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Take Hold of Tomorrow
Stella had hired temptation personified
Stella Rawson controlled Rawson Electronics, not as a decorative figurehead, but as the competent businesswoman her husband Mark's untimely death had forced her to become.
She was livid when board members opposed her choice for a highly sensitive management position and accused her of personal rather than professional interest in young, ambitious Russ Langford. And Russ's rugged good looks and undeniable virility only weakened her position.
When she began to see Russ as more than a business associate, Stella bemoaned her complete lack of discretion in loving so unwisely.
Stella Rawson controlled Rawson Electronics, not as a decorative figurehead, but as the competent businesswoman her husband Mark's untimely death had forced her to become.
She was livid when board members opposed her choice for a highly sensitive management position and accused her of personal rather than professional interest in young, ambitious Russ Langford. And Russ's rugged good looks and undeniable virility only weakened her position.
When she began to see Russ as more than a business associate, Stella bemoaned her complete lack of discretion in loving so unwisely.
186 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1984
3 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Daphne Clair
122 books64 followersDahpne Clair is one of many pseudonyms of Daphne de Jong, a New Zealand writer who also uses the names Laurie Bright, Claire Lorel and Clarissa Garland. She is the winner of the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award and has been a finalist for the Romance Writers of America Rita Award more than once.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 25, 2019
Stella Rawson is a widow and the sole owner of a large, successful electronics company after the death of her husband, Mark. Since she is beautiful and was considerably younger than her husband, she'd had to prove herself to the company, to show them that she was deserving of the management position Mark had put her in. Now that she's in charge of everything, Stella works doubly hard to be seen as more than a figurehead and to be respected by the company's board members, all of whom are male. When she pushes for the hiring of a young, brilliant whiz kid educated in America for an important management position, the board members are suspicious because Russ Langford, all of twenty-five years old to Stella's twenty-nine, is also lean, tall, and ridiculously good-looking. Stella, who has to be beyond reproach at all times, must prove to her board members that Russ was hired due to his brains and technical know-how, and not for his abs and pretty blue eyes.
Luckily, Russ is brilliant, self-assured, and gains the respect of his team right away. Upon getting to know him, Stella discovers that it is not so easy to stay cool and professional when a mere glance from the man gets her all hot and bothered. Though Stella is initially reluctant to admit it, Russ is not only a treasure to the company, but is also easy to talk to and hang out with after office hours. They develop a quick rapport with each other and at first, only a mild flirtation, and Stella is careful to keep their friendship out of the office.
But the friendship develops into something a little more when the casual end-of-date kisses turn into long, passionate embraces and desperate groping sessions. Stella finds herself falling headlong in love with Russ and begins to steadily go out with him and even eat lunch with him at the office—though they remain totally professional when others are around—uncaring when people in the company start to talk. Or at the very least, it doesn’t bother Stella at first. Until one board member, who has designs upon Stella’s person, points out that Russ is indeed a very clever, very ambitious young man eager to make his own path in the business world and what better way to do so than to seduce the lonely, lovelorn, love-starved widow into marrying him so he could get his hands on her very successful company? Stella brushes this off at first, but niggling doubts soon begin to take root. After all, she and Russ have yet to make love even though they’ve had a few close calls and Stella realizes she needs that intimacy. When Russ confesses his love for her and proposes marriage, but still holds out on the sex, Stella begins to get suspicious herself. Is Russ playing her after all, stringing along the rapacious and love-starved widow with promises of sexual delights in exchange for matrimony? Why would they have to get married? Why couldn’t they just be lovers for now? Could the vile innuendoes and vicious gossips be true and Russ really only wants to get his hands on her money and company?
Though Stella has moments of insecurity about their age difference—ooh, four years, big whoop—she is really more worried about whether Russ is as emotionally invested in their relationship as she is, especially when she sees him out with another girl, younger and prettier than Stella, at the fair while she is there with her goddaughter. After all, while she could be in love with him, Russ’ feelings for her could be more casual and not as deep, and she really didn’t want to risk another heartbreak since she had loved her husband very much and was utterly despondent when he died.
Another really great aspect of this story is the pacing. While Stella and Russ are obviously instantly attracted to each other, their relationship is allowed to progress organically and they start out as friends who enjoy each other’s company (they play Scrabble, chess, or just sit together companionably) . I especially enjoyed that scene on the beach (not to be confused with the Other beach scene, which tickled me pink) where Stella is lying on her stomach sunbathing and Russ comes up to rub lotion on her back and Stella becomes breathless with anticipation but nothing else happens.
I also liked how Stella’s grief and love for her dead husband was dealt with. It wasn’t just shoved by the wayside to make room for this newer, hotter love, but actually explored. It was also very refreshing to read about a heroine who had loved deeply before the hero arrived and even had satisfying sex life with her husband. I’m happy that dead husband wasn’t a brute, a louse, a cheat, and was genuinely loved by the heroine. I hate it when a previous love is made to look bad just to show that the heroine has never found love like she has with the hero. ::eye roll::
And shocker: Stella’s worries and insecurities are actually fairly relatable and reasonable and not overly neurotic. Russ is a dreamboat, though he does stumble a little near the end and ventures into whiny-man-baby territory for a hot minute. It’s also refreshing to read about a hero who is not “mine, mine, mine” all the time nor overly grab-happy, and just wants to be seen as a man in his own right. Just the perfect amount of alpha tendencies to make him sexily grrrowly and dangerous , but not enough to turn him into an alpha hole, with just a dash of beta to make him charming and sweet.
Really, really liked this book. I think it’s gonna go in the keeper shelf.
Luckily, Russ is brilliant, self-assured, and gains the respect of his team right away. Upon getting to know him, Stella discovers that it is not so easy to stay cool and professional when a mere glance from the man gets her all hot and bothered. Though Stella is initially reluctant to admit it, Russ is not only a treasure to the company, but is also easy to talk to and hang out with after office hours. They develop a quick rapport with each other and at first, only a mild flirtation, and Stella is careful to keep their friendship out of the office.
But the friendship develops into something a little more when the casual end-of-date kisses turn into long, passionate embraces and desperate groping sessions. Stella finds herself falling headlong in love with Russ and begins to steadily go out with him and even eat lunch with him at the office—though they remain totally professional when others are around—uncaring when people in the company start to talk. Or at the very least, it doesn’t bother Stella at first. Until one board member, who has designs upon Stella’s person, points out that Russ is indeed a very clever, very ambitious young man eager to make his own path in the business world and what better way to do so than to seduce the lonely, lovelorn, love-starved widow into marrying him so he could get his hands on her very successful company? Stella brushes this off at first, but niggling doubts soon begin to take root. After all, she and Russ have yet to make love even though they’ve had a few close calls and Stella realizes she needs that intimacy. When Russ confesses his love for her and proposes marriage, but still holds out on the sex, Stella begins to get suspicious herself. Is Russ playing her after all, stringing along the rapacious and love-starved widow with promises of sexual delights in exchange for matrimony? Why would they have to get married? Why couldn’t they just be lovers for now? Could the vile innuendoes and vicious gossips be true and Russ really only wants to get his hands on her money and company?
Though Stella has moments of insecurity about their age difference—ooh, four years, big whoop—she is really more worried about whether Russ is as emotionally invested in their relationship as she is, especially when she sees him out with another girl, younger and prettier than Stella, at the fair while she is there with her goddaughter. After all, while she could be in love with him, Russ’ feelings for her could be more casual and not as deep, and she really didn’t want to risk another heartbreak since she had loved her husband very much and was utterly despondent when he died.
Another really great aspect of this story is the pacing. While Stella and Russ are obviously instantly attracted to each other, their relationship is allowed to progress organically and they start out as friends who enjoy each other’s company (they play Scrabble, chess, or just sit together companionably) . I especially enjoyed that scene on the beach (not to be confused with the Other beach scene, which tickled me pink) where Stella is lying on her stomach sunbathing and Russ comes up to rub lotion on her back and Stella becomes breathless with anticipation but nothing else happens.
I also liked how Stella’s grief and love for her dead husband was dealt with. It wasn’t just shoved by the wayside to make room for this newer, hotter love, but actually explored. It was also very refreshing to read about a heroine who had loved deeply before the hero arrived and even had satisfying sex life with her husband. I’m happy that dead husband wasn’t a brute, a louse, a cheat, and was genuinely loved by the heroine. I hate it when a previous love is made to look bad just to show that the heroine has never found love like she has with the hero. ::eye roll::
And shocker: Stella’s worries and insecurities are actually fairly relatable and reasonable and not overly neurotic. Russ is a dreamboat, though he does stumble a little near the end and ventures into whiny-man-baby territory for a hot minute. It’s also refreshing to read about a hero who is not “mine, mine, mine” all the time nor overly grab-happy, and just wants to be seen as a man in his own right. Just the perfect amount of alpha tendencies to make him sexily grrrowly and dangerous , but not enough to turn him into an alpha hole, with just a dash of beta to make him charming and sweet.
Really, really liked this book. I think it’s gonna go in the keeper shelf.
January 17, 2022
It’s an extraordinary book for HP (or Silhouette) measures. Really different.
First extraordinary: She is 29, he is 25. It’s rare that the H is younger than the h.
Second extraordinary: she is higher ranked in the company. She is one of the directors. She hires the H. So she is his boss.
The h is a widow. She had a great marriage with a man who was 15 years older than she is.
The biggest criticism I have is that she should have been at least 10 years older than the H is. Because she always thinks about the age difference. She is only 4 years older than he is which is nothing. So it seems like much ado about nothing.
He is manly, but not an alpha male. He accepts seeing her and her secretary kiss and he leaves. An alpha male would have let hell break loose.
In the long term I don’t think he will be happy with her. She is too obsessed with her late husband and she is too obsessed with the 4 years age difference between her and the H and she is too obsessed with the way she looks.
She compares herself to younger women while she is only 29 herself. If a woman already does that when she is still young at 29, what will she do when she’s 50. 🙄
First extraordinary: She is 29, he is 25. It’s rare that the H is younger than the h.
Second extraordinary: she is higher ranked in the company. She is one of the directors. She hires the H. So she is his boss.
The h is a widow. She had a great marriage with a man who was 15 years older than she is.
The biggest criticism I have is that she should have been at least 10 years older than the H is. Because she always thinks about the age difference. She is only 4 years older than he is which is nothing. So it seems like much ado about nothing.
He is manly, but not an alpha male. He accepts seeing her and her secretary kiss and he leaves. An alpha male would have let hell break loose.
In the long term I don’t think he will be happy with her. She is too obsessed with her late husband and she is too obsessed with the 4 years age difference between her and the H and she is too obsessed with the way she looks.
She compares herself to younger women while she is only 29 herself. If a woman already does that when she is still young at 29, what will she do when she’s 50. 🙄
February 20, 2019
Stella, who inherited her husband's company after his death, has just hired young and handsome Russ Langford as a new project manager. She's ribbed by some of her senior execs because they think she's enamored with Russ, but they're mostly just jealous because they want Stella. Turns out, she is attracted to Russ (and he to her), but she's certain that she's way too old for him and that a relationship with him would look bad at work and affect her authority. Russ though, is persistent and charming and Stella can't resist. She falls in love with him. But her self-esteem gets in the way and whenever she sees Russ with a younger woman, she knows she can't possibly hold on to him long-term. In addition, she doubts Russ's motives for wanting to be with her.
That was probably a really poor summary. I sort of saw this is something of a historical document. For one, it's written while computers were just becoming a thing and the way the characters talk about them and discuss them is so very telling of the times. I have to imagine that people in 1984 were reading this and sort of in awe at the descriptions of the capabilities and applications of such technologies. When they got on the topic of RAM, I was waiting for them to drop a number like 16 MB as some sort of impressive number. Things have certainly changed in 30 years, haven't they? In addition, whether intentional or not, this author really puts out a commentary on sexual harassment in the workplace. Poor Stella is basically sexually accosted by her own underlings and the one asshole talks about her lack of consent like it doesn't mean anything. Even as a boss, it seemed she had little recourse for avoiding unwanted sexual attention other than to avoid the man. She apparently didn't want to fire him because he did good work for the company and it put her in a difficult situation. Likewise, the way her co-workers perceived her and the gossip they spread because she was dating another co-worker added some more nuance to the situation. I have to wonder if this was indeed the sort of thing women could expect in the workplace in 1984. Unfortunately I have no experience with that, since I was in kindergarten at the time...
As for Russ and Stella as a couple - this was indeed pretty angsty and dramatic. It put me in mind of a tennis match where the dramatic, angsty feelings kept bouncing back and forth between Stella and Russ. It was definitely entertaining. But I definitely liked the role reversal thing here. For once it's the guy who is inexperienced with relationships (it's heavily hinted at, but not explicitly stated, that he's a virgin). Russ is intent on a some sort of relationship with Stella, but doubts whether she's serious about him given her behavior and comments to others. He keeps coming back for more though because he loves her. Russ has plenty of angry moments, since Stella is pretty frustrating, but this mostly stems from her self-esteem and the bravado she needs to put forth in order to run her company. She is a widow and still very much loves her husband, but you never really get the sense that she feels guilty for moving on though. This is very much how I like things to go in this situation...no sense that the hero is second best or a second choice.
What did seem strange to me, but is probably a product of the times, was Stella's insistence that her being 3-4 years older than Russ was a deterrent to them having a relationship. She talks like she's some ancient crone at 29 (turning 30) and he's a teenager or something. She also seems to think that 30 is today's 50 or something. Nowadays they say 30 is the new 20 and all that, but wow. I did really like that the author threw in a contrast in ages - Stella's husband had been 15 years older than her and it was no problem, but Russ being 4 years YOUNGER is a major issue for her. That was a nice touch (and possibly another commentary...I like to think it was deliberate).
So this was a very entertaining story overall. It wasn't steamy sexual or anything, but there's chemistry and passion between the MCs and I have to consider the beach scene one of my favorites. . I have read stuff by this author before and did not like it too much- hero's are either borderline rapey and angry or heroines are way too frustrating. This one rode the balance between the two pretty well. Hero did get frustrated and angry, but never felt rapey and was pretty contrite after he lost his temper (never in an abusive way) and the heroine was frustrating but understandably so - woman had a lot on her plate. My favorite by this author so far.
That was probably a really poor summary. I sort of saw this is something of a historical document. For one, it's written while computers were just becoming a thing and the way the characters talk about them and discuss them is so very telling of the times. I have to imagine that people in 1984 were reading this and sort of in awe at the descriptions of the capabilities and applications of such technologies. When they got on the topic of RAM, I was waiting for them to drop a number like 16 MB as some sort of impressive number. Things have certainly changed in 30 years, haven't they? In addition, whether intentional or not, this author really puts out a commentary on sexual harassment in the workplace. Poor Stella is basically sexually accosted by her own underlings and the one asshole talks about her lack of consent like it doesn't mean anything. Even as a boss, it seemed she had little recourse for avoiding unwanted sexual attention other than to avoid the man. She apparently didn't want to fire him because he did good work for the company and it put her in a difficult situation. Likewise, the way her co-workers perceived her and the gossip they spread because she was dating another co-worker added some more nuance to the situation. I have to wonder if this was indeed the sort of thing women could expect in the workplace in 1984. Unfortunately I have no experience with that, since I was in kindergarten at the time...
As for Russ and Stella as a couple - this was indeed pretty angsty and dramatic. It put me in mind of a tennis match where the dramatic, angsty feelings kept bouncing back and forth between Stella and Russ. It was definitely entertaining. But I definitely liked the role reversal thing here. For once it's the guy who is inexperienced with relationships (it's heavily hinted at, but not explicitly stated, that he's a virgin). Russ is intent on a some sort of relationship with Stella, but doubts whether she's serious about him given her behavior and comments to others. He keeps coming back for more though because he loves her. Russ has plenty of angry moments, since Stella is pretty frustrating, but this mostly stems from her self-esteem and the bravado she needs to put forth in order to run her company. She is a widow and still very much loves her husband, but you never really get the sense that she feels guilty for moving on though. This is very much how I like things to go in this situation...no sense that the hero is second best or a second choice.
What did seem strange to me, but is probably a product of the times, was Stella's insistence that her being 3-4 years older than Russ was a deterrent to them having a relationship. She talks like she's some ancient crone at 29 (turning 30) and he's a teenager or something. She also seems to think that 30 is today's 50 or something. Nowadays they say 30 is the new 20 and all that, but wow. I did really like that the author threw in a contrast in ages - Stella's husband had been 15 years older than her and it was no problem, but Russ being 4 years YOUNGER is a major issue for her. That was a nice touch (and possibly another commentary...I like to think it was deliberate).
So this was a very entertaining story overall. It wasn't steamy sexual or anything, but there's chemistry and passion between the MCs and I have to consider the beach scene one of my favorites. . I have read stuff by this author before and did not like it too much- hero's are either borderline rapey and angry or heroines are way too frustrating. This one rode the balance between the two pretty well. Hero did get frustrated and angry, but never felt rapey and was pretty contrite after he lost his temper (never in an abusive way) and the heroine was frustrating but understandably so - woman had a lot on her plate. My favorite by this author so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2013
just finished this book. I was actually surprised that I like it as much as I do. It's an older romance from the early 80's so there isn't much sex or sexual behaviours. Not a bad book though.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
November 4, 2019Stella had hired temptation personified
Stella Rawson controlled Rawson Electronics, not as a decorative figurehead, but as the competent businesswoman her husband Mark's untimely death had forced her to become.
She was livid when board members opposed her choice for a highly sensitive management position and accused her of personal rather than professional interest in young, ambitious Russ Langford. And Russ's rugged good looks and undeniable virility only weakened her position.
When she began to see Russ as more than a business associate, Stella bemoaned her complete lack of discretion in loving so unwisely.
Stella Rawson controlled Rawson Electronics, not as a decorative figurehead, but as the competent businesswoman her husband Mark's untimely death had forced her to become.
She was livid when board members opposed her choice for a highly sensitive management position and accused her of personal rather than professional interest in young, ambitious Russ Langford. And Russ's rugged good looks and undeniable virility only weakened her position.
When she began to see Russ as more than a business associate, Stella bemoaned her complete lack of discretion in loving so unwisely.
September 17, 2010
I loved this one. I am going to have a hard time sending this copy back to it's rightful owner =)
December 28, 2023
Quite a nice story of a young widow boss Stella and an even younger new employee Russ. He's 25 to her 29 and if you can get over this shocking age gap 🙄 and set aside your massive irritation with her obsession over that and her turning an ancient 30 then you might enjoy the refreshing HP role reversal.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews