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Prisoner in Paradise
Her stepfather lived in a fairy-tale world
Ralph Francis had snatched Sara from her boarding school and thrust her into his jet-set life-style. She was delighted with her stepfather's generosity--and the excitement of their life together.
Until Tim Knight came along. Ralph objected to Sara's friendship with Tim--and so did Tim's formidable brother Jason. Jason thought Ralph was dishonest and that Sara was in league with him.
Suddenly, truth and tragedy eliminated both Ralph and Tim--leaving Sara at Jason's mercy.
Ralph Francis had snatched Sara from her boarding school and thrust her into his jet-set life-style. She was delighted with her stepfather's generosity--and the excitement of their life together.
Until Tim Knight came along. Ralph objected to Sara's friendship with Tim--and so did Tim's formidable brother Jason. Jason thought Ralph was dishonest and that Sara was in league with him.
Suddenly, truth and tragedy eliminated both Ralph and Tim--leaving Sara at Jason's mercy.
188 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1980
About the author
Marjorie Lewty
81 books19 followersMarjorie Lewty, née Lobb, was a British writer of short stories and over 45 romance novels from 1958 to 1999 to Mills & Boon.
She studied at Queen Mary High School in Liverpool, but her plans to study sciences at university were thwarted, when her father died. She was forced to take a hated job at secretary of the District Bank Ltd. from 1923 to 1933, when she married with Richard Arthur Lewty, a dental surgeon of Liverpool. They had one son and one daughter. After her marriage she began to write short stories which were published in magazines. In 1958, she sold her first romance novel to Mills & Boon, and her last novel in 1999.
She studied at Queen Mary High School in Liverpool, but her plans to study sciences at university were thwarted, when her father died. She was forced to take a hated job at secretary of the District Bank Ltd. from 1923 to 1933, when she married with Richard Arthur Lewty, a dental surgeon of Liverpool. They had one son and one daughter. After her marriage she began to write short stories which were published in magazines. In 1958, she sold her first romance novel to Mills & Boon, and her last novel in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 17, 2016
3 and 1/2 stars. I had to take off a half star because the ending was so abrupt. This was a very intense story that never let up. 18 year-old heroine is at an Acapulco resort with her slimy stepfather when she meets the hero's brother, who is close in age to her. It's a relief to talk to someone young, because her stepfather keeps dressing her in sophisticated clothes and throwing her at men twice her age. The heroine has just left boarding school and doesn't really know her widowed stepfather - or the real world for the matter.
The hero's brother wants to marry the h, but she refuses, since she doesn't return his strong feelings. The hero steps in because he determines that the h is an adventuress who is cahoots with the slimy stepfather. Heroine doesn't know what he's talking about until the stepfather tells her she must marry a creepy 62 year-old man because he's broke.
Heroine runs away, marries the hero's brother, and they escape that same day on a train - only to have it crash leaving the still-virginal heroine injured and the brother dead. Enter the hero yet again. . .
This is some good old skool fun with a very young heroine and a sexually frustrated hero who nevertheless, backs off when the heroine says no.
The hero's brother wants to marry the h, but she refuses, since she doesn't return his strong feelings. The hero steps in because he determines that the h is an adventuress who is cahoots with the slimy stepfather. Heroine doesn't know what he's talking about until the stepfather tells her she must marry a creepy 62 year-old man because he's broke.
Heroine runs away, marries the hero's brother, and they escape that same day on a train - only to have it crash leaving the still-virginal heroine injured and the brother dead. Enter the hero yet again. . .
This is some good old skool fun with a very young heroine and a sexually frustrated hero who nevertheless, backs off when the heroine says no.
November 12, 2020
Her stepfather lived in a fairy-tale world
Ralph Francis had snatched Sara from her boarding school and thrust her into his jet-set life-style. She was delighted with her stepfather's generosity--and the excitement of their life together.
Until Tim Knight came along. Ralph objected to Sara's friendship with Tim--and so did Tim's formidable brother Jason. Jason thought Ralph was dishonest and that Sara was in league with him.
Suddenly, truth and tragedy eliminated both Ralph and Tim--leaving Sara at Jason's mercy.
Ralph Francis had snatched Sara from her boarding school and thrust her into his jet-set life-style. She was delighted with her stepfather's generosity--and the excitement of their life together.
Until Tim Knight came along. Ralph objected to Sara's friendship with Tim--and so did Tim's formidable brother Jason. Jason thought Ralph was dishonest and that Sara was in league with him.
Suddenly, truth and tragedy eliminated both Ralph and Tim--leaving Sara at Jason's mercy.
March 18, 2024
Sara is too naive for words.
Her stepfather appears out of nowhere, offers her jet set lifestyle and she doesn't suspect any fowl play until the moment he demands she marries his disgusting crony.
Sara accepts her young friend’s marriage proposal to escape. She doesn’t pretend to love Tim but promises to make him happy. Unfortunately Tim gets killed that night in train crash that leaves Sara to the mercy of his brutal older brother.
Her stepfather appears out of nowhere, offers her jet set lifestyle and she doesn't suspect any fowl play until the moment he demands she marries his disgusting crony.
Sara accepts her young friend’s marriage proposal to escape. She doesn’t pretend to love Tim but promises to make him happy. Unfortunately Tim gets killed that night in train crash that leaves Sara to the mercy of his brutal older brother.
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August 22, 2012i love it
April 10, 2013
One of my favourite book ever!
September 10, 2013
God, I was an emotional wreck after reading this novel. The pain and sadness, mixed with all the angst and confusing emotions. It was so good. I only wished the ending was a bit longer.
June 15, 2021
The ending is so stupid and inconvenience!! Seriously!!!!!!! And she was so happy for his proposal despite of his isults!!! No grovel no efforts from him to get her !!!!!!
July 19, 2023
This is a hard book to rate. I'm not crazy about two of the plot elements, the very young (in years and experience) h with older H, and the H's "you're a tart" attitude based on her conman stepfather. On the plus side it is intense, readable and I liked it. I find Marjorie Lewty tends to build in ambiguities, especially related to the H and h's relationship, and that's true here.
St. Margarets has spoilerized this so I won't.
The ambiguities lie in the nature of "want" vs. "love" and whether either feels lasting love or not. And how their feelings about Tim, her husband/his brother, who died the day after their runaway wedding, may interfere with their feelings and relationship.
The h did not mourn Tim as much as I would have liked to see. Instead she somehow transferred her growing care for Tim to his brother, the H. Will it last? Who knows. The HEA is realistic and the fact H stopped making love when he did gives it more credence, but I think they have or will have some guilt about Tim.
St. Margarets has spoilerized this so I won't.
The ambiguities lie in the nature of "want" vs. "love" and whether either feels lasting love or not. And how their feelings about Tim, her husband/his brother, who died the day after their runaway wedding, may interfere with their feelings and relationship.
The h did not mourn Tim as much as I would have liked to see. Instead she somehow transferred her growing care for Tim to his brother, the H. Will it last? Who knows. The HEA is realistic and the fact H stopped making love when he did gives it more credence, but I think they have or will have some guilt about Tim.
April 29, 2020
If the h wasn't so pathetic and ambitionless I would've rated this book a little higher than the 2 stars received. I don't condone the salacious comments by the H but he was grieving to some point having lost a brother. I don't know what the h's excuse is for being a bimbo.
I had to double check the date this book was published because she was so pathetic, I thought it was a turn of the last century novel but it's a 1980's book. The h from Bertha Ruck's "His Official Fiancee", which was published in 1918, had more ambition than this twit. To give you an idea of her pitifulness here is a quote of her mentality:
"Sara has been just turned 17 then, and dazzled by the exciting life that lay promising before her, and she couldn't have care less about A-Levels...."
I had to double check the date this book was published because she was so pathetic, I thought it was a turn of the last century novel but it's a 1980's book. The h from Bertha Ruck's "His Official Fiancee", which was published in 1918, had more ambition than this twit. To give you an idea of her pitifulness here is a quote of her mentality:
"Sara has been just turned 17 then, and dazzled by the exciting life that lay promising before her, and she couldn't have care less about A-Levels...."
July 9, 2024
HATED the MMC - what a chauvinistic, disgusting pig he was to the MFC. The entire book he insults her, manhandles and gropes her, and bestows punishing kisses (as well as bruises). She had no intelligence whatsoever. They were so mismatched in every respect, least of all age, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
October 18, 2023
Wanted to see more of grovel and better ending it felt rushed.
H was too hurtful at times and h really in some circumstances behaved stupidly.
H was too hurtful at times and h really in some circumstances behaved stupidly.
May 29, 2026
I hated this. I hated every single character and every situation this girl was put in. Such an uncomfortable read. 3¢ was too much to pay for this torturous story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews