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A Man to Watch
Her beauty became a barrier to love
Harriet's beauty had brought her many things - a modeling career, recognition, friends. Yet nothing had ever erased her unhappy memories of childhood.
Then she met Jotham Gaul - an irritating tycoon who was buying her late father's rundown factory. Strangely, she felt he was the one man who could dispel the aching loneliness inside her.
But Jotham Gaul was unaffected by her beauty. He seemed to look through her facade and made her feel once more like plain, plump, unloved Harriet...
Harriet's beauty had brought her many things - a modeling career, recognition, friends. Yet nothing had ever erased her unhappy memories of childhood.
Then she met Jotham Gaul - an irritating tycoon who was buying her late father's rundown factory. Strangely, she felt he was the one man who could dispel the aching loneliness inside her.
But Jotham Gaul was unaffected by her beauty. He seemed to look through her facade and made her feel once more like plain, plump, unloved Harriet...
- GenresHarlequin Romance
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
29 people want to read
About the author
Jane Donnelly
144 books28 followersJane Donnelly began earning her living as a writer as a teenage reporter. When she married the editor of the newspaper she freelanced for women's mags for a while. After she was widowed she and her 5 year old daughter moved to Lancashire. She turned to writing fiction to make a living while still caring for her daughter, she sold her first Mills & Boon romance novel as a hard-up singleparent in 1965. She wrote over 60 romance novels for Mills & Boon until 2000. Now she lives in a roses-round-the door cottage near Stratford-upon-Avon, with four dogs and assorted rescued animals. Besides writing she enjoys travelling, swimming, walking and the company of friends.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 19, 2025
The low rating does not reflect the quality of the writing, only my subjective, personal feelings at the conclusion of the book. For a romance to work for me, I have to feel elated at the HEA and regret leaving the characters behind. But here, all I felt was depressed.
Jane Donnelly has successfully written a heroine with multiple layers. From one minute to the other, you go from loathing her to feeling extremely sorry for her. That one scene where she is handed the portrait of her late mother and she keeps staring at it wordlessly, expecting her mother's eyes to gloss over her uninterestedly like she did in real life, had me choked up. But her stubbornness in pursuing the wimpy OM just out of petty spite against his disapproving mother and his friend (the hero) was just plain stupid.
The hero was understandably weary of her at the beginning and she did everything she could to feed his perception of her as a vapid, gold-digging, promiscuous cat. In reality, she was a woman who was very very down in the dumps, coming off her father's funeral and realizing all their assets were in bankruptcy. It really didn't sit well with me how he put her down so brutally when she was so vulnerable and alone. The guy was cruel, emotionally withholding and manipulative and I shudder to think of him being paired up with a very emotionally insecure, almost suicidal (all those daredevil stunts she pulled were a cry for help), and oversensitive woman like the h.
Just a sad, sad story when I was in the mood for something uplifting and cheerful :(
Jane Donnelly has successfully written a heroine with multiple layers. From one minute to the other, you go from loathing her to feeling extremely sorry for her. That one scene where she is handed the portrait of her late mother and she keeps staring at it wordlessly, expecting her mother's eyes to gloss over her uninterestedly like she did in real life, had me choked up. But her stubbornness in pursuing the wimpy OM just out of petty spite against his disapproving mother and his friend (the hero) was just plain stupid.
The hero was understandably weary of her at the beginning and she did everything she could to feed his perception of her as a vapid, gold-digging, promiscuous cat. In reality, she was a woman who was very very down in the dumps, coming off her father's funeral and realizing all their assets were in bankruptcy. It really didn't sit well with me how he put her down so brutally when she was so vulnerable and alone. The guy was cruel, emotionally withholding and manipulative and I shudder to think of him being paired up with a very emotionally insecure, almost suicidal (all those daredevil stunts she pulled were a cry for help), and oversensitive woman like the h.
Just a sad, sad story when I was in the mood for something uplifting and cheerful :(
March 2, 2022
This was one of my favorite Len Goldberg covers when I was a teenling; when the crispness of his line was something I sought to emulate in drawings of my own. It also demonstrates his facility with composition where he uses diagonals to lead the eye in a circle around the important parts of the image.
A Man To Watch features one of those there's a lid for every pot couples where neither MC is particularly admirable but seem well suited to each other. Harriet is gorgeous on the outside but has a solid core of pudgy plain unloved daughter inside. The reader knows this and it keeps her at least intermittently sympathetic as she lives down to hero Jotham's (and everyone else's) low expectations by appearing shallow and show-offy. Large, craggy-sexy Jotham is way too invested in whether his friend (the OM) gets involved with her. Except it's obvious—in a contemptuously negging sort of way—that he's attracted/irritated/amused by her glamour and recklessness and wants her for himself.
