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Never Trust a Stranger
She hadn't expected to fall in love
When Logan Telford asked Gemma to pose as his fiancee she couldn't resist the offer. Work was hard to find for ambitious young actresses, and she felt sure the pose would lead to a role in his new London musical.
Their arrangement was strictly business. No strings, no commitments. Logan played his part to perfection and Gemma tried to play hers, right up to the grand finale.
But when the time came to make her exit from Logan's life she knew she couldn't let him go....
When Logan Telford asked Gemma to pose as his fiancee she couldn't resist the offer. Work was hard to find for ambitious young actresses, and she felt sure the pose would lead to a role in his new London musical.
Their arrangement was strictly business. No strings, no commitments. Logan played his part to perfection and Gemma tried to play hers, right up to the grand finale.
But when the time came to make her exit from Logan's life she knew she couldn't let him go....
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
44 people want to read
About the author
Kay Thorpe
185 books65 followersKay Thorpe was born on 1935 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK. An avid reader from the time when words on paper began to make sense, she developed a lively imagination of her own, making up stories for the entertainment of her young friends. After leaving school, she tried a variety of jobs, including dental nursing, and a spell in the Women's Royal Airforce from which she emerged knowing a whole lot more about life - if only as an observer.
In 1960, she married with Tony, but didn't begin thinking about trying her hand at writing for a living until she gave up work some four years later to have a baby, John. Having read Mills & Boon novels herself, and done some market research in the local library asking readers what it was they particularly liked about the books, she decided to aim for a particular market, and was fortunate to have her very first, completed manuscript accepted - The Last of the Mallorys, published in 1968. Since then she has written over seventy five books, which doesn't begin to compare with the output of some Mills & Boon authors, but still leaves her wondering where all those words came from.
Sometimes, she finds she has become two different people: the writer at her happiest when involved in the world of books and authors; and the housewife, turning her hands to the everyday needs of husband and son. Once in a while, she finds it difficult to step from one role to the other. She likes cooking, for instance, but she finds that it can be an irritating interruption when she's preoccupied with work on a novel, so the quality of her efforts in the kitchen tend to be a little erratic. She says, "As my husband once remarked, my writing gives life a fascinating element of uncertainly: one day a perfect coq au vin, the next day a couple of burned chops!"
Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Mills & Boon authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Kay now lives on the outskirts of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, along with husband, Tony, and a huge tabby cat called Mad Max, her one son having flown the coop. Some day she'll think about retiring, but not yet awhile.
In 1960, she married with Tony, but didn't begin thinking about trying her hand at writing for a living until she gave up work some four years later to have a baby, John. Having read Mills & Boon novels herself, and done some market research in the local library asking readers what it was they particularly liked about the books, she decided to aim for a particular market, and was fortunate to have her very first, completed manuscript accepted - The Last of the Mallorys, published in 1968. Since then she has written over seventy five books, which doesn't begin to compare with the output of some Mills & Boon authors, but still leaves her wondering where all those words came from.
Sometimes, she finds she has become two different people: the writer at her happiest when involved in the world of books and authors; and the housewife, turning her hands to the everyday needs of husband and son. Once in a while, she finds it difficult to step from one role to the other. She likes cooking, for instance, but she finds that it can be an irritating interruption when she's preoccupied with work on a novel, so the quality of her efforts in the kitchen tend to be a little erratic. She says, "As my husband once remarked, my writing gives life a fascinating element of uncertainly: one day a perfect coq au vin, the next day a couple of burned chops!"
Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Mills & Boon authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Kay now lives on the outskirts of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, along with husband, Tony, and a huge tabby cat called Mad Max, her one son having flown the coop. Some day she'll think about retiring, but not yet awhile.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 11, 2020
You know this is a vintage story when the opening scene is of the actress heroine hitchhiking and being picked up by the hero – who pretends to assault her because she hasn’t learned her lesson about the dangers of hitchhiking.
Heroine realizes mid-assault that this is a famous producer and she’d better hone her acting skills by pretending she isn’t afraid of his threats. She decides she’s going to play it cool and convince him she is right for a part in his next play – without revealing she is a trained actress or that her mother is also a famous actress. She also decides that she is not ashamed of her unabashed attraction to him and will signal that to keep him interested.
She is not your usual HP h – even though she is a virgin and is trying to be independent of her mother’s wealth.
Hero is wildly attracted to the heroine and decides to offer a “job” as his fake fiancé at a house party. He’s trying to obtain funding for his latest play and the man’s wife used to be a former lover. Hero doesn’t want the man to be jealous, so enter fake fiancé.
Heroine enjoys a makeover and new clothes and the weekend. Unfortunately, the wealthy benefactor decides he won’t make a decision until they all take a cruise on his yacht around various islands in Greece.
To pass the time until Greece, the H/h enter a sexual affair, and even move in together. The heroine is so caught up in her first affair, that she continually omits to tell the hero that she is an actress.
Things are going swimmingly until the cruise. The wealthy benefactor’s black sheep son turns out to be a classmate of the heroine’s. *And* her mother shows up to join the cruise. Heroine’s cover is blown and Hero is livid. He’s so livid he flirts with heroine’s mother. Heroine is hurt and flirts with her classmate.
The silver lining to this black moment is that the heroine,her mother and the classmate all end up with a role in the play. But heroine is unhappy since she lost her true love, etc. . .
I was prepared for rehearsal and on-set shenanigans with the hero throwing his weight around and making the heroine’s life miserable. Unfortunately, the H/h make up before that and all we get is an epilogue referencing the wild success of the play.
I enjoyed this. Heroine kept the hero on his toes and all the minor characters were bigger than life who followed this dictum: “There are no small parts, only small actors.”
Thanks to Naksed for sharing!
Heroine realizes mid-assault that this is a famous producer and she’d better hone her acting skills by pretending she isn’t afraid of his threats. She decides she’s going to play it cool and convince him she is right for a part in his next play – without revealing she is a trained actress or that her mother is also a famous actress. She also decides that she is not ashamed of her unabashed attraction to him and will signal that to keep him interested.
She is not your usual HP h – even though she is a virgin and is trying to be independent of her mother’s wealth.
Hero is wildly attracted to the heroine and decides to offer a “job” as his fake fiancé at a house party. He’s trying to obtain funding for his latest play and the man’s wife used to be a former lover. Hero doesn’t want the man to be jealous, so enter fake fiancé.
Heroine enjoys a makeover and new clothes and the weekend. Unfortunately, the wealthy benefactor decides he won’t make a decision until they all take a cruise on his yacht around various islands in Greece.
To pass the time until Greece, the H/h enter a sexual affair, and even move in together. The heroine is so caught up in her first affair, that she continually omits to tell the hero that she is an actress.
Things are going swimmingly until the cruise. The wealthy benefactor’s black sheep son turns out to be a classmate of the heroine’s. *And* her mother shows up to join the cruise. Heroine’s cover is blown and Hero is livid. He’s so livid he flirts with heroine’s mother. Heroine is hurt and flirts with her classmate.
The silver lining to this black moment is that the heroine,her mother and the classmate all end up with a role in the play. But heroine is unhappy since she lost her true love, etc. . .
I was prepared for rehearsal and on-set shenanigans with the hero throwing his weight around and making the heroine’s life miserable. Unfortunately, the H/h make up before that and all we get is an epilogue referencing the wild success of the play.
I enjoyed this. Heroine kept the hero on his toes and all the minor characters were bigger than life who followed this dictum: “There are no small parts, only small actors.”
Thanks to Naksed for sharing!
December 13, 2021
A young would-be actress agrees to pretend she is engaged to a famous theatrical producer. He needs a sweet young thing on his arm to ward off the predatory wife of his most important backer. But in true “fake it til you make it” style, the pretend couple eventually succumbs to their wild, mutual attraction. The heroine is in LOVE. It takes a bit more time for the manwhore hero to pull his head out of his ass and into the marital noose lol.
The hero was too gross and arrogant for me. Not only is he a remorseless, love'em and leave'em manho, but it was sickening how he pandered to his ex-mistress all so he could get to her husband’s wallet. I am still not convinced 100% that he didn't sleep with OW on the sly, using heroine as cover to fool the husband.
On the other hand, it was clear that he just couldn't quit the heroine. She seemed to have a power over him that no other woman had achieved. It wasn't simply her looks or her youth, it truly was her spirit. The scene where he pushes her in a pool fully clothed to "teach her a lesson" not to mouth off to him and she calmly gets out of the pool and walks back to the breakfast table, clothes and hair dripping, to calmly take a bit of her morning toast, was HILARIOUS!
The story ultimately worked for me because the heroine was not a naive virginal ninny. She was wily and ambitious, stood up for herself and at the same time still had the kind of vulnerability and susceptibility to love that makes her a true Harlequin heroine. Imho, the hero is a putz but since she knows and accepts that he is HER putz, I am happy that she is happy. Plus, as barftastic as his behavior was for most of the book, his concluding love and monogamy declaration seemed plausible. I am going to believe in the adage that reformed rakes make the best husbands and give these two an HEA.
The hero was too gross and arrogant for me. Not only is he a remorseless, love'em and leave'em manho, but it was sickening how he pandered to his ex-mistress all so he could get to her husband’s wallet. I am still not convinced 100% that he didn't sleep with OW on the sly, using heroine as cover to fool the husband.
On the other hand, it was clear that he just couldn't quit the heroine. She seemed to have a power over him that no other woman had achieved. It wasn't simply her looks or her youth, it truly was her spirit. The scene where he pushes her in a pool fully clothed to "teach her a lesson" not to mouth off to him and she calmly gets out of the pool and walks back to the breakfast table, clothes and hair dripping, to calmly take a bit of her morning toast, was HILARIOUS!
The story ultimately worked for me because the heroine was not a naive virginal ninny. She was wily and ambitious, stood up for herself and at the same time still had the kind of vulnerability and susceptibility to love that makes her a true Harlequin heroine. Imho, the hero is a putz but since she knows and accepts that he is HER putz, I am happy that she is happy. Plus, as barftastic as his behavior was for most of the book, his concluding love and monogamy declaration seemed plausible. I am going to believe in the adage that reformed rakes make the best husbands and give these two an HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
Фалшив годежен пръстен, група актьори и продуцент, плюс цялото това нещо на гиздава милионерска яхта в Средиземно море - направо да се размечтае човек за ситен пясък и чайки.
3,5⭐️
3,5⭐️
June 3, 2020
Quite a delightful read, for an old Harley it definitely has many unconventional aspects. For one the H and h have a sexual relationship all throughout the story. It's also implied that the h had a previous sexual relationship with her ex. I liked that the H couldn't keep away from her. All in all a nice book.
pback-to-read
March 27, 2021She hadn't expected to fall in love
When Logan Telford asked Gemma to pose as his fiancee she couldn't resist the offer. Work was hard to find for ambitious young actresses, and she felt sure the pose would lead to a role in his new London musical.
Their arrangement was strictly business. No strings, no commitments. Logan played his part to perfection and Gemma tried to play hers, right up to the grand finale.
But when the time came to make her exit from Logan's life she knew she couldn't let him go..
When Logan Telford asked Gemma to pose as his fiancee she couldn't resist the offer. Work was hard to find for ambitious young actresses, and she felt sure the pose would lead to a role in his new London musical.
Their arrangement was strictly business. No strings, no commitments. Logan played his part to perfection and Gemma tried to play hers, right up to the grand finale.
But when the time came to make her exit from Logan's life she knew she couldn't let him go..
June 26, 2021
The h is quite bitchy. She thinks he has slept with every woman that even looks at him. And she says not so nice things. I like the fact that, although she is a bitch, he kept coming for her and giving her second, third, a thousand chances to redeem herself.
Especially when she thinks he slept with her mother, I think he has great self-control that he didn’t slap her for that. What a nasty thing to say to him.
Especially when she thinks he slept with her mother, I think he has great self-control that he didn’t slap her for that. What a nasty thing to say to him.
November 10, 2024
The hero has some issues with consent, reflecting a very different era of romance, but the attraction between the characters makes this very entertaining.
Also, it may be the answer to the book identification my sister sought - in which a young woman tries out for a part in Kiss Me, Kate. But I am quite sure I never read this before so I am skeptical that she would have read it.
Also, it may be the answer to the book identification my sister sought - in which a young woman tries out for a part in Kiss Me, Kate. But I am quite sure I never read this before so I am skeptical that she would have read it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews