safe..ish
1.5/5
This book has the age old trope of MC's marrying for the sake of their niece after the parents die in a tragic accident. He is the guardian, she is the aunt. They marry because the child wants them in her life, and soon the H resolves to relentlessly seducing the h, while she is putty in his penis charms. The book then has a lot of forced seduction, marital rape, choking, the H entertaining OW and loads of angst, to the point where the h wants to die than be in love with a ruthless cad. It was difficult to see the spineless h suffer because she was in lurve, and I wish someone pushed the H off a cliff. I somehow wished the charming OM would woo her away, but alas, she had an empty skull.
So aggravating. GAH!
SWE/Safe..ish
1.5/5
May 23, 2015
If you are in the mood for a trainwreck, a verbally abusive ass**ole who takes what is not offered to him, a brute mistreating his wife on a daily basis, this is the right book for you. Otherwise, stay away!
June 6, 2010
The theme of this book: DOMINATION and SUBMISSION.
Before I figured that out. I thought this was the worst book ever written. The female lead is a virgin... and afraid of sex. The female lead is afraid of the male lead. Through a convoluted series of events involving the death of her sister and the orphaning of her neice, the woman is "forced" to marry the man, who is now the neice's guardian.
And really, the reasoning is ludicrous for any thinking woman brought up in the 1970's. Who CARES if "people" think you are "having an affair" with the guy. Is this 1870? No. What "people" does she care so much about that she would marry some guy just so "they" won't "talk" about her. God forbid it gets around that she is fine sleeping with some guy without marrying him! Oh noes!
But really, the author just wants to set it up so the female lead gets basically raped and traumatized on her wedding night. Then the man "makes up for it" by showing her she really likes sex. So now she's some kind of whore as well. The woman is raped and physically abused numerous times in the book, not to mention psychologically traumatized. Of course, this all leads her to FALL IN LOVE with her abuser.
I wish I could cut and paste some quotes from this monstrosity of a book, but I was so repulsed I had to get it away from me as soon as possible.
Now, if you are into non-consensual domination and submission, you might like this book better than I did. While all these books are bad in their own way (that's the appeal) this one is particularly heinous.
Before I figured that out. I thought this was the worst book ever written. The female lead is a virgin... and afraid of sex. The female lead is afraid of the male lead. Through a convoluted series of events involving the death of her sister and the orphaning of her neice, the woman is "forced" to marry the man, who is now the neice's guardian.
And really, the reasoning is ludicrous for any thinking woman brought up in the 1970's. Who CARES if "people" think you are "having an affair" with the guy. Is this 1870? No. What "people" does she care so much about that she would marry some guy just so "they" won't "talk" about her. God forbid it gets around that she is fine sleeping with some guy without marrying him! Oh noes!
But really, the author just wants to set it up so the female lead gets basically raped and traumatized on her wedding night. Then the man "makes up for it" by showing her she really likes sex. So now she's some kind of whore as well. The woman is raped and physically abused numerous times in the book, not to mention psychologically traumatized. Of course, this all leads her to FALL IN LOVE with her abuser.
I wish I could cut and paste some quotes from this monstrosity of a book, but I was so repulsed I had to get it away from me as soon as possible.
Now, if you are into non-consensual domination and submission, you might like this book better than I did. While all these books are bad in their own way (that's the appeal) this one is particularly heinous.
December 9, 2021
Another s**t I loved to read.
The heroine's sister and her husband dies leaving a 10 year-old girl behind.
The hero is the couple's best friend and he's appointed as her legal guardian.
The girl is very uspet and risks a breakdown so the hero proposes a MOC.
Typical plot.
The heroine is a passive aggressive and I didn't like her at all.
I mean, she accepts to marry him - reluctantly. But as soon as she made up her mind she should have behaved as a grown up woman, not as a spoiled child.
She blames the hero instead, sulking and trembling.
Ok, the hero is a bastard sob, an unfeeling and cold and bitter man who thinks all women are w***es and liars.
But he's very clear about their marriage.
He doesn't want a marriage in name only, but the heroine, as soon as they're married, refuses to have sex with him.
Of course, being the hero an old Skool jerk, he rapes her the first time, and that's where I lost him.
He, a man of almost 40, and with some experience, could have been a lil more charming instead of hurting her horribly.
I understand that this was the way most virgin brides lost their virginity on their wedding night, with pain and fear, and thinking of England (or whatever country they were living in) but I found it anachronistic.
The scene was almost victorian (The hero telling her: please, be still, you're only hurting yourself, ok, it will be over in a minute. Mmmmm, very sexy)
The second time that night though, the hero was a lil more sensible and managed to deliver. Thank god.
So, the hero and the heroine have a relationship based only on lust, and the hero refuses to have anything to do with his wife and doesn't accept any interference on his life.
The man should have needed a more determined and strong woman, while this heroine was a whiny child, as I said, a passive aggressive, always on the defensive and ready to attack him.
The man paralized her, really. She wasn't even able to answer.
Enter the ow. That is, the woman who, ten years before, scorned and jitled the hero for a richer model.
She's back and of course wants the hero back, and the man seems to be smitten by her.
He starts dating her every day and he also starts sleeping in another bedroom, so the heroine thinks he's an affair with her.
She does the only thinks she can do: she whines and sulks.
She should have behaved differently, of course.
One night the sob asks her to dinner in their house, and since she's a bitchy bitch she's all over the man during all the night.
The hero complies.
The heroine of course, sulks.
She doesn't have my simpathy, she's such a victim.
Afterward, there's a very grubby scene where the sob forces the heroine to have sex with the ow perfume all over him. Nauseating. That's where the heroine was completely lost for me, and I couldn't even feel the angst any more. I don't have mercy for women who can't have an ounce of pride.
Enter the om.
A nice young artist, he wants to picture the heroine and she accepts, without telling the hero.
When he finds out, he is jealous and furious, and manhandles the heroine very badly (who is pregnant but he doesn't know and of course, stupid as she is, she doesn't tell).
There's also some scenes where the idiot heroine is suicidal and tries to kill herself and eventually the hero grovels and admits he loves her, thank god before she admits it.
And the ow?
The final scene is worth the whole book.
The hero wasn't romancing her, he was pretending, because he wanted to buy the company she was going to buy and so humiliate her and rejects her, as she did years before.
He slut-shames her and exposes her completely in front of the heroine, admitting he only loved the heroine and wasn't even tempted by her.
So we know he never cheated on the heroine, but anyway I didn't like the way he behaved with his wife embarassing her (and hurting her) without explaining what were his intentions.
Some inconsistencies: the spy story, with her brother in law being a spy. What did it add to the book? Some pages?
I enjoyed the book, I know it was very anachronistic and somehow dated, but it was angsty and eventually the hero grovels a lot, but I found some parts excessive (the heroine running and almost killing herself -twice- was too much) and if I didn't like the hero, I liked the heroine even less.
I can't be emphatetic with a whiny woman who whines all the times.
The heroine's sister and her husband dies leaving a 10 year-old girl behind.
The hero is the couple's best friend and he's appointed as her legal guardian.
The girl is very uspet and risks a breakdown so the hero proposes a MOC.
Typical plot.
The heroine is a passive aggressive and I didn't like her at all.
I mean, she accepts to marry him - reluctantly. But as soon as she made up her mind she should have behaved as a grown up woman, not as a spoiled child.
She blames the hero instead, sulking and trembling.
Ok, the hero is a bastard sob, an unfeeling and cold and bitter man who thinks all women are w***es and liars.
But he's very clear about their marriage.
He doesn't want a marriage in name only, but the heroine, as soon as they're married, refuses to have sex with him.
Of course, being the hero an old Skool jerk, he rapes her the first time, and that's where I lost him.
He, a man of almost 40, and with some experience, could have been a lil more charming instead of hurting her horribly.
I understand that this was the way most virgin brides lost their virginity on their wedding night, with pain and fear, and thinking of England (or whatever country they were living in) but I found it anachronistic.
The scene was almost victorian (The hero telling her: please, be still, you're only hurting yourself, ok, it will be over in a minute. Mmmmm, very sexy)
The second time that night though, the hero was a lil more sensible and managed to deliver. Thank god.
So, the hero and the heroine have a relationship based only on lust, and the hero refuses to have anything to do with his wife and doesn't accept any interference on his life.
The man should have needed a more determined and strong woman, while this heroine was a whiny child, as I said, a passive aggressive, always on the defensive and ready to attack him.
The man paralized her, really. She wasn't even able to answer.
Enter the ow. That is, the woman who, ten years before, scorned and jitled the hero for a richer model.
She's back and of course wants the hero back, and the man seems to be smitten by her.
He starts dating her every day and he also starts sleeping in another bedroom, so the heroine thinks he's an affair with her.
She does the only thinks she can do: she whines and sulks.
She should have behaved differently, of course.
One night the sob asks her to dinner in their house, and since she's a bitchy bitch she's all over the man during all the night.
The hero complies.
The heroine of course, sulks.
She doesn't have my simpathy, she's such a victim.
Afterward, there's a very grubby scene where the sob forces the heroine to have sex with the ow perfume all over him. Nauseating. That's where the heroine was completely lost for me, and I couldn't even feel the angst any more. I don't have mercy for women who can't have an ounce of pride.
Enter the om.
A nice young artist, he wants to picture the heroine and she accepts, without telling the hero.
When he finds out, he is jealous and furious, and manhandles the heroine very badly (who is pregnant but he doesn't know and of course, stupid as she is, she doesn't tell).
There's also some scenes where the idiot heroine is suicidal and tries to kill herself and eventually the hero grovels and admits he loves her, thank god before she admits it.
And the ow?
The final scene is worth the whole book.
The hero wasn't romancing her, he was pretending, because he wanted to buy the company she was going to buy and so humiliate her and rejects her, as she did years before.
He slut-shames her and exposes her completely in front of the heroine, admitting he only loved the heroine and wasn't even tempted by her.
So we know he never cheated on the heroine, but anyway I didn't like the way he behaved with his wife embarassing her (and hurting her) without explaining what were his intentions.
Some inconsistencies: the spy story, with her brother in law being a spy. What did it add to the book? Some pages?
I enjoyed the book, I know it was very anachronistic and somehow dated, but it was angsty and eventually the hero grovels a lot, but I found some parts excessive (the heroine running and almost killing herself -twice- was too much) and if I didn't like the hero, I liked the heroine even less.
I can't be emphatetic with a whiny woman who whines all the times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2020
I loved the h Laura and I really love how she sacrificed her career and life in general to take care of her niece (Sally) and by doing that she had to marry this horrible cold rude man 🤨 I hated him , he treated her terribly , and I hated the sex scenes God they were awful and scary a little bit they were like (rape) 🤦♀️
3 stars to Laura and Sally and the epilogue was nice
3 stars to Laura and Sally and the epilogue was nice
November 22, 2020
Mucho cigarette smoking, forced seduction, humiliation, slut-shaming, and one of the most unrepentantly cruel heroes I've ever come across. So of course, I enjoyed it for sheer WTFery, total D/s non-con, dub-con kicks, and a HEA I will never buy, not in a million years. Off to find more YW books because I'm a sucker for pain slut heroines and cruel alphas, what can I say?
December 25, 2021
“What I want from you, I will take when and how I please, and you’ll get nothing in return”, said the H.
Next to demeaning her with deeds (there are a couple of rapes/forced seductions and he also flirts with the OW), he also belittles her with his words.
He is a very cruel H. And I don’t feel any love from him for her.
What made him really the anti-H was the way he charmed the OW by kissing her hands, by bringing her home in his car, etc. I mean, no married man should do that with another woman, unless she is his mother.
In the end he explains why he was so charming to the OW, but I don’t buy that explanation.
What struck me, was that he never gave an explanation, not even in the HEA, why he was away for several hours when he brought the OW home. What did he do in those hours?
The book is engaging enough. I kept reading because I was curious why this trainwreck kept happening, so I still give it a good 3 stars.
Next to demeaning her with deeds (there are a couple of rapes/forced seductions and he also flirts with the OW), he also belittles her with his words.
He is a very cruel H. And I don’t feel any love from him for her.
What made him really the anti-H was the way he charmed the OW by kissing her hands, by bringing her home in his car, etc. I mean, no married man should do that with another woman, unless she is his mother.
In the end he explains why he was so charming to the OW, but I don’t buy that explanation.
What struck me, was that he never gave an explanation, not even in the HEA, why he was away for several hours when he brought the OW home. What did he do in those hours?
The book is engaging enough. I kept reading because I was curious why this trainwreck kept happening, so I still give it a good 3 stars.
October 14, 2015
Disgusting excuse for a romance. Rape is what happens to our heroine on her wedding night and at least two more times although it is disguised with words to describe it without actually calling it what it is. Taken by force aka rape. Nasty book.
December 17, 2021
Fantastic book, it had all the angst and drama I've been craving.
I did not like the rapey bits though.
I did not like the rapey bits though.
April 13, 2013
This is a typical 80ies Harlequin book.
This book is full of double standards and examples of how love is supposedly "blind". I also have to say that it didn't age that well.
The heroine bears a lot from the hero who is a jerk with capital "J" and even though he explains himself at the end I still don't get him.
This book is full of double standards and examples of how love is supposedly "blind". I also have to say that it didn't age that well.
The heroine bears a lot from the hero who is a jerk with capital "J" and even though he explains himself at the end I still don't get him.
July 29, 2016
Quite a dramatic novel and the hero was absolutely brutal, to the point of abusive. It was kind of scary watching him lose control and the heroine thinking that it was alright and being so forgiving because she loves him.
January 21, 2022
Absolutely hated this book. The H was a violent, abusive rapist who in no way redeemed himself. The h was a tstl spineless idiot. I'm usually able to overlook a lot of un-pc behavior in vintage harleys and still love them but this one just made me feel sick after reading it.
May 15, 2021
A sweet angsty HP that makes you curl deeper into your comforter. I loved the h and H. The H’s friends have passed away and as a guardian to their daughter he has to set things straight, which basically meant he had to marry the girl’s aunt.
The H was a true alpha who wouldn’t give an inch to the sweet, considerate h. He was also not pretentious and would own up to the fact that he was being annoyed by his cheeky niece/ward when she’d ask invasive questions. And I loved how he also indulged her demands to “demonstrate” as PDAs his love for his new wife.
The sweet h Laura is rattled out of her shyness and comfort zone with having Anton as a husband. He’s demanding, territorial and bossy. Can’t get better than that. He does however take her on a long emotional trip and almost drives her to suicide when she can’t handle the heart break of having to share her husband with OW. I wish the H wasn’t so cruel and would’ve eased her suspicions about him having an affair right in front of her eyes.
I liked Laura who despite being young and unworldly didn’t once scathe her jealousy on OW. She also didn’t take the misery route of returning back to her previous life and walking away. I wished for a longer grovel from the boorish H but whatever little he gave, finally he did come apart and made a sweet confession. A comforting and cozy read for the weekend!
The H was a true alpha who wouldn’t give an inch to the sweet, considerate h. He was also not pretentious and would own up to the fact that he was being annoyed by his cheeky niece/ward when she’d ask invasive questions. And I loved how he also indulged her demands to “demonstrate” as PDAs his love for his new wife.
The sweet h Laura is rattled out of her shyness and comfort zone with having Anton as a husband. He’s demanding, territorial and bossy. Can’t get better than that. He does however take her on a long emotional trip and almost drives her to suicide when she can’t handle the heart break of having to share her husband with OW. I wish the H wasn’t so cruel and would’ve eased her suspicions about him having an affair right in front of her eyes.
I liked Laura who despite being young and unworldly didn’t once scathe her jealousy on OW. She also didn’t take the misery route of returning back to her previous life and walking away. I wished for a longer grovel from the boorish H but whatever little he gave, finally he did come apart and made a sweet confession. A comforting and cozy read for the weekend!
January 31, 2022
This is not a romance. It’s not love or even honest desire when H usually thrusts her away in disgust after intercourse (page 89) or rapes her when she transgresses his edicts, or tells her there’s no difference between a wife and mistress and he owes her nothing nor needs to consider her requests because the only opinion that matters is his. It's her fault he raped her on their wedding night...??? ???
He tells her he doesn't know why she isn't satisfied, what more can he give her than his name, his home and access to money? Let's see. How about trust, honor, respect, consideration, the bare minimum that one gives to any close colleague that matters? Those are a long way from love, caring, cherishing, tenderness, which he refuses to part with. He's an emotional coward and he blames his failings on her and "all women"
He grovels at the end and she tells him to stop. Lady!!! This is your chance. Get him on his knees and whack him over the head a few times because it’s easier to reach him when he's lower down. She misses opportunity after opportunity to challenge his sick statements that no woman can be trusted, that she and all other females are liars and cheats. Challenge him to produce evidence she - not some mythical "all women" - lied, show her where she cheated.
When the OW has her classic “talk” with Laura she says Anton married Laura solely for Sally’s sake. Laura should have asked how she would enjoy having a nosy, outspoken 10 year old in the family. No, none of that. Our Laura is dumb and has the self preservation skills of a mayfly.
It’s hard to rate a book when H is disgusting and h thinks she loves him anyway, yet I wanted to smack both of them. A harlequin that brings me to that point is a good read but it’s a painful read.
He tells her he doesn't know why she isn't satisfied, what more can he give her than his name, his home and access to money? Let's see. How about trust, honor, respect, consideration, the bare minimum that one gives to any close colleague that matters? Those are a long way from love, caring, cherishing, tenderness, which he refuses to part with. He's an emotional coward and he blames his failings on her and "all women"
He grovels at the end and she tells him to stop. Lady!!! This is your chance. Get him on his knees and whack him over the head a few times because it’s easier to reach him when he's lower down. She misses opportunity after opportunity to challenge his sick statements that no woman can be trusted, that she and all other females are liars and cheats. Challenge him to produce evidence she - not some mythical "all women" - lied, show her where she cheated.
When the OW has her classic “talk” with Laura she says Anton married Laura solely for Sally’s sake. Laura should have asked how she would enjoy having a nosy, outspoken 10 year old in the family. No, none of that. Our Laura is dumb and has the self preservation skills of a mayfly.
It’s hard to rate a book when H is disgusting and h thinks she loves him anyway, yet I wanted to smack both of them. A harlequin that brings me to that point is a good read but it’s a painful read.
March 4, 2013
This one is really a 2 1/2 **
I knew this one would be dated and that usually doesn't bother me but for some reason this one was just too much for me.
Laura (h) gets a call one day saying that her sister and brother in law have been killed in a boating accident and that her 10 year old niece was in need of her. So she drops everything and boards a flight the next day.
Anton (H) really had a mess on his hands. His best friend was killed in a boating accident and he is left with the responsibility of his daughter that was left behind.
Though these two have never gotten along they decided that in the best interest of the child they will get married.
This one was hard for me to get into and took me awhile to finish it even though it was under 200 pages.
I knew this one would be dated and that usually doesn't bother me but for some reason this one was just too much for me.
Laura (h) gets a call one day saying that her sister and brother in law have been killed in a boating accident and that her 10 year old niece was in need of her. So she drops everything and boards a flight the next day.
Anton (H) really had a mess on his hands. His best friend was killed in a boating accident and he is left with the responsibility of his daughter that was left behind.
Though these two have never gotten along they decided that in the best interest of the child they will get married.
This one was hard for me to get into and took me awhile to finish it even though it was under 200 pages.
July 29, 2024
1⭐️for horrible, abusive H. 2 ⭐️ for doormat h. 4 stars for keeping me glued to the story!
August 22, 2020
Some really fucked up shit. He rapes her 3 times and is an absolute monster for 99% of the book AND he says stuff like he's going to cheat on her when he gets bored and he runs around with the evil OW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 25, 2011might have 2 copies
April 30, 2016
It is a good story for good old 80s...
Bear that in mind when you read it...
Bear that in mind when you read it...
March 25, 2023
I can't fathom how someone can love such an abusive arsehole. From the first chapter until the last, the H has been quite unbearable to read. Suddenly, they're all acting like one big happy family.
Read
November 8, 2012I think it was a good book
October 5, 2025
Another nope.
I've been trying to figure out why this H and book feel worse somehow than Shattered Dreams by Sally Wentworth in which the H is literally a diagnosable psychopath who uses actual torture techniques including a form of waterboarding/near drowning.
I think it's because in most of these type of vintage alphahole H books where the H marries the h and then is hateful and abusive to her, there's a very thin, implausible reason for it- usually he thinks that the h did some heinous thing to him or someone he loves, or she DID do something not so great, and he thinks that entitles him to r*pe, abuse, demean, insult, psychologically assault, etc. her. I mean, it does NOT in fact entitle anyone to do such things, but there is at least some slight implausible "reason" or grievance behind the H's abuse, as thin as it is.
In this one, the heroine has done absolutely zero things to the hero at all. All she has done is exist as the sister of his best friend up until they enter their marriage. They haven't really even interacted at all, have never had any words, nada, zilch, nothing at all for him to be such an ass.
He just decides that they need to marry for the bizarre reason of him being the guardian of her niece, and said niece demanding that she never leave her. And for some reason, in the nine-teen-seventies, this meant they "had" to get married, according to the hero.
And then he commences to rape her on their wedding night with her fighting him every step of the way, and THEN he blames her for the rape because she was fighting so hard, and then he sexes her up again immediately after.
He is a bad person. He has no redeeming qualities. He's not even that good looking, and he doesn't even have the saving grace of a soft spot for his orphaned ward really.
Now, at 79% and having read some other reviews, the part where he seems to be flaunting his cheating on the h with OW is probably not true, but it does not matter. He is a textbook, classic example of an abuser who will never ever change.
She is the textbook example of an abused wife who has trauma-bonded with her abuser (trauma bonding meaning bonding with the cause of the trauma when you can't escape it, not bonding over shared trauma).
The child they married for will not benefit from this marriage at all.
Other godawful stuff in this book includes:
* racist terminology toward black folks, (constantly referring to them as "Coloured" as a noun and not an adjective, naming one of them JEMIMA like the dang syrup)
* Hero chainsmoking cigarettes and leaving them in the sand at the beach
* Hero """"joking"""" about the 10 year old niece overhearing them having violent sex
* This is just a nitpick, but the author can't seem to decide whether the H/h share a large bedroom where they have privacy, or whether the h has her own bedroom suite shared with the niece, separated by a single door that doesn't lock, which makes me wonder if the niece DOES hear them having violent sex (and it is almost always violent because the h fights nearly every time at first)
* Don't even get me started on the body betrayal.
I kind of don't like this author. She probably grew up in apartheid South Africa and didn't have any problem with it so she's likely racist/prejudiced, she holds insanely backwards views about marital relations, people relations, just about everything. I feel like I would nooooot have liked her at all irl.
I've been trying to figure out why this H and book feel worse somehow than Shattered Dreams by Sally Wentworth in which the H is literally a diagnosable psychopath who uses actual torture techniques including a form of waterboarding/near drowning.
I think it's because in most of these type of vintage alphahole H books where the H marries the h and then is hateful and abusive to her, there's a very thin, implausible reason for it- usually he thinks that the h did some heinous thing to him or someone he loves, or she DID do something not so great, and he thinks that entitles him to r*pe, abuse, demean, insult, psychologically assault, etc. her. I mean, it does NOT in fact entitle anyone to do such things, but there is at least some slight implausible "reason" or grievance behind the H's abuse, as thin as it is.
In this one, the heroine has done absolutely zero things to the hero at all. All she has done is exist as the sister of his best friend up until they enter their marriage. They haven't really even interacted at all, have never had any words, nada, zilch, nothing at all for him to be such an ass.
He just decides that they need to marry for the bizarre reason of him being the guardian of her niece, and said niece demanding that she never leave her. And for some reason, in the nine-teen-seventies, this meant they "had" to get married, according to the hero.
And then he commences to rape her on their wedding night with her fighting him every step of the way, and THEN he blames her for the rape because she was fighting so hard, and then he sexes her up again immediately after.
He is a bad person. He has no redeeming qualities. He's not even that good looking, and he doesn't even have the saving grace of a soft spot for his orphaned ward really.
Now, at 79% and having read some other reviews, the part where he seems to be flaunting his cheating on the h with OW is probably not true, but it does not matter. He is a textbook, classic example of an abuser who will never ever change.
She is the textbook example of an abused wife who has trauma-bonded with her abuser (trauma bonding meaning bonding with the cause of the trauma when you can't escape it, not bonding over shared trauma).
The child they married for will not benefit from this marriage at all.
Other godawful stuff in this book includes:
* racist terminology toward black folks, (constantly referring to them as "Coloured" as a noun and not an adjective, naming one of them JEMIMA like the dang syrup)
* Hero chainsmoking cigarettes and leaving them in the sand at the beach
* Hero """"joking"""" about the 10 year old niece overhearing them having violent sex
* This is just a nitpick, but the author can't seem to decide whether the H/h share a large bedroom where they have privacy, or whether the h has her own bedroom suite shared with the niece, separated by a single door that doesn't lock, which makes me wonder if the niece DOES hear them having violent sex (and it is almost always violent because the h fights nearly every time at first)
* Don't even get me started on the body betrayal.
I kind of don't like this author. She probably grew up in apartheid South Africa and didn't have any problem with it so she's likely racist/prejudiced, she holds insanely backwards views about marital relations, people relations, just about everything. I feel like I would nooooot have liked her at all irl.
October 20, 2025
4.5 stars. major angst fest. it was a tough read even for angst lovers because the hero is unrelentingly toxic and awful to her and ideally we would have liked to see a bit more softness hinted at very occasionally to show that he cared about her without him actually having to say it. or softness showed in another direction like to pets or to his little ward. something redeeming to make us love him. but there was nothing. zip. zilch. he was AWFUL. gaargh. I hated him. but the book was so so so good. you kinda have to fill in the gaps in your mind and tell yourself he is acting the way he did, including forcefulness in the bedroom, because he was obsessed in love and unable and unwilling to process his feelings. if you don't do that, rhe book is an intolerable read. also, a tonne of dubcon. he wasn't even sorry for doing it really..not really. however, we do get a longer ending than in some of these types of books, where he does express his feelings finally, so it kinda helps. however this guy remains an irredeemable asshole to everyone but her in the end, and I can't find myself liking him. I can see why other readers wouldn't trust his love in the end, wouldn't trust how quickly it seemed to appear. also, the heroine should have made him pay at the end by leaving him for real. made him suffer. instead she runs out into danger and he comes after her, but that wasn't as satisfying as a deliberate act of leaving the bastard and showing herself some respect. gaargh. however, she wasn't unlikeable either. I would have preferred to give this 4 stars for that reason, but it was such a riveting unbelievably breathless angry angsty read that I had to give it 4.5.
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