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Once Bitten Twice Shy
Beauty and the beast
Fashion model Simone Atkinson had her reasons for being afraid of men whose guarded expressions hid private demons. Which is why all alarms went off when Angus Grey began his pursuit. He'd obviously convinced himself he knew exactly the kind of woman she was.
Lost in a wasteland of bitter desire, Angus expected a greedy little sensualist, but Simone vowed to prove him wrong. Fascinated by his strength, his gentleness, the passion he kept so firmly under control, she was tempted to let down her guard. Dare she give love a second chance?
Fashion model Simone Atkinson had her reasons for being afraid of men whose guarded expressions hid private demons. Which is why all alarms went off when Angus Grey began his pursuit. He'd obviously convinced himself he knew exactly the kind of woman she was.
Lost in a wasteland of bitter desire, Angus expected a greedy little sensualist, but Simone vowed to prove him wrong. Fascinated by his strength, his gentleness, the passion he kept so firmly under control, she was tempted to let down her guard. Dare she give love a second chance?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 1992
About the author
Robyn Donald
449 books149 followersRobyn Elaine Donald was born on 14 August 1940 in Northland, New Zealand. She was the oldest child in her family, and as a child, she thrilled her four sisters and one brother with bloodcurdling adventure tales, usually very like the latest book she'd borrowed from the library.
Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. She was living with her husband and Robyn and spent most of that winter acquiring, suffering, and recovering from various infections. One day she croaked that she had read everything on Robyn's bookshelves, so would Robyn please buy her something cheerful and sustaining. Robyn found three paperbacks- one Mills and Boon Modern Romance novel and a couple of other romances. Robyn read them, too, of course, and so enjoyed them she spent the next couple of years hunting down more Mills and Boon books. This was much more difficult then than it is today, so she decided to write her own, and for the following busy 10 years she wrote and hoped that one day she would finish a manuscript good enough that was good enough to send to a publisher.
The second illness was her husband's, and it was bad a heart attack. He was so young it terrified them all. While he was recovering, he suggested that Robyn finish the manuscript she was writing and send it off. It wasn't a perfect manuscript, but the doctor had said to humour her husband, so she finished the manuscript, edited it as best she could, and sent it off. Three months later, she was astounded to read a letter from the editor saying that if She made a few revisions they would buy her novel Bride at Whangatapu.
Published since 1977, Robyn sees her readers as intelligent women who insist on accurate backgrounds, so she spends time researching as well as writing.Robyn Donald sometimes thinks that writing is much like gardening. It's a similar process creating landscapes for the mind and emotions from the seeds of ideas and dreams and images. Both activities can also lead to moments of extreme delight, moments of total despair, and backache.Now Robyn lives in the Bay Islands. She continues writing, and also finds time for a very supportive husband, two adult children and their partners, a granddaughter and her mother, not to mention the member of the family that keeps her fit - a loud, cheerful, and ruthlessly determined "almost" Labradordog.
Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. She was living with her husband and Robyn and spent most of that winter acquiring, suffering, and recovering from various infections. One day she croaked that she had read everything on Robyn's bookshelves, so would Robyn please buy her something cheerful and sustaining. Robyn found three paperbacks- one Mills and Boon Modern Romance novel and a couple of other romances. Robyn read them, too, of course, and so enjoyed them she spent the next couple of years hunting down more Mills and Boon books. This was much more difficult then than it is today, so she decided to write her own, and for the following busy 10 years she wrote and hoped that one day she would finish a manuscript good enough that was good enough to send to a publisher.
The second illness was her husband's, and it was bad a heart attack. He was so young it terrified them all. While he was recovering, he suggested that Robyn finish the manuscript she was writing and send it off. It wasn't a perfect manuscript, but the doctor had said to humour her husband, so she finished the manuscript, edited it as best she could, and sent it off. Three months later, she was astounded to read a letter from the editor saying that if She made a few revisions they would buy her novel Bride at Whangatapu.
Published since 1977, Robyn sees her readers as intelligent women who insist on accurate backgrounds, so she spends time researching as well as writing.Robyn Donald sometimes thinks that writing is much like gardening. It's a similar process creating landscapes for the mind and emotions from the seeds of ideas and dreams and images. Both activities can also lead to moments of extreme delight, moments of total despair, and backache.Now Robyn lives in the Bay Islands. She continues writing, and also finds time for a very supportive husband, two adult children and their partners, a granddaughter and her mother, not to mention the member of the family that keeps her fit - a loud, cheerful, and ruthlessly determined "almost" Labradordog.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 22, 2021
'You kiss like a child,' he said, amusement sweetening the insult. 'Open your laughing mouth, Simone, sweet...'
It probably should bother me he makes such comparisons, but the number of vintage books I've read the last few days caused a brain bleach, so I either don't pay any attention to little Freudian slips or just shake my head indulgently, thinking about how I've read so much worse. 😌
There were very few things I liked about the story, them certainly NOT being the uncharacteristically soft for ms. Donald hero and out of the blue love declaration at the end that left me rolling my eyes (because even I couldn't suspend the disbelief). The story basically consisted of a buildup to their relationship, yet, somehow, it wasn't enough. Angus didn't fuss over her like a lunatic, just kept Simone's nude picture, painted by her ex-husband, in his house for unknown to us purposes and kept stalking her whereabouts after the day he left her for a year or so. On second thought, he did it long before they got separated. Totally unsuspicious, I mean to say. 😇😇😇
The girl was forced to chase after him, move in with him under false, laughable and completely fake excuse 😂 and pretend she wasn't madly obsessed with him, only to receive an offhanded love confession and long due apology for his beta-ish antics. The least he could do after Simone had to endure the conversation with his eerily resembling her appearance ex-wife. 🙄 So not cool make the lady do all the work, boo.
Actually, the only character I bit my nails over was the cat Sinbad. Her (it was a she) rescue mission had me on the edge of my seat. The cat ended up living in an expensive mansion, was treated nicely and had her belly full of food, and that's the only happily ever after I could ask for.
Little kitten stole the show, as those creatures always do. 🖤
HAPPY 🐈, HAPPY IRUNIA ⭐⭐⭐STARS
(but I miss the chaos 👉🏻👈🏻🥺)
It probably should bother me he makes such comparisons, but the number of vintage books I've read the last few days caused a brain bleach, so I either don't pay any attention to little Freudian slips or just shake my head indulgently, thinking about how I've read so much worse. 😌
There were very few things I liked about the story, them certainly NOT being the uncharacteristically soft for ms. Donald hero and out of the blue love declaration at the end that left me rolling my eyes (because even I couldn't suspend the disbelief). The story basically consisted of a buildup to their relationship, yet, somehow, it wasn't enough. Angus didn't fuss over her like a lunatic, just kept Simone's nude picture, painted by her ex-husband, in his house for unknown to us purposes and kept stalking her whereabouts after the day he left her for a year or so. On second thought, he did it long before they got separated. Totally unsuspicious, I mean to say. 😇😇😇
The girl was forced to chase after him, move in with him under false, laughable and completely fake excuse 😂 and pretend she wasn't madly obsessed with him, only to receive an offhanded love confession and long due apology for his beta-ish antics. The least he could do after Simone had to endure the conversation with his eerily resembling her appearance ex-wife. 🙄 So not cool make the lady do all the work, boo.
Actually, the only character I bit my nails over was the cat Sinbad. Her (it was a she) rescue mission had me on the edge of my seat. The cat ended up living in an expensive mansion, was treated nicely and had her belly full of food, and that's the only happily ever after I could ask for.
Little kitten stole the show, as those creatures always do. 🖤
HAPPY 🐈, HAPPY IRUNIA ⭐⭐⭐STARS
(but I miss the chaos 👉🏻👈🏻🥺)
January 21, 2018
Re Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Robyn Donald writes the best kitten rescue in HPlandia. It is a little orange and white kitten and this kitten is awesome!
( She is right up there with Marmalade of Lace and Satin and Oliver {who actually ranks first on the adult cat rescue situation} of Not For Sale and Harvey of Lovers in the Afternoon)
Oh yeah, there is a love story in there too, but really Sinbad the different colored eye kitty was the star of the show. She even goes trekking with her cat staff to make sure they do things right!
But I will tell you about the dramatic rescue in a bit, there is some backstory to cover here.
This book is the sequel to A Willing Surrender, huge spoilerizations are here.
The H is named Angus, and I always think of a big black steer when I read that name, so we will just call him Mr. AngryCrankyPants instead. And HE IS. Mr. ACP is pretty much irked the entire book - mainly cause his beloved lil' sis is married to the man who ran off with his ex-wife - while Mr. ACP was still married to her. (See the book above) So thankfully we get no Mr. ACP pov view during this HP outing, I am sure my ears would be burning if they did.
Anyhows, Mr. ACP is one mad puppy and so when he sees our sweet and kind h, Simone, who has a whole drama backstory of her own, he notices she looks a LOT like his ex-wife in body type, height and hair and eye color (svelte/tall/red/green). Mr. ACP hates that. But it is also what turns his lurve mojo motor on.
Sweet Simone notices Mr. ACP's earie mad faces and she feels that spine tingling chill - she just isn't sure it is fear that is tingling her. They meet during an Old West town modeling shoot. Mr. ACP just wandered by because he heard there were some fellow Kiwi's mucking about and he wondered if he knew any of them.
(As RD likes to remind us, NZ is a really small place, so people are always tripping over each other. Plus they like to gad about too, so it isn't surprising to run into one or twenty outside of NZ.)
The sparks between Mr. ACP and Sweet Simone are fierce, but there is a fashion editor named Julia in the party as well, and she is eyeing up all six ft four inches of Mr. ACP like the grade A prime hunk of beef he is - and he has brains too! Mr. ACP is an inventor and doing well at it by the clothes he snarls around in.
Sweet Simone has to be professional tho, so when the shoot photographer makes suggestive statements that indicate she is his lover, she just smiles mysteriously and gets on with things. Then SS gets a phone call that her mother, who was a huge promoter of living out her vicarious modeling high life aspirations via SS, has died. Poor SS's mum only got three years of the proxy good life before she was struck with early onset Alzheimer's, and began a long, slow slide that is now finally over. Sweet Simone is in great distress.
Julia the editor is not very empathetic, she paid a lot of money to get SS on this shoot and she wants her photo spread, darn it. So SS, who puts professional contracts in great priority cause that is how you get to the top of super modeling and can pay for pricey hospice care and a retirement, agrees to stay for one more day and finish the shoot.
Then she goes home to grieve over her pushy, but now sadly gone before her time mother. SS's dad had passed away a year after SS started modeling at 15 - her mother entered her picture in a contest and she won and then her mother made her take the contract offered in New York, thus abandoning her husband and SS's father. That was sad too, cause SS loved her dad and he loved her for who she was - not for how she looked or how much money she could earn.
Sweet Simone rents a bach on the beach - she needs private peace time and doesn't care that it is the freezing cold of winter. She gets there and notices that her duplex bach has another occupant, SS isn't too keen on that, but hopefully nobody will run into each other.
Then we find out Mr. ACP is the new neighbor, he promises to leave the h alone tho and we know that he is totally fibbing , he tracked the h to the bach - probably by dating Julia, who has SS's temporary address. SS believes him tho and then we get to the good part.
The weather is bad, there is a big storm and the waves are really big and cold. SS is having a walking mourning moment on the beach when a bunch of tangled driftwood moves. It is a kitten! Stuck on the little raft-like driftwood and going out to sea! OH NOES!
SS shows us why she is an HP h. With no hesitation she plunges into the icy, wave tossed water and tries to get the kitten. The kitten is terrified, she was adventuring and then the land moved! She scratches SS and a big wave comes and knocks everyone over! SS is freezing, hypothermia is setting in and all of the sudden Mr. ACP is there and pulling both SS and the kitten out.
There is mad rushings to the bach and Mr. ACP is assigned Kitten Klean Up duty after he pulls off SS's clothes and gets her into a warm bath. Mr. ACP may not be a people person, but he is an excellent cat staffer. He cleans, washes and feeds the little sailor cat and then he finds a hot water bottle and a soft fluffy blanket for the her little bed box. (He does kitty litter things too.)
SS comes out of the bath a lot warmer and notices that Mr. ACP has scratches from the kitten claws. She puts some antiseptic on them and then we take a really good look at the rescued Kitten. She has one blue eye, one gold eye and is an orange color with a white bib and white paws. It is true love at first sight - her name will be Sinbad, cause she is sailor cat, even if she is a girl.
Mr. ACP and SS share some foods and have a nice talk. Then Mr. ACP and SS start getting to know each other better while Sinbad keeps an eye out by doing Sinbad things like stalking leaves. When it looks like Mr. ACP might go off to do his own thing - Sinbad lures him back to SS by making attempts to foray to the beach. Mr. ACP has to use bits of grass and newspapers on a string to keep Sinbad from making another sailing go of things, but it keeps Mr ACP with SS and provides valuable Sinbad entertainment too.
Then Mr. ACP and SS have to go town to make a vet appointment for shots and a well-Sinbad check. There is a roofie kissing moment and afterwards Mr. ACP gets nervous and runs off to hide. Sweet Simone is startled too, cause she is still petting unicorns and kittens, even tho she was married at 19 to an artist for five months.
The problem was the artist was impotent and obsessed with SS looks and form and did not see her as a person, but he told her that if they consummated the marriage, he would lose his painting talent and then he got really weird.
SS wanted love and a marriage, the artist guy blew up, said ugly ranty things and then ran out after attempting to hurt SS but couldn't perform. SS took off, she wasn't stupid, and then she filed for an annulment and the artist shot himself and died. SS made his agent burn all the nudes that the artist had done of her, except for one that SS did not know was sold when she burnt the other ones. Guess who has that one? Mr. ACP gives really broad hints that he likes looking at it.
SS and Sinbad have to go to the vet. It was not fun, cause there were shots and flea powder involved. On the way back, SS made sure that Sinbad's pet taxi was securely seat belted in place, along with SS's seat belt cause everyone should always buckle up - even kittens. Which was a good thing, cause some dubious probably pot growers in the mountains wrecked into SS's vehicle on the mud slicked road and then they took off.
SS and Sinbad were in a bad place, cause the car was hanging off the road over a big chasm. They had to wait a really long time for the H to come find them when they did not get back from the vet's right away. Sinbad was pretty confident tho, cause Mr. ACP was hiding and stalking them from afar - he learned his skills from Sinbad obviously.
Then SS has to leave Sinbad to have a moment by herself to do Sinbad things, Simone gets a call from Julia about a big party she needs her to attend as a favor. SS goes, but has nothing to wear except a really suggestive gown Julia gives her that SS doesn't like - it will lead to a lot of ugly propositions that SS will have to fend off. Fortunately, the H from The Stone Princess shows up. Sadly without SS's BFF, his wife Petra who is at home preggers, but fortunately SS can hang on him and Petra won't get mad cause they are all friends and SS needs a male pig avoidance shield.
Then Julia and Mr. ACP walk up and it becomes clear that Julia, jealous over Mr. ACP's interest in SS, has set a nasty smackdown up. Mr. ACP delivers on cue and calls SS a tart because she is advertising in that dress. The H from TSP sweeps Sweet Simone away and they escape the party, while Julia tells Mr. ACP that they are lovers and SS doesn't care that he is married.
SS goes back to the bach, then Mr. ACP gets back. There are angry words that lead to the big lurve club explosion. Mr. ACP is shocked, cause unicorns have to find a new groomer. Then he nastily asks if SS denied her husband his rights and is that why he shot himself. He also claims that SS is so heartless she even kept on working when her mother died, and then he runs away again before SS can explain the situation.
Sinbad, who likes to take naps under the duvet while she contemplates her next adventure, is in red alert. Sweet Simone has to get back to work and Sinbad will have to go stay in a cattery. Sinbad doesn't DO catteries. There is no adventures or treks or cat staff supervisions, so Sinbad manufactures an extremely important appointment outside and refuses to break it when SS goes to look for her.
Sinbad just did outside things for a few days until Mr. ACP came back, then she moved in with him and his new unkept, needs a refurbishment house at the Pukapuka Estuary. She gets Mr. ACP to send cat pictures of her glorious and growing self every few weeks, just to keep a line open to Sweet Simone.
But SS is gone a LOONNG time, she is out working for 13 months and SS also gets two mysteries published with good reviews. SS needs to have enough money to retire and buy Sinbad Treats, before she can abstain from modeling and continue her writing career.
That is why Sinbad ignores SS, tho she accepts a few apology pettings, when SS shows up at Mr. ACP's Pukapuka house. SS is going to have suffer both Sinbad's and Mr. ACP's pretend indifference until they feel like getting over their attitudes, Sinbad did the Royal Cat Decree.
Even tho SS is pining away cause she loves Mr. ACP and is ruined for other men, Sinbad isn't asking for cuddles until Sweet Simone bares her soul to her about her huge love for Mr. ACP and her plans for a future with him. Which SS eventually does, cause she is smart enough to realize that Sinbad is a great listener and always has things sorted out.
Sweet Simone moves in with Mr. ACP, following Sinbad's carpe diem lead - tho Sinbad gets really irritated when they interrupt her power naps on the bed and make the springs bounce too much. However once they get done bouncing around and making strange noises at each other, Sinbad has a great time batting at their feet.
Things are going along and everyone is happy and lurved up and Mr ACP seems to be getting less distant. SS is feeling kinda doubtful her lurve campaign is going to win, but she keeps trying. Sinbad is thinking about SS promotions to permanent staff. Until another red-haired, green-eyed lady knocks on the door.
Sweet Simone answers it and gives a Sinbad worthy hiss - cause it is Mr. ACP's ex-wife. Mr. ACP is really, really angry. He breaks a pencil and almost hits Sinbad when he throws it! Sinbad is alert and ready to take some serous claw swipes at these troublesome cat staffers, but the ex-wife only wants to say sorry, cause she was a nematode sewer swilller and now she is getting remarried and he made her come apologize for her very bad behavior.
Mr. ACP is having a dark night crisis of the soul and he has to go put himself in timeout for a few days. Sinbad isn't really worried, tho Sweet Simone is looking pretty frazzled. Sinbad knows she has schooled Mr. ACP to be the finest cat staffer in the world.
Since Sinbad herself has forgiven Sweet Simone and frequently uses her lap for an emergency nap or twenty, (sometime these adventures are REALLY exhausting,) Sinbad knows Mr. ACP will be obedient to Sinbad's will and fall right into line and do that word thingy with Sweet Simone to bring her on board as full time cat staffer, who finally buys the right kind of Sinbad treats and gets Sinbad's hair brushed just right.
Sinbad Is Right! (We knew she would be.) Mr. ACP comes back and gives Sinbad sorry for being distracted from my duty pettings and then he tells Sweet Simone that he loves her and the nematode ex was really the pale copy of her and he is sorry he did not wait for the real thing. He also never slept with Julia and is really sorry for all the mean accusations he made that he knows are untrue.
Mr. ACP also swears he will burn the nude picture he bought from SS's hubby if she wants, but really he should have known when he first saw it that she was the woman he was waiting for and will she please stay and be a slave to Sinbad with him permanently?
Sweet Simone is overjoyed that Sinbad, who knows gold from dross and has great wisdom, approves of the H's proposal and has accepted Sweet Simone's application for permanent cat staff service.
Mr AngryCrankyPants is now transformed to Mr. HappyLovingShorts. Sinbad is glad that everyone listened to her, even if she did have to bat a few staffers around sometimes. Now we can all get back to cat approved adventures and Sinbad Treats as everyone settles down for books, babies, inventions and more Cat Serving for a truly happy HPlandia HEA outing.
( She is right up there with Marmalade of Lace and Satin and Oliver {who actually ranks first on the adult cat rescue situation} of Not For Sale and Harvey of Lovers in the Afternoon)
Oh yeah, there is a love story in there too, but really Sinbad the different colored eye kitty was the star of the show. She even goes trekking with her cat staff to make sure they do things right!
But I will tell you about the dramatic rescue in a bit, there is some backstory to cover here.
This book is the sequel to A Willing Surrender, huge spoilerizations are here.
The H is named Angus, and I always think of a big black steer when I read that name, so we will just call him Mr. AngryCrankyPants instead. And HE IS. Mr. ACP is pretty much irked the entire book - mainly cause his beloved lil' sis is married to the man who ran off with his ex-wife - while Mr. ACP was still married to her. (See the book above) So thankfully we get no Mr. ACP pov view during this HP outing, I am sure my ears would be burning if they did.
Anyhows, Mr. ACP is one mad puppy and so when he sees our sweet and kind h, Simone, who has a whole drama backstory of her own, he notices she looks a LOT like his ex-wife in body type, height and hair and eye color (svelte/tall/red/green). Mr. ACP hates that. But it is also what turns his lurve mojo motor on.
Sweet Simone notices Mr. ACP's earie mad faces and she feels that spine tingling chill - she just isn't sure it is fear that is tingling her. They meet during an Old West town modeling shoot. Mr. ACP just wandered by because he heard there were some fellow Kiwi's mucking about and he wondered if he knew any of them.
(As RD likes to remind us, NZ is a really small place, so people are always tripping over each other. Plus they like to gad about too, so it isn't surprising to run into one or twenty outside of NZ.)
The sparks between Mr. ACP and Sweet Simone are fierce, but there is a fashion editor named Julia in the party as well, and she is eyeing up all six ft four inches of Mr. ACP like the grade A prime hunk of beef he is - and he has brains too! Mr. ACP is an inventor and doing well at it by the clothes he snarls around in.
Sweet Simone has to be professional tho, so when the shoot photographer makes suggestive statements that indicate she is his lover, she just smiles mysteriously and gets on with things. Then SS gets a phone call that her mother, who was a huge promoter of living out her vicarious modeling high life aspirations via SS, has died. Poor SS's mum only got three years of the proxy good life before she was struck with early onset Alzheimer's, and began a long, slow slide that is now finally over. Sweet Simone is in great distress.
Julia the editor is not very empathetic, she paid a lot of money to get SS on this shoot and she wants her photo spread, darn it. So SS, who puts professional contracts in great priority cause that is how you get to the top of super modeling and can pay for pricey hospice care and a retirement, agrees to stay for one more day and finish the shoot.
Then she goes home to grieve over her pushy, but now sadly gone before her time mother. SS's dad had passed away a year after SS started modeling at 15 - her mother entered her picture in a contest and she won and then her mother made her take the contract offered in New York, thus abandoning her husband and SS's father. That was sad too, cause SS loved her dad and he loved her for who she was - not for how she looked or how much money she could earn.
Sweet Simone rents a bach on the beach - she needs private peace time and doesn't care that it is the freezing cold of winter. She gets there and notices that her duplex bach has another occupant, SS isn't too keen on that, but hopefully nobody will run into each other.
Then we find out Mr. ACP is the new neighbor, he promises to leave the h alone tho and we know that he is totally fibbing , he tracked the h to the bach - probably by dating Julia, who has SS's temporary address. SS believes him tho and then we get to the good part.
The weather is bad, there is a big storm and the waves are really big and cold. SS is having a walking mourning moment on the beach when a bunch of tangled driftwood moves. It is a kitten! Stuck on the little raft-like driftwood and going out to sea! OH NOES!
SS shows us why she is an HP h. With no hesitation she plunges into the icy, wave tossed water and tries to get the kitten. The kitten is terrified, she was adventuring and then the land moved! She scratches SS and a big wave comes and knocks everyone over! SS is freezing, hypothermia is setting in and all of the sudden Mr. ACP is there and pulling both SS and the kitten out.
There is mad rushings to the bach and Mr. ACP is assigned Kitten Klean Up duty after he pulls off SS's clothes and gets her into a warm bath. Mr. ACP may not be a people person, but he is an excellent cat staffer. He cleans, washes and feeds the little sailor cat and then he finds a hot water bottle and a soft fluffy blanket for the her little bed box. (He does kitty litter things too.)
SS comes out of the bath a lot warmer and notices that Mr. ACP has scratches from the kitten claws. She puts some antiseptic on them and then we take a really good look at the rescued Kitten. She has one blue eye, one gold eye and is an orange color with a white bib and white paws. It is true love at first sight - her name will be Sinbad, cause she is sailor cat, even if she is a girl.
Mr. ACP and SS share some foods and have a nice talk. Then Mr. ACP and SS start getting to know each other better while Sinbad keeps an eye out by doing Sinbad things like stalking leaves. When it looks like Mr. ACP might go off to do his own thing - Sinbad lures him back to SS by making attempts to foray to the beach. Mr. ACP has to use bits of grass and newspapers on a string to keep Sinbad from making another sailing go of things, but it keeps Mr ACP with SS and provides valuable Sinbad entertainment too.
Then Mr. ACP and SS have to go town to make a vet appointment for shots and a well-Sinbad check. There is a roofie kissing moment and afterwards Mr. ACP gets nervous and runs off to hide. Sweet Simone is startled too, cause she is still petting unicorns and kittens, even tho she was married at 19 to an artist for five months.
The problem was the artist was impotent and obsessed with SS looks and form and did not see her as a person, but he told her that if they consummated the marriage, he would lose his painting talent and then he got really weird.
SS wanted love and a marriage, the artist guy blew up, said ugly ranty things and then ran out after attempting to hurt SS but couldn't perform. SS took off, she wasn't stupid, and then she filed for an annulment and the artist shot himself and died. SS made his agent burn all the nudes that the artist had done of her, except for one that SS did not know was sold when she burnt the other ones. Guess who has that one? Mr. ACP gives really broad hints that he likes looking at it.
SS and Sinbad have to go to the vet. It was not fun, cause there were shots and flea powder involved. On the way back, SS made sure that Sinbad's pet taxi was securely seat belted in place, along with SS's seat belt cause everyone should always buckle up - even kittens. Which was a good thing, cause some dubious probably pot growers in the mountains wrecked into SS's vehicle on the mud slicked road and then they took off.
SS and Sinbad were in a bad place, cause the car was hanging off the road over a big chasm. They had to wait a really long time for the H to come find them when they did not get back from the vet's right away. Sinbad was pretty confident tho, cause Mr. ACP was hiding and stalking them from afar - he learned his skills from Sinbad obviously.
Then SS has to leave Sinbad to have a moment by herself to do Sinbad things, Simone gets a call from Julia about a big party she needs her to attend as a favor. SS goes, but has nothing to wear except a really suggestive gown Julia gives her that SS doesn't like - it will lead to a lot of ugly propositions that SS will have to fend off. Fortunately, the H from The Stone Princess shows up. Sadly without SS's BFF, his wife Petra who is at home preggers, but fortunately SS can hang on him and Petra won't get mad cause they are all friends and SS needs a male pig avoidance shield.
Then Julia and Mr. ACP walk up and it becomes clear that Julia, jealous over Mr. ACP's interest in SS, has set a nasty smackdown up. Mr. ACP delivers on cue and calls SS a tart because she is advertising in that dress. The H from TSP sweeps Sweet Simone away and they escape the party, while Julia tells Mr. ACP that they are lovers and SS doesn't care that he is married.
SS goes back to the bach, then Mr. ACP gets back. There are angry words that lead to the big lurve club explosion. Mr. ACP is shocked, cause unicorns have to find a new groomer. Then he nastily asks if SS denied her husband his rights and is that why he shot himself. He also claims that SS is so heartless she even kept on working when her mother died, and then he runs away again before SS can explain the situation.
Sinbad, who likes to take naps under the duvet while she contemplates her next adventure, is in red alert. Sweet Simone has to get back to work and Sinbad will have to go stay in a cattery. Sinbad doesn't DO catteries. There is no adventures or treks or cat staff supervisions, so Sinbad manufactures an extremely important appointment outside and refuses to break it when SS goes to look for her.
Sinbad just did outside things for a few days until Mr. ACP came back, then she moved in with him and his new unkept, needs a refurbishment house at the Pukapuka Estuary. She gets Mr. ACP to send cat pictures of her glorious and growing self every few weeks, just to keep a line open to Sweet Simone.
But SS is gone a LOONNG time, she is out working for 13 months and SS also gets two mysteries published with good reviews. SS needs to have enough money to retire and buy Sinbad Treats, before she can abstain from modeling and continue her writing career.
That is why Sinbad ignores SS, tho she accepts a few apology pettings, when SS shows up at Mr. ACP's Pukapuka house. SS is going to have suffer both Sinbad's and Mr. ACP's pretend indifference until they feel like getting over their attitudes, Sinbad did the Royal Cat Decree.
Even tho SS is pining away cause she loves Mr. ACP and is ruined for other men, Sinbad isn't asking for cuddles until Sweet Simone bares her soul to her about her huge love for Mr. ACP and her plans for a future with him. Which SS eventually does, cause she is smart enough to realize that Sinbad is a great listener and always has things sorted out.
Sweet Simone moves in with Mr. ACP, following Sinbad's carpe diem lead - tho Sinbad gets really irritated when they interrupt her power naps on the bed and make the springs bounce too much. However once they get done bouncing around and making strange noises at each other, Sinbad has a great time batting at their feet.
Things are going along and everyone is happy and lurved up and Mr ACP seems to be getting less distant. SS is feeling kinda doubtful her lurve campaign is going to win, but she keeps trying. Sinbad is thinking about SS promotions to permanent staff. Until another red-haired, green-eyed lady knocks on the door.
Sweet Simone answers it and gives a Sinbad worthy hiss - cause it is Mr. ACP's ex-wife. Mr. ACP is really, really angry. He breaks a pencil and almost hits Sinbad when he throws it! Sinbad is alert and ready to take some serous claw swipes at these troublesome cat staffers, but the ex-wife only wants to say sorry, cause she was a nematode sewer swilller and now she is getting remarried and he made her come apologize for her very bad behavior.
Mr. ACP is having a dark night crisis of the soul and he has to go put himself in timeout for a few days. Sinbad isn't really worried, tho Sweet Simone is looking pretty frazzled. Sinbad knows she has schooled Mr. ACP to be the finest cat staffer in the world.
Since Sinbad herself has forgiven Sweet Simone and frequently uses her lap for an emergency nap or twenty, (sometime these adventures are REALLY exhausting,) Sinbad knows Mr. ACP will be obedient to Sinbad's will and fall right into line and do that word thingy with Sweet Simone to bring her on board as full time cat staffer, who finally buys the right kind of Sinbad treats and gets Sinbad's hair brushed just right.
Sinbad Is Right! (We knew she would be.) Mr. ACP comes back and gives Sinbad sorry for being distracted from my duty pettings and then he tells Sweet Simone that he loves her and the nematode ex was really the pale copy of her and he is sorry he did not wait for the real thing. He also never slept with Julia and is really sorry for all the mean accusations he made that he knows are untrue.
Mr. ACP also swears he will burn the nude picture he bought from SS's hubby if she wants, but really he should have known when he first saw it that she was the woman he was waiting for and will she please stay and be a slave to Sinbad with him permanently?
Sweet Simone is overjoyed that Sinbad, who knows gold from dross and has great wisdom, approves of the H's proposal and has accepted Sweet Simone's application for permanent cat staff service.
Mr AngryCrankyPants is now transformed to Mr. HappyLovingShorts. Sinbad is glad that everyone listened to her, even if she did have to bat a few staffers around sometimes. Now we can all get back to cat approved adventures and Sinbad Treats as everyone settles down for books, babies, inventions and more Cat Serving for a truly happy HPlandia HEA outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
Nice angsty tale with a title that is really about the hero.
At first I thought it was the heroine because she is a top model who was married at 19 to a painter who was impotent but sought his sexual release by painting many, many nudes of her. She eventually left him when she realized she was an object to him and not a person. Hubby committed suicide shortly thereafter. Heroine had to grow a thick skin with all of the tabloid speculation. She had all the paintings destroyed and returned to her modeling career, having to earn enough money to take care of her stage mother who had early onset Alzheimer’s.
Yes, our heroine has been through the mill of life by age 25. Seems everyone around her pushes and exploits her (the photographer, the fashion editor, her agent, her mother) but she chalks it up to being a professional. She’s not stupid, though. She is thinking beyond her modeling career and has submitted the first three chapters of mystery to a publishing house.
Our H/h meet when the h is on a modeling assignment in Nevada. He stares at her with lust and anger and the heroine is intrigued in spite of herself. Still a virgin, she has emotional scars from her weird marriage.
That night the h finds out her mother has died in a nursing home in NZ. The fashion editor pushes her to finish the shoot before she can fly home. She digs deep and works all day. The H is around to glower at her.
Back in NZ, after funeral arrangements are taken care of, the heroine decides to rent a bach on the North Island. She has a month until her next assignment. By coincidence, the hero has also rented a bach there. (It’s not a coincidence – he’s obsessed with her because she looks like his ex-wife who left him.)
The heroine is intrigued with the H and he eventually lets down his guard with her – talking about his solar panels and batteries. The heroine almost drowns rescuing a kitty from the ocean, but the hero saves them both. He is also there when a car runs the heroine off the road and she has to wait for hours to be rescued. All of this shows the heroine’s courage and compassion, but that goes out the window when the hero sees the heroine wearing a sexy dress at a launch party for the photo shoot she did in Nevada. He assumes the guy she is talking to is her lover and says horrible things to her.
Heroine is hurt and angry and the next day demands an apology, which he gives. He admits he was jealous.
They do go to bed together, but the hero is angry heroine is a virgin. He thought he was getting a seductress – someone he couldn’t fall in love with. He accuses her of driving her hubby to suicide because she withheld sex from him. He leaves. The cat runs away. The heroine has a contract, so she had to leave without the cat. The heroine eventually finds out from the bach owner that the H returned and took the cat with him.
They don’t see each other for a year. Heroine is hurt, but has used her time wisely. She’s written two mysteries and has finished all of her modeling contracts. Now she is back in NZ to visit her cat and to seduce the hero. She has decided that the hero is still hung up on his ex and that the only way to change that is to replace those memories with new ones. She found out he owns the only one of the nude paintings that wasn’t destroyed – so he has obvious feelings for her.
The hero is horrible to her when she shows up –but they have sex, the heroine moves in, and the hero worries about her when she is late.
The black moment comes when the ex shows up to tell the hero she is remarrying and that she is sorry for hurting him. The hero doesn’t take this well and tells the h he has to leave to think. The heroine realizes then that she might lose him after all and that she is destined to be alone. But the H comes back and apologizes for the way her treated her. He now realizes he loves her like he never loved his ex. The ex wounded his pride and he nursed that vengeance, taking it out on the heroine. He proposes a life of books and babies. HEA.
This is another robo-heroine who can walk through the fiery insults to get her man. The heroine was a strong character who kept her head in a crazy industry and learned a lot from the bad relationships in her life. She knew what she wanted and went after it. The hero was the more fragile of the two and the heroine seemed to understand this instinctively. He will be the nurturing alpha when she is lost in writing one of her mysteries.
ETA: This is the sequel to A Willing Surrender. Thanks to Boogenhagen for reminding me. This hero was extra fragile in that one.
At first I thought it was the heroine because she is a top model who was married at 19 to a painter who was impotent but sought his sexual release by painting many, many nudes of her. She eventually left him when she realized she was an object to him and not a person. Hubby committed suicide shortly thereafter. Heroine had to grow a thick skin with all of the tabloid speculation. She had all the paintings destroyed and returned to her modeling career, having to earn enough money to take care of her stage mother who had early onset Alzheimer’s.
Yes, our heroine has been through the mill of life by age 25. Seems everyone around her pushes and exploits her (the photographer, the fashion editor, her agent, her mother) but she chalks it up to being a professional. She’s not stupid, though. She is thinking beyond her modeling career and has submitted the first three chapters of mystery to a publishing house.
Our H/h meet when the h is on a modeling assignment in Nevada. He stares at her with lust and anger and the heroine is intrigued in spite of herself. Still a virgin, she has emotional scars from her weird marriage.
That night the h finds out her mother has died in a nursing home in NZ. The fashion editor pushes her to finish the shoot before she can fly home. She digs deep and works all day. The H is around to glower at her.
Back in NZ, after funeral arrangements are taken care of, the heroine decides to rent a bach on the North Island. She has a month until her next assignment. By coincidence, the hero has also rented a bach there. (It’s not a coincidence – he’s obsessed with her because she looks like his ex-wife who left him.)
The heroine is intrigued with the H and he eventually lets down his guard with her – talking about his solar panels and batteries. The heroine almost drowns rescuing a kitty from the ocean, but the hero saves them both. He is also there when a car runs the heroine off the road and she has to wait for hours to be rescued. All of this shows the heroine’s courage and compassion, but that goes out the window when the hero sees the heroine wearing a sexy dress at a launch party for the photo shoot she did in Nevada. He assumes the guy she is talking to is her lover and says horrible things to her.
Heroine is hurt and angry and the next day demands an apology, which he gives. He admits he was jealous.
They do go to bed together, but the hero is angry heroine is a virgin. He thought he was getting a seductress – someone he couldn’t fall in love with. He accuses her of driving her hubby to suicide because she withheld sex from him. He leaves. The cat runs away. The heroine has a contract, so she had to leave without the cat. The heroine eventually finds out from the bach owner that the H returned and took the cat with him.
They don’t see each other for a year. Heroine is hurt, but has used her time wisely. She’s written two mysteries and has finished all of her modeling contracts. Now she is back in NZ to visit her cat and to seduce the hero. She has decided that the hero is still hung up on his ex and that the only way to change that is to replace those memories with new ones. She found out he owns the only one of the nude paintings that wasn’t destroyed – so he has obvious feelings for her.
The hero is horrible to her when she shows up –but they have sex, the heroine moves in, and the hero worries about her when she is late.
The black moment comes when the ex shows up to tell the hero she is remarrying and that she is sorry for hurting him. The hero doesn’t take this well and tells the h he has to leave to think. The heroine realizes then that she might lose him after all and that she is destined to be alone. But the H comes back and apologizes for the way her treated her. He now realizes he loves her like he never loved his ex. The ex wounded his pride and he nursed that vengeance, taking it out on the heroine. He proposes a life of books and babies. HEA.
This is another robo-heroine who can walk through the fiery insults to get her man. The heroine was a strong character who kept her head in a crazy industry and learned a lot from the bad relationships in her life. She knew what she wanted and went after it. The hero was the more fragile of the two and the heroine seemed to understand this instinctively. He will be the nurturing alpha when she is lost in writing one of her mysteries.
ETA: This is the sequel to A Willing Surrender. Thanks to Boogenhagen for reminding me. This hero was extra fragile in that one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2017
He uses her to fulfill his obsession with his ex, she doormats herself, and I think, between this and Mansion for my Love, I truly hate this author :(
February 12, 2018
Old school angst fest that was more well done than enjoyable. I can’t do any better than Boogenhagen’s and StMargarets’ reviews, but offer a few thoughts.
This heroine needs a break in life. She’s been used one way or another by just about everybody, mother-agents-dead husband, etc. then falls in love with a man that was dumped by his wife for a man that ends up marrying his sister. See A Willing Surrender. Yeah, that’s a plot point that takes a while to unravel.
Both hero and heroine come with some heavy duty baggage.
She is pretty strong and savvy and knows what she wants, and she wants the hero. She wants him enough to lay herself out there and take a chance that his cruelty is based more on fear than actual derision for her. She perseveres, but it’s a bumpy ride for everybody. Her pursuit was a little uncomfortable as we are so used to the hero pursuing. I didn’t see this as doormat status, but more He is what I want, and what I need. I am what he wants and needs, and I’ll do what is necessary to make it happen.
Slow build romance where the hero and heroine actually interact as normal people which makes his ultimate cruel rejection all the more tough to buy. He should have known her better, but this is romance land and them’s the rules.
I did buy the love although the HEA is not exactly inevitable. The h and the ex were both models with red hair. The H had a picture the dead husband painted of the h that the H was mildly obsessed with. He finally figures out that he was attracted to his first wife because she reminded him of the heroine so in actual fact the EX was the pale imitation not the heroine. Nice tap dancing by Robyn Donald.
This heroine needs a break in life. She’s been used one way or another by just about everybody, mother-agents-dead husband, etc. then falls in love with a man that was dumped by his wife for a man that ends up marrying his sister. See A Willing Surrender. Yeah, that’s a plot point that takes a while to unravel.
Both hero and heroine come with some heavy duty baggage.
She is pretty strong and savvy and knows what she wants, and she wants the hero. She wants him enough to lay herself out there and take a chance that his cruelty is based more on fear than actual derision for her. She perseveres, but it’s a bumpy ride for everybody. Her pursuit was a little uncomfortable as we are so used to the hero pursuing. I didn’t see this as doormat status, but more He is what I want, and what I need. I am what he wants and needs, and I’ll do what is necessary to make it happen.
Slow build romance where the hero and heroine actually interact as normal people which makes his ultimate cruel rejection all the more tough to buy. He should have known her better, but this is romance land and them’s the rules.
I did buy the love although the HEA is not exactly inevitable. The h and the ex were both models with red hair. The H had a picture the dead husband painted of the h that the H was mildly obsessed with. He finally figures out that he was attracted to his first wife because she reminded him of the heroine so in actual fact the EX was the pale imitation not the heroine. Nice tap dancing by Robyn Donald.
April 16, 2017
The guy was a plain cruel jerk half the time and treated the heroine like a whore.
The heroine on the other hand, I'm still undecided, but I think took him, As a challenge, and threw his own ideas at him suggesting that she wants to get him out of HER system, she'd be fine with just sex and if he wants to treat her as a mistress, but she'll pay for herself and she'll leave him alone if he does the same.
No declaration of love, no justification of his accusation, no tears, no clingyness. I think it was rather brilliant.
She rather showed him normal and love by being with him and he did learn.
And I forgave him simply because he came to the heroine to grovel at his own accord, not because she left him or threatened to leave him or because of pregnancy.
Also, he acknowledged that if he was ever abusive with her or his ex wife, it was his fault. Not theirs. Even if the exwife cheated, he had no right to force her to be with him.
To be honest, the ex wife did use him. So it wasn't exactly black and white. However he learned to blame himself for his actions rather than others, must be counted as progress.
He figured things out, he asked for a little space, he came back and he talked. He used words.
It was rather impressive. And I think I forgave him for his nastiness!
The heroine on the other hand, I'm still undecided, but I think took him, As a challenge, and threw his own ideas at him suggesting that she wants to get him out of HER system, she'd be fine with just sex and if he wants to treat her as a mistress, but she'll pay for herself and she'll leave him alone if he does the same.
No declaration of love, no justification of his accusation, no tears, no clingyness. I think it was rather brilliant.
She rather showed him normal and love by being with him and he did learn.
And I forgave him simply because he came to the heroine to grovel at his own accord, not because she left him or threatened to leave him or because of pregnancy.
Also, he acknowledged that if he was ever abusive with her or his ex wife, it was his fault. Not theirs. Even if the exwife cheated, he had no right to force her to be with him.
To be honest, the ex wife did use him. So it wasn't exactly black and white. However he learned to blame himself for his actions rather than others, must be counted as progress.
He figured things out, he asked for a little space, he came back and he talked. He used words.
It was rather impressive. And I think I forgave him for his nastiness!
December 21, 2018
It was ok. I liked the heroine. She was crying all the time but I liked her confidence. Most of all, She tried for both of them. The hero was a plain jerk, asshole and wanted her because of her resemblance to his ex-wife but still, I forgave him a little cause he was honest to her at the end and he realized himself that he loved the heroine truly. The most surprising thing was the heroine tried to show him her love in her own way and he felt that love. No word was spoken, no threat, no heated argument ... it was calm and quiet and he felt the love also. After some inner battle of the hero, he confessed everything to her honestly. His explanation sounds genuine.
I have to mention, Sinbad (The heroine's kitten) was awesome and through Sinbad, they were always connected to each other even though they were separated for a year.
Safety Issue: The book was safe. The heroine was a virgin. She was married ( Now Widow) before but her ex-husband was impotent. The hero was divorced and celibate for some time before meeting the heroine. And both of them were celibate during their separation time.
I have to mention, Sinbad (The heroine's kitten) was awesome and through Sinbad, they were always connected to each other even though they were separated for a year.
Safety Issue: The book was safe. The heroine was a virgin. She was married ( Now Widow) before but her ex-husband was impotent. The hero was divorced and celibate for some time before meeting the heroine. And both of them were celibate during their separation time.
January 25, 2019
Hard book to rate. The heroine was very different for an HP girl. Hero kept hurting her emotionally and she kept coming back. Not in a ninny doormat way but in a strong determined way. She loved him and felt like he was worth the effort if she could just break through to him. She was really a lovely character. The hero was much harder to get a handle on. I kept thinking that he had some sort of revenge plot percolating in his mind which was all going to come out later but no. He was in love with his ex wife who was another model who looked very similar to the heroine. He just wanted to bang her on that account. His turn around at the end was pretty unbelievable. Since the author mostly failed at letting us guess what was going on in the hero's mind and when we did find out it was sort of like 'yeah, right' I didn't really care for him or buy his love for the heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2019
A sweet, low angst romance with MCs who are both pretty damaged by past relationships and have trouble trusting. The H is pretty stand-offish for most of the book (really until the last few pages) and the h isn't really a doormat for putting up with his hot/cold act. She makes a conscious choice to stay and hope he can learn to love again before the big ending. There was some weirdness with the H's ex-wife looking exactly like the h. That bugged me the entire book. I'm wasn't convinced that he could look at her and see her and not the ex. His grovel at the end put all doubts to rest.
All in all, it was a nice story with low drama and angst. I liked the MCs I just had to wait for them to pull their heads out at the 11th hour.
Safety
All in all, it was a nice story with low drama and angst. I liked the MCs I just had to wait for them to pull their heads out at the 11th hour.
Safety
December 24, 2020
This H needed to grow up! and what was it with the h running after him?
By his own admission its a case of pride with this H and his ex-wife ... so why act so sore and unhappy and mistrustful with the h?
h displayed shades of doormattiness but resisted descending completely ...
By his own admission its a case of pride with this H and his ex-wife ... so why act so sore and unhappy and mistrustful with the h?
h displayed shades of doormattiness but resisted descending completely ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2018
Not as angsty as the other RD books. Hero was so cold and he didn' t redeem himself at the end. Heroine was loving and understanding like Lucy Monroe' s heroines.
June 9, 2021
Fashion model Simone Atkinson had her reasons for being afraid of men whose guarded expressions hid private demons. Which is why all alarms went off when Angus Grey began his pursuit. He'd obviously convinced himself he knew exactly the kind of woman she was.
Lost in a wasteland of bitter desire, Angus expected a greedy little sensualist, but Simone vowed to prove him wrong. Fascinated by his strength, his gentleness, the passion he kept so firmly under control, she was tempted to let down her guard. Dare she give love a second chance?
Lost in a wasteland of bitter desire, Angus expected a greedy little sensualist, but Simone vowed to prove him wrong. Fascinated by his strength, his gentleness, the passion he kept so firmly under control, she was tempted to let down her guard. Dare she give love a second chance?
October 11, 2021
Pretty intense read. The hero kept blowing hot and cold for the heroine.
But she was super annoying too, the way she allowed herself to be manipulated by everyone around her in her profession.
I don't like heroines who are models at the best of times, I prefer them to have a job where they use their brains, so I was pre-disposed to hate what she did anyway.
But she was pathetic the way she allowed her photographer to paw her and brag to everyone he was having an affair with her, just so she didn't get on the bad side of him. It was the same with her horrible boss who was spreading vicious lies about her and made her dress like high-class escort at a party. The heroine took it all lying down, which infuriated me.
However, the story was well written by RD.
But she was super annoying too, the way she allowed herself to be manipulated by everyone around her in her profession.
I don't like heroines who are models at the best of times, I prefer them to have a job where they use their brains, so I was pre-disposed to hate what she did anyway.
But she was pathetic the way she allowed her photographer to paw her and brag to everyone he was having an affair with her, just so she didn't get on the bad side of him. It was the same with her horrible boss who was spreading vicious lies about her and made her dress like high-class escort at a party. The heroine took it all lying down, which infuriated me.
However, the story was well written by RD.
June 15, 2024
DNF p 50.
I gave up on this pretty quickly, saying to my husband "I can't read anymore of this piss" before closing the book for good.
50 pages in and almost nothing has happened, but WOW do we get a LOT of descriptions about how lithe, powerful, manly and sexy the hero is. There is a scene where he is drinking a beer and his every micro movement has to be breathlessly described in gushing, overblown and quite frankly embarrassing detail. "He reached for the beer, his fingers were long and leashed with the kind of seductive power that tore through one's soul and exposed their most wanting sexual needs. He had man's hands, powerful, animal hands that spoke of sultry nights and passionate awakenings... he raised the beer to hip lips. Smirking lips. Smiling with the kind of wanton sexual power while holding a distant promise of ravishment, conquest and grace..." and on and on and on ad nauseum.
Boring, tedious, shit.
I gave up on this pretty quickly, saying to my husband "I can't read anymore of this piss" before closing the book for good.
50 pages in and almost nothing has happened, but WOW do we get a LOT of descriptions about how lithe, powerful, manly and sexy the hero is. There is a scene where he is drinking a beer and his every micro movement has to be breathlessly described in gushing, overblown and quite frankly embarrassing detail. "He reached for the beer, his fingers were long and leashed with the kind of seductive power that tore through one's soul and exposed their most wanting sexual needs. He had man's hands, powerful, animal hands that spoke of sultry nights and passionate awakenings... he raised the beer to hip lips. Smirking lips. Smiling with the kind of wanton sexual power while holding a distant promise of ravishment, conquest and grace..." and on and on and on ad nauseum.
Boring, tedious, shit.
September 2, 2020
I loved the sister book very much.I also loved the heroine strength in facing the hero in spite of all his vengeful dealings and how she was ready to face love instead of hiding behind the pain.She also went through a lot in her life but she fought for her happiness.I respect the heroine very much and the cat too... Definitely hated the hero for his actions toward the heroine who was so honest...A colossal jerk.Thats why it's a 4 star read for me.
May 16, 2021
This is the sequel to A Willing Surrender. A very low angst book. I was expecting more drama as Angus came across as a very intense person in the previous book. Very slow to start. I think the most outstanding point of this story is her quiet determination to love Angus no matter what with no drama or running away and in the end she got her man. A different take than usual in Harlequinland. Not brilliant but not terrible either.
October 2, 2025
2.5* rounded up because I was really liking this one up until the third act break up. I was liking it during said break up too because the betrayal felt real—I was hurting right with Simone. And then it just resolves??? Like what Angus did was ultimately nbd??? Ummm???
Once again, girl get some standards
Once again, girl get some standards
December 17, 2024
Dumb. Their motivations just didn't make sense. Also boring.
September 8, 2022
Reread. It did not seem familiar after the first 20 pages, not the mark of a good story. It’s boring and I’m lowering rating fro 2 to 3.
Original review: The first half of Once Bitten is excellent, 5 stars, but the 2nd half drags a bit. RD spends the first half showing us Simone, a top model who is far more than a pretty face, and her love interest Angus. The second half Angus manages to seduce Simone and everything goes to pot. Turns out he was interested only in getting her, not loving her.
Love the cat Sinbad.
Original review: The first half of Once Bitten is excellent, 5 stars, but the 2nd half drags a bit. RD spends the first half showing us Simone, a top model who is far more than a pretty face, and her love interest Angus. The second half Angus manages to seduce Simone and everything goes to pot. Turns out he was interested only in getting her, not loving her.
Love the cat Sinbad.
November 8, 2025
3.75
I always felt sorry for Angus in 'A Willing Surrender'. He was affected bitterly by the betrayal of his wife and the repercussions of that relationship permeate this story. Simone is everything he needs and I hope that he is able to fulfil her every dream because that is what she deserves.
I always felt sorry for Angus in 'A Willing Surrender'. He was affected bitterly by the betrayal of his wife and the repercussions of that relationship permeate this story. Simone is everything he needs and I hope that he is able to fulfil her every dream because that is what she deserves.
June 11, 2020
Just rereading some old books by a fav author from back in the day. some don't hold up as well as others did.
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