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From Waif to His Wife
A mousy music teacher, Maisie's hardly a seductive siren. But her lack of worldliness turns her life upside down, and, abandoned and alone, she knows she has to confront the man who deceived her….
Rafael Sanderson is rich, successful and a master of marriage avoidance. He's never seen Maisie before, but she seems to think she knows him. And even though it's his rule never to get involved, this time he's compelled to make this waif his wife!
Rafael Sanderson is rich, successful and a master of marriage avoidance. He's never seen Maisie before, but she seems to think she knows him. And even though it's his rule never to get involved, this time he's compelled to make this waif his wife!
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2006
About the author
Lindsay Armstrong
320 books92 followersGillian Smith (alias Lindsay Armstrong) was born in South Africa. She grew up with three ambitions: to become a writer, to travel the world, and to be a game ranger. She didn't achieve the last one, but her fascination for wildlife and that special something about Africa and its big game still remains with her. When she went to work it was in travel, at an agency and an airline, and this started her on the road to seeing the world.
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 5, 2026
Virgin heroine gets knocked up by her boyfriend, who ghosts her when he hears the news. She stows away on the yacht he told her he owns, hoping for a chance to confront him. Only to come face to face with the real yacht owner: her boyfriend’s cousin. Heroine realizes that her boyfriend not only dumped her after he got her pregnant but he lied to her from the start, hiding his real name and identity from her and instead passing himself off as his billionaire cousin, the yacht owner. When she tries to tell her story to the cousin, he dismisses her as a tart who tried to trap a rich man and got her just desserts. As he mocks her and slut-shames her, she dramatically dives off hero's boat in fury. Hero goes in after her for an equally dramatic rescue.
Hero eventually helps heroine track his unscrupulous cousin. The cousin just blows her off, as expected. He fled from Australia pursued by creditors and he is now content making a living as a diving instructor on the island of Tonga. He doesn't want to marry heroine or be a father to his child and he has no means to support them.
Hero steps in and offers heroine a marriage of convenience, both to redress a wrong inflicted on heroine by one of his family members and also to avoid the "scandal" of illegitimacy for the impending bundle of joy. Soon, Seekret Feeleengz develop between them but the hero does not admit that he loves the heroine. He thinks she is still in love with her sperminator. As for the heroine, she thinks hero will always be repelled by her because she is sloppy seconds.
Eventually, the sperm donor dies in a diving accident. The h gives birth to a healthy baby girl and she and H start raising her together. h goes to the yacht one day to think and come to a decision whether to confess her Seekret Love Feeleengz to the hero. Hero comes running after her thinking she went to the yacht because she is leaving him. In his haste, he accidentally knocks her overboard. He dives in after her and another dramatic rescue is the catalyst for their long awaited ILY declarations and HEA.
This one was okay but I have never been a fan of the "keep it in the family" trope :~{
Hero eventually helps heroine track his unscrupulous cousin. The cousin just blows her off, as expected. He fled from Australia pursued by creditors and he is now content making a living as a diving instructor on the island of Tonga. He doesn't want to marry heroine or be a father to his child and he has no means to support them.
Hero steps in and offers heroine a marriage of convenience, both to redress a wrong inflicted on heroine by one of his family members and also to avoid the "scandal" of illegitimacy for the impending bundle of joy. Soon, Seekret Feeleengz develop between them but the hero does not admit that he loves the heroine. He thinks she is still in love with her sperminator. As for the heroine, she thinks hero will always be repelled by her because she is sloppy seconds.
Eventually, the sperm donor dies in a diving accident. The h gives birth to a healthy baby girl and she and H start raising her together. h goes to the yacht one day to think and come to a decision whether to confess her Seekret Love Feeleengz to the hero. Hero comes running after her thinking she went to the yacht because she is leaving him. In his haste, he accidentally knocks her overboard. He dives in after her and another dramatic rescue is the catalyst for their long awaited ILY declarations and HEA.
This one was okay but I have never been a fan of the "keep it in the family" trope :~{
February 23, 2012
By day the proper Maisie Wallis taught music at a prestigious private school; by night the vivacious Mairead Wallis was the pianist in a well sought after band that played social engagements. It was Mairead who had met the gorgeous and charming Rafe Sanderson, and been swept off her feet. She’d just lost her parents suddenly, and was at her most vulnerable. Rafe made her feel loved and cherished, and after a night of passion he seemed to disappear. When Maisie discovers that she’s pregnant she searches for him, only to discover that her Rafe isn’t the real Rafe, but an imposter. Rafe Sanderson doesn’t know what to make of the young woman claiming that he fathered her unborn child. There are two possibilities; either the woman has cooked up an elaborate scheme to get at his millions, or she’s exactly who she says she is and there’s a bastard out there claiming to be him. Rafe agrees to help Maisie find the mystery man. Somehow the press has gotten wind that there is a mystery woman attached to him, who’s pregnant with his child. There’s only one thing to be done, Rafe proposes a marriage in name only, to protect Maisie from the ugliness of the press and a ruined reputation.
Oh this is a fun read! Maisie may be a bit naïve but she learns fast. She’s determined and lives up to the fiery redness of her hair often letting her temper get away from her. That temper puts her guard down and she always blurts out exactly how she’s feeling in all her honesty. Rafe doesn’t know if he should be charmed by Maisie, or whether he’s being put on by a very clever con artist. No matter what Maisie is, Rafe can’t stop his protective feelings and he admires the way she stands up for herself. These are wonderful characters. There are some great fantasy scenes! This was a delightfully fun read.
Oh this is a fun read! Maisie may be a bit naïve but she learns fast. She’s determined and lives up to the fiery redness of her hair often letting her temper get away from her. That temper puts her guard down and she always blurts out exactly how she’s feeling in all her honesty. Rafe doesn’t know if he should be charmed by Maisie, or whether he’s being put on by a very clever con artist. No matter what Maisie is, Rafe can’t stop his protective feelings and he admires the way she stands up for herself. These are wonderful characters. There are some great fantasy scenes! This was a delightfully fun read.
September 12, 2022
By far the most convoluted plot to take place in a short span of time but it was fun. I had a lot of laughs, which automatically makes such a short book 5 stars.
Also, the short time it takes Harelequin couples to fall in love, get married, have a baby - in no particular order, has me desperate to know how they're relationships hold up when they're together for longer then a year.
Also, the short time it takes Harelequin couples to fall in love, get married, have a baby - in no particular order, has me desperate to know how they're relationships hold up when they're together for longer then a year.
January 26, 2014
Middle of the road read. Heroine pregnant by someone other than the hero. The baby daddy gave her the hero's name instead of his own and the hero ends up helping her find the man who impersonated him. The characterization of the heroine was a bit uneven. The hero lacked balls in that this was one of the times when the hero should have just pulled up his big boy panties and told the heroine he loved her. I mean in the real world men do that. I mean come on take a chance. How do these guys get to be millionaires without having any guts?
February 7, 2016
3 Nice Stars
“…he said he was you and I really believed him”
A very sweet story about a girl, a guy, a pregnancy and mistaken identity. While there is a lot of implied sexual tension, there is no sex. Even so, it’s a great story about honor and love and a really great guy. A very good read !
“…he said he was you and I really believed him”
A very sweet story about a girl, a guy, a pregnancy and mistaken identity. While there is a lot of implied sexual tension, there is no sex. Even so, it’s a great story about honor and love and a really great guy. A very good read !
May 17, 2017
After parents died, Maisey found herself romanced by a stranger, seduced and abandoned....and now she's pregnant. Determined to locate the guy who apparently conned her and tell him about their child, she tracks down the only name he gave her - Rafe Sanderson. But when she meets the real Rafe Sanderson, it's not the guy she slept with. So after some convincing, Rafe agrees to help Maisey out. Through this, Maisey and Rafe become closer...so close that the media notice and a scandal threatens. So Rafe does the only decent thing, he offers to marry her until she's had the baby. And although Rafe desperately wants Maisey, the fact that she's carrying acts as a deterrent. That and the fact that they promised to keep it platonic.
So this book was already at a disadvantage for me because of the fact that Maisey started out pregnant with another guy's child - it's one of those set ups I shy away from but that's not to say I never like them. It's just a setback from the start. On top of that, Rafe is actually quite turned off at the fact that she's pregnant because of who the father is. And so that effectively keeps him away from her for the duration of the pregnancy. His feelings are engaged, but he won't touch her while she's pregnant. Once the baby is born, he seems to realizes his feelings and might actually touch Maisey (if it weren't for his noble actions and all that) but not once do we see him accept the baby. He never holds it, never even seems to have tender feelings for it. So I have to question the HEA when Maisey is married to a man who seems to, at the very least, ignore her daughter. This could have been pulled off if all of that hadn't been a factor. Mostly because I really liked Maisey, despite her naivety. She was clever and resourceful and made of some stern stuff. Rafe started out good, but I lost respect for him after he learned about the baby's father and strong-armed Maisey into marriage.
So this book was already at a disadvantage for me because of the fact that Maisey started out pregnant with another guy's child - it's one of those set ups I shy away from but that's not to say I never like them. It's just a setback from the start. On top of that, Rafe is actually quite turned off at the fact that she's pregnant because of who the father is. And so that effectively keeps him away from her for the duration of the pregnancy. His feelings are engaged, but he won't touch her while she's pregnant. Once the baby is born, he seems to realizes his feelings and might actually touch Maisey (if it weren't for his noble actions and all that) but not once do we see him accept the baby. He never holds it, never even seems to have tender feelings for it. So I have to question the HEA when Maisey is married to a man who seems to, at the very least, ignore her daughter. This could have been pulled off if all of that hadn't been a factor. Mostly because I really liked Maisey, despite her naivety. She was clever and resourceful and made of some stern stuff. Rafe started out good, but I lost respect for him after he learned about the baby's father and strong-armed Maisey into marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
Australia. This story is supposed to be “contemporary” but it might as well have been written prior to 1960. It is as if birth control or the “sexual revolution” had never even occurred. The author refers to a housekeeper as a “spinster”, which is no longer a term that is used in the 21st century except by authors who feel that women don’t choose to be single. Maybe the older housekeeper is not interested in marriage. And there is no purposeful reason to impose such a judgment upon her.
At first, I found this question of “Identity theft” quite confusing until it was revealed who the imposter was. But why was it absolutely necessary for the music teacher to hook-up with the real “Rafe”? The whole plot line was totally unrealistic and contrived. The book was also jarring to read.
At first, I found this question of “Identity theft” quite confusing until it was revealed who the imposter was. But why was it absolutely necessary for the music teacher to hook-up with the real “Rafe”? The whole plot line was totally unrealistic and contrived. The book was also jarring to read.
July 22, 2024
I found this a bit disappointing tbh. The keeping apart from each other during the MoC made for not enough time together and each of them was in their own head so much. I also find it beyond weird that the H, Rafe, and his cousin (the h Maisie's babyfather) resembled each other so much that she could barely tell them apart (Seriously?). I bought this second hand as part of a 4 for the price of 3, all LAs. Very much hoping this is the only dud.
March 18, 2019
I was all for giving this story five stars but I was a bit disappointed by the ending.
May 27, 2024
Bittersweet
A complicated life with an unexpected pregnancy. The search for the father finds