Harriet was vaguely thinking she might be convinced to marry OM, mainly because she really liked his house, as I said not admirable, but there was no hanky-panky between them. But as happens frequently with JD books the OM for all his mild-mannered pleasantness is actually pond scum. Jotham, OM and a few other friends had vacationed together for a few years at Jotham's island villa —this year joined by Harriet at OM's insistence—but it turns out that OM and one of the other women usually shared a room together. This young woman is pleasant but almost grossly passive. She was under the entirely natural assumption she was OM's girlfriend; the housekeeper had already arranged OM and this nice doormat's usual room—yet she stays anyway, moves to another room! Good lord have some self-respect. And Jotham, instead of acting like Harriet was the entire problem because her beauty turned OM's head, should have dealt with his friend more decisively—I'm a pacifist but if ever a dude needed to be punched!
Donnelly is a stylish writer and many of my favorite JD elements are here: snappy and snappish dialogue between MCs; a disinclination to rely on sex or even kissing as a shortcut to relationship development; and a disinterest in articulating heroine's sexual experience. Yes the time frame and turn from dislike to love felt too quick but I ended up believing it. Definitely a solid if not stellar example of her work.
A Man To Watch features one of those there's a lid for every pot couples where neither MC is particularly admirable but seem well suited to each other. Harriet is gorgeous on the outside but has a solid core of pudgy plain unloved daughter inside. The reader knows this and it keeps her at least intermittently sympathetic as she lives down to hero Jotham's (and everyone else's) low expectations by appearing shallow and show-offy. Large, craggy-sexy Jotham is way too invested in whether his friend (the OM) gets involved with her. Except it's obvious—in a contemptuously negging sort of way—that he's attracted/irritated/amused by her glamour and recklessness and wants her for himself.
Harriet was vaguely thinking she might be convinced to marry OM, mainly because she really liked his house, as I said not admirable, but there was no hanky-panky between them. But as happens frequently with JD books the OM for all his mild-mannered pleasantness is actually pond scum. Jotham, OM and a few other friends had vacationed together for a few years at Jotham's island villa —this year joined by Harriet at OM's insistence—but it turns out that OM and one of the other women usually shared a room together. This young woman is pleasant but almost grossly passive. She was under the entirely natural assumption she was OM's girlfriend; the housekeeper had already arranged OM and this nice doormat's usual room—yet she stays anyway, moves to another room! Good lord have some self-respect. And Jotham, instead of acting like Harriet was the entire problem because her beauty turned OM's head, should have dealt with his friend more decisively—I'm a pacifist but if ever a dude needed to be punched!
Donnelly is a stylish writer and many of my favorite JD elements are here: snappy and snappish dialogue between MCs; a disinclination to rely on sex or even kissing as a shortcut to relationship development; and a disinterest in articulating heroine's sexual experience. Yes the time frame and turn from dislike to love felt too quick but I ended up believing it. Definitely a solid if not stellar example of her work.
April 9, 2016
Actually this was quite an interesting book in that the heroine Harriet does not have the usual qualities of a heroine. In fact her personality would be that of a classic evil other woman.
Harriet is a beautiful girl, a part time model with a wealthy father to support her. Most of the time she is spoiled, wild and willful. She is also very self-centered. However all these are a mask for the crushing loneliness she feels. She used to be a fat plain little girl to good-looking parents and when they would fight, she'd hear them threaten to leave, neither one wanting to be "landed with Harriet" she spends a lot of time away from them since they dump her in boarding school. Her mother dies while she is still young and her father proceeds to ignore her from then on. By the time she is 17 she has grown out of her baby fat and is now a beautiful young lady. For the first time her father is proud of her and starts to take her around w him.
The story starts when she is 22 after her father's funeral and she find out that he is broke. Her father's friend suggests she sells the factory to the local tycoon jotham. While she is in town she meets up with an old boyfriend Nigel. She remembers that he had a beautiful home she always coveted. He seems just as smitten now as he had been 5 years previously.
Most of the story centers on Harriet stringing Nigel along and Jotham trying to break them up. Pointing out how unsuitable they are for each other. Jotham is also trying to protect Nigel's mother who hates Harriet and Annie Nigel's girlfriend who is getting hurt by Nigel and Harriet's blatant actions.
Jotham has nothing but contempt for Harriet and he would do everything in his power to separate Nigel from Harriet.
Jotham is actually the hero of the book but in the start he and Harriet actively dislike each other. Harriet seems a tormented heroine most of the time and the reader can tell she needs a strong partner to keep her grounded. I did find her personality quite poignant. It's a long convoluted road to their HEA, but they do achieve it in the end, if a bit abruptly.
Harriet is a beautiful girl, a part time model with a wealthy father to support her. Most of the time she is spoiled, wild and willful. She is also very self-centered. However all these are a mask for the crushing loneliness she feels. She used to be a fat plain little girl to good-looking parents and when they would fight, she'd hear them threaten to leave, neither one wanting to be "landed with Harriet" she spends a lot of time away from them since they dump her in boarding school. Her mother dies while she is still young and her father proceeds to ignore her from then on. By the time she is 17 she has grown out of her baby fat and is now a beautiful young lady. For the first time her father is proud of her and starts to take her around w him.
The story starts when she is 22 after her father's funeral and she find out that he is broke. Her father's friend suggests she sells the factory to the local tycoon jotham. While she is in town she meets up with an old boyfriend Nigel. She remembers that he had a beautiful home she always coveted. He seems just as smitten now as he had been 5 years previously.
Most of the story centers on Harriet stringing Nigel along and Jotham trying to break them up. Pointing out how unsuitable they are for each other. Jotham is also trying to protect Nigel's mother who hates Harriet and Annie Nigel's girlfriend who is getting hurt by Nigel and Harriet's blatant actions.
Jotham has nothing but contempt for Harriet and he would do everything in his power to separate Nigel from Harriet.
Jotham is actually the hero of the book but in the start he and Harriet actively dislike each other. Harriet seems a tormented heroine most of the time and the reader can tell she needs a strong partner to keep her grounded. I did find her personality quite poignant. It's a long convoluted road to their HEA, but they do achieve it in the end, if a bit abruptly.
January 9, 2024
I'm a fan of Jane Donnelly's writing. There's often an immediacy and richness to her setting descriptions without weighing down the plot. In this case I think she outdid herself, with her tiny Sicilian island, or possibly it's just longing on my part born of January in the UK. Anyhow, this wild, restless, lonely little lost h, dilettante model Harriet ends up crying for the moon big style when, after about 140 pages of rancor and sniping, she falls for granite outcrop rags to riches mogul Jotham. I had to look that one up, to see if it was an author creation (I wasn't a fan) but it apparently has an impeccable Biblical history. Sounds too like Gotham for me. The romance, such as it is, was such a slow burn I thought we were going to run out of pages. Nevertheless, the h's desperation and longing in the last quarter were movingly done (I thought) and I did like the way the H revealed his hand at the end. She needed someone big enough not to cramp her reckless streak and secure/strong enough to be the unconditionally loving "daddy" she really needed. The OM, weak, farmerish Nigel, whom she idly considered marrying for his Tudor house, was pathetic and also faithless to his erstwhile girlfriend as soon as Harriet hoved into view. I lost a blissful couple of cold winter hours in this.
July 30, 2025
She is a beautiful woman who was an ugly child. Her parents didn’t pay attention to her. She dropped out of high school when she was 17 and since then she is a model. She isn’t a top model because she doesn’t like to work hard.
She comes back to her hometown because she has inherited a factory from her dad. She thought she could do some business course (oh, please 🙄) to run her father’s factory.
But the factory is almost bankrupt and she hadn’t visited the factory in 10 years, so she sells it to the H.
The strange thing is that the whole inheritance/factory stuff then just gets lost in the story.
She wants the OM (who has a girlfriend) to fall in love with her because the OM has a nice house and she wants that house.
The ‘romance’ with the H doesn’t develop at all. There is not even one kiss with the H in the entire story.
She comes back to her hometown because she has inherited a factory from her dad. She thought she could do some business course (oh, please 🙄) to run her father’s factory.
But the factory is almost bankrupt and she hadn’t visited the factory in 10 years, so she sells it to the H.
The strange thing is that the whole inheritance/factory stuff then just gets lost in the story.
She wants the OM (who has a girlfriend) to fall in love with her because the OM has a nice house and she wants that house.
The ‘romance’ with the H doesn’t develop at all. There is not even one kiss with the H in the entire story.
June 30, 2020
Her beauty became a barrier to love
Harriet's beauty had brought her many things - a modeling career, recognition, friends. Yet nothing had ever erased her unhappy memories of childhood.
Then she met Jotham Gaul - an irritating tycoon who was buying her late father's rundown factory. Strangely, she felt he was the one man who could dispel the aching loneliness inside her.
But Jotham Gaul was unaffected by her beauty. He seemed to look through her facade and made her feel once more like plain, plump, unloved Harriet...
Harriet's beauty had brought her many things - a modeling career, recognition, friends. Yet nothing had ever erased her unhappy memories of childhood.
Then she met Jotham Gaul - an irritating tycoon who was buying her late father's rundown factory. Strangely, she felt he was the one man who could dispel the aching loneliness inside her.
But Jotham Gaul was unaffected by her beauty. He seemed to look through her facade and made her feel once more like plain, plump, unloved Harriet...
October 23, 2015
At first the h seems selfish and fickle but then reading further on you realize that she relied on her looks because she felt unlovable outside them. I ended up feeling sorry for her. She had a such a unhappy childhood and she was searching restlessly for something to hang on to.
July 29, 2025
This was different in a good way. Heroine would have been the OW in any other Harlequin story, but she's our main character here.
She's a poor little rich girl who was rejected by her parents when she was young because she was so plump and plain. She had rages when she was young, and she has rages now that she's slender and beautiful with admiring men wherever she goes.
Story opens slow (otherwise this would have been a four star). Heroine's weak, indulgent father has died and heroine is a hot mess - a beautiful hot mess. She tries to find succour in the medieval home she's always loved, but the owner's mother hates her. Owner is wet drip farmer who has had a crush on heroine since she was 17.
Enter hero - buyer of her father's neglected and bankrupt factory, considered "family" by farmer OM and his hostile mother. He's always been disdainful of the heroine and now he's downright mean as he tries to keep her from coming between the OM and his girlfriend.
Heroine acts out and says horrible things to him. She's a hard character to like.
The last third of the story takes place in Sicilly where hero has a villa. (see cover) Everyone goes on this vacation. OM and his gf, another couple, and H/h. This is where the romance begins.
Heroine tries one last antic to incite the hero - she pretends to drown, even though she's an excellent swimmer. Hero almost drowns her during his "rescue" and heroine wises up.
She starts to cooperate with everyone. She helps with chores and cleaning. She enthusiastically enters all the activities of a local festival, with the hero as her partner. (OM has to go with his doormat girlfriend). They have a wonderful time and don't return to the villa until 3:00 AM where OM is waiting for her. OM tells heroine that hero is only pretending to like her and heroine believes him.
She then begins acting outrageously again - but this time as a daredevil rather than hurting others. Hero is worried about her but has to leave for business. OM decides heroine is too much woman for him to handle. Hero returns and tells her he can handle her moods and energy. And he loves her for an HEA.
This had a great payoff, but it is a slog to get there. Hero really is the perfect guy for our mixed up heroine. Since she's only 22, I'm sure she'll grow into a lovely person now that she finally feels secure. Hero was cruel to be kind - but when his kindness took over, he was swoon-worthy.
She's a poor little rich girl who was rejected by her parents when she was young because she was so plump and plain. She had rages when she was young, and she has rages now that she's slender and beautiful with admiring men wherever she goes.
Story opens slow (otherwise this would have been a four star). Heroine's weak, indulgent father has died and heroine is a hot mess - a beautiful hot mess. She tries to find succour in the medieval home she's always loved, but the owner's mother hates her. Owner is wet drip farmer who has had a crush on heroine since she was 17.
Enter hero - buyer of her father's neglected and bankrupt factory, considered "family" by farmer OM and his hostile mother. He's always been disdainful of the heroine and now he's downright mean as he tries to keep her from coming between the OM and his girlfriend.
Heroine acts out and says horrible things to him. She's a hard character to like.
The last third of the story takes place in Sicilly where hero has a villa. (see cover) Everyone goes on this vacation. OM and his gf, another couple, and H/h. This is where the romance begins.
Heroine tries one last antic to incite the hero - she pretends to drown, even though she's an excellent swimmer. Hero almost drowns her during his "rescue" and heroine wises up.
She starts to cooperate with everyone. She helps with chores and cleaning. She enthusiastically enters all the activities of a local festival, with the hero as her partner. (OM has to go with his doormat girlfriend). They have a wonderful time and don't return to the villa until 3:00 AM where OM is waiting for her. OM tells heroine that hero is only pretending to like her and heroine believes him.
She then begins acting outrageously again - but this time as a daredevil rather than hurting others. Hero is worried about her but has to leave for business. OM decides heroine is too much woman for him to handle. Hero returns and tells her he can handle her moods and energy. And he loves her for an HEA.
This had a great payoff, but it is a slog to get there. Hero really is the perfect guy for our mixed up heroine. Since she's only 22, I'm sure she'll grow into a lovely person now that she finally feels secure. Hero was cruel to be kind - but when his kindness took over, he was swoon-worthy.
March 27, 2024
Almost 4 stars, as the writing is excellent. Her heroines have such depth of character that even one with less pleasant traits is compelling and I wanted her to get her man in the end. That said, it's an uncomfortable read as she's just TOO much - too erratic, wild and uncontrollable. I felt for her though and was glad that the hero accepted her as she was. He's quite a good teaming for her, but I wish there had been more interaction between them so we got to know him better. There are no OW, and the OM is just a foil for the hero, because he's weak and driven by lust.
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July 27, 2011Harriet was an ugly duckling as a child who grew in to a beautiful swan. She never knew love, and after the death of her father, she wants more for her life.
Jotham is a rich man without a family, but an abundance of friends. He sees past the pretty face to the vulnerable child still there underneath and falls in love.
A nice story.
Jotham is a rich man without a family, but an abundance of friends. He sees past the pretty face to the vulnerable child still there underneath and falls in love.
A nice story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews