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The Man She Can't Forget
Once forbidden...
Lara Bradley's breath catches in her chest the moment millionaire Gabriel Devenish swoops back into her life, bringing with him a whirlwind of emotion. Because the man who stands before her is no longer the carefree object of her teenage desires, but a man hard, distant and ruthless....
Now desired
Gabriel knows he should walk away from Lara, and must show her that a happy-ever-after with him is futile. But proving just how wrong he is for her only makes him realize how just right she makes him feel...threatening the very foundations of the wall he's built around his heart.
Lara Bradley's breath catches in her chest the moment millionaire Gabriel Devenish swoops back into her life, bringing with him a whirlwind of emotion. Because the man who stands before her is no longer the carefree object of her teenage desires, but a man hard, distant and ruthless....
Now desired
Gabriel knows he should walk away from Lara, and must show her that a happy-ever-after with him is futile. But proving just how wrong he is for her only makes him realize how just right she makes him feel...threatening the very foundations of the wall he's built around his heart.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Maggie Cox
504 books71 followersMaggie Cox loved to write almost as soon as she learned to read. Her favorite occupation was daydreaming and making up stories in her head, and this particular pastime has stayed with her through all the years of growing up, starting work, marrying and raising a family. No matter what was going on in her life, whether joy, happiness, struggle or disappointment, she'd go to bed each night and lose herself in her imagination. Through all the years of her secretarial career she kept on filling exercise books and the "joy oh joy" her word processor with her writing, never showing anyone what she wrote and basically keeping her stories for her own enjoyment alone.
It wasn't until she met her second husband and the "love of her life" that she was persuaded to start sharing those stories with a publisher. She settled on Mills & Boon (Harlequin) as she had loved romance novels since she was a teenager and read at least one or two paperbacks a week. After several rejections, the letters that were sent back from the publisher started to become more and more positive and encouraging, and in July 2002 she sold her first book A Passionate Protector. Since then she has continued written.
The fact that she is being published is truly a dream come true; however, each book she writes is still a journey in "courage and hope," and a quest to learn and grow and be "the best writer she can." Her advice to aspiring authors is: "Don't give up at the first hurdle, or even the second, third or fourth, but keep on keeping on until your dream is realized because if you are truly passionate about writing and learning the craft, as Paulo Coehlo states in his book The Alchemist: "The Universe will conspire to help you make it a reality."
It wasn't until she met her second husband and the "love of her life" that she was persuaded to start sharing those stories with a publisher. She settled on Mills & Boon (Harlequin) as she had loved romance novels since she was a teenager and read at least one or two paperbacks a week. After several rejections, the letters that were sent back from the publisher started to become more and more positive and encouraging, and in July 2002 she sold her first book A Passionate Protector. Since then she has continued written.
The fact that she is being published is truly a dream come true; however, each book she writes is still a journey in "courage and hope," and a quest to learn and grow and be "the best writer she can." Her advice to aspiring authors is: "Don't give up at the first hurdle, or even the second, third or fourth, but keep on keeping on until your dream is realized because if you are truly passionate about writing and learning the craft, as Paulo Coehlo states in his book The Alchemist: "The Universe will conspire to help you make it a reality."
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 2, 2019
Apparently this book was first published in 2014. I can’t even… Really? This can’t be right because the plot and the characters wouldn’t be out of place in 1914.
First things first with romances -- the meet cute. There is none. Hero is a friend of the heroine’s brother from university. They meet up again after the brother dies.
Next, the staple of a Mills & Boon/Harlequin -- the sad back story. There is none. Obviously the heroine has the dead brother but the book’s major plot ignores that mostly and revolves around the hero’s sad backstory. And his is eyerollingly weak. It’s his free pass though to treat all and sundry, including the heroine, horribly. Toughen up, princess. Nearly everyone I know has a sadder back story.
A book should have conflict. There is none. Well, there is the sad back story that accounts for all the plot’s conflict but as it’s eyerollingly weak, I’m not sure it can be counted.
Romances should have some charm. There is none. The middle part of the book has hero throwing around his Alpha weight. He has the typical 80’s M&B/Harlequin career -- that is, something high powered in banking that isn’t really explained but it’s important and he must return to the US to sort out things only he can sort out. This means sweet English heroine also goes along where she is treated to a Pretty Woman-like trip of limousine drivers showing her the sites during the day and hero showing her a good time at night. In this part there are scenes of him choosing her a dress to wear and a restaurant meal to eat. So much for 2014 strong independent women.
Romance characters should have sexual chemistry. There is none. There are sex scenes, however. All full of manhoods and virgins. Yes, of course the heroine is a virgin. Even though he hasn't been around for several years, she'd still been saving herself for the hero. Hero thinks she has experience because she’s using birth control. He senses, however, she might be a virgin because she was ‘exquisitely tight’. And after throwing up a little in my mouth at that inner thought of the hero's, I recheck published date and it still says 2014. WTF.
I truly truly believe this is something Cox wrote back in the 80s at the latest and shoved in a cupboard. In 2014, she dragged it out, and ‘modernised’ it with a couple of mentions of mobile phones before publishing. It’s the only explanation.
1 out of 5
First things first with romances -- the meet cute. There is none. Hero is a friend of the heroine’s brother from university. They meet up again after the brother dies.
Next, the staple of a Mills & Boon/Harlequin -- the sad back story. There is none. Obviously the heroine has the dead brother but the book’s major plot ignores that mostly and revolves around the hero’s sad backstory. And his is eyerollingly weak. It’s his free pass though to treat all and sundry, including the heroine, horribly. Toughen up, princess. Nearly everyone I know has a sadder back story.
A book should have conflict. There is none. Well, there is the sad back story that accounts for all the plot’s conflict but as it’s eyerollingly weak, I’m not sure it can be counted.
Romances should have some charm. There is none. The middle part of the book has hero throwing around his Alpha weight. He has the typical 80’s M&B/Harlequin career -- that is, something high powered in banking that isn’t really explained but it’s important and he must return to the US to sort out things only he can sort out. This means sweet English heroine also goes along where she is treated to a Pretty Woman-like trip of limousine drivers showing her the sites during the day and hero showing her a good time at night. In this part there are scenes of him choosing her a dress to wear and a restaurant meal to eat. So much for 2014 strong independent women.
Romance characters should have sexual chemistry. There is none. There are sex scenes, however. All full of manhoods and virgins. Yes, of course the heroine is a virgin. Even though he hasn't been around for several years, she'd still been saving herself for the hero. Hero thinks she has experience because she’s using birth control. He senses, however, she might be a virgin because she was ‘exquisitely tight’. And after throwing up a little in my mouth at that inner thought of the hero's, I recheck published date and it still says 2014. WTF.
I truly truly believe this is something Cox wrote back in the 80s at the latest and shoved in a cupboard. In 2014, she dragged it out, and ‘modernised’ it with a couple of mentions of mobile phones before publishing. It’s the only explanation.
1 out of 5
March 4, 2014
Lara is in love with her brother's best friend ever since she was a 16 year old girl. Now 13 years later her brother has died in a horrible accident and Gabriel is back in her life to offer his support. But he is also a cold ruthless tycoon who is not willing to love, feel and risk his heart.
Very sweet love story. Heroine was a gem. I adored her. She is old-fashioned, loving, patient and persistent. She will do anything for Gabriel's love even though she knows he is not ready to return her feelings. Gabriel is your typical tortured hero but he treats Lara with love and respect. Still he doesn't want a relationship and he is too scared to make a commitment so he hurts her despite his love.
Enjoyable and super romantic!
Very sweet love story. Heroine was a gem. I adored her. She is old-fashioned, loving, patient and persistent. She will do anything for Gabriel's love even though she knows he is not ready to return her feelings. Gabriel is your typical tortured hero but he treats Lara with love and respect. Still he doesn't want a relationship and he is too scared to make a commitment so he hurts her despite his love.
Enjoyable and super romantic!
November 14, 2019
Poor Lara is trying to deal with the loss of her beloved brother when her secret teenage love breezes back into her life.
Gabe just learning of his best mate's death is taken back by his attraction to little Lara. He does try to resist their chemistry in the name of respect for his mate. Alas, he is shot down by good old lust.
Lara tries to resist the heartbreaker but she knows there is still a lot of good buried under that ruthless face....and sexy body. She craves her night of hot sex with the man she loves, which will hopefully lead to more?
Gabe has a lot of issues to work through & believes he is no good for her....so he leaves her.
Will he work everything out in time before they turn old & gray?
A well-written book with interesting flawed characters. It is more of a slow read but still good.
Gabe just learning of his best mate's death is taken back by his attraction to little Lara. He does try to resist their chemistry in the name of respect for his mate. Alas, he is shot down by good old lust.
Lara tries to resist the heartbreaker but she knows there is still a lot of good buried under that ruthless face....and sexy body. She craves her night of hot sex with the man she loves, which will hopefully lead to more?
Gabe has a lot of issues to work through & believes he is no good for her....so he leaves her.
Will he work everything out in time before they turn old & gray?
A well-written book with interesting flawed characters. It is more of a slow read but still good.
April 16, 2014
Couldn't finish. Very underwhelmed. I tried but the story wasn't engaging. It bored me. I couldn't sense any romantic erotic connection between the hero and heroine.
The hero seemed too nice and good not badass at all. Just ho hum blah.
I did like the heroine. She was nice.
The story had potential. Hero realizes he likes romantically the heroine who was the sister of his childhood friend. Unfortunately the execution failed to engage my attention.
The hero seemed too nice and good not badass at all. Just ho hum blah.
I did like the heroine. She was nice.
The story had potential. Hero realizes he likes romantically the heroine who was the sister of his childhood friend. Unfortunately the execution failed to engage my attention.
August 9, 2024
A slow read. No angst. She is nice. He is nice.
June 17, 2014
Very disappointing story. I couldn't get any feel for this one,rather than feel annoyed by it. The emotional dynamics didn't ring true for me, and the writing had an adolescent feel about it.
Heroine's emotional age seems stuck at the age she was when last she met H - 16 and she is just too "sweet" to be believable. H seemed totally self-centred, rather than scarred by a harsh childhood, and his moments of introspection felt forced. The HEA scene is one that made me want to throw the book to the wall.
Heroine's emotional age seems stuck at the age she was when last she met H - 16 and she is just too "sweet" to be believable. H seemed totally self-centred, rather than scarred by a harsh childhood, and his moments of introspection felt forced. The HEA scene is one that made me want to throw the book to the wall.
March 5, 2014
The first part of this book was pure struggle to complete bordering on boring.But,I held on and the book picked up midway thru till the end.Sweet romance with low level angst .
May 21, 2014
he's an asshole and she is pathetic doormat.
June 3, 2014
Couldn't wait to put this book down! Exciting? No. Hopelessly boring.
January 5, 2020
I could cheerfully kneecap this dude. And the woman was a fool. I liked the start of it, how non-angsty it was, but then the guy was just unrelentingly stupid and ick.
October 6, 2020
Leído en Oct 2014
Más de lo mismo... con personajes x!!
Más de lo mismo... con personajes x!!
August 10, 2025
Good story
March 22, 2014
It was okay! I really had to work on finishing the book.
Read
June 1, 2014"Cox’s tale is sweet, the scenery is ideal and the lovemaking is smoking (RT Book Reviews)".
June 2, 2014
I read the first couple of chapters and the last two chapters. This one did not hold my attention
January 11, 2015
Este hombre es terco como una mula pero tan belo...
kindle-hq
March 12, 2018Once forbidden...Lara Bradley's breath catches in her chest the moment millionaire Gabriel Devenish swoops back into her life, bringing with him a whirlwind of emotion. Because the man who stands before her is no longer the carefree object of her teenage desires, but a man hard, distant and ruthless....Now desired Gabriel knows he should walk away from Lara, and must show her that a happy-ever-after with him is futile. But proving just how wrong he is for her only makes him realize how just right she makes him feel...threatening the very foundations of the wall he's built around his heart.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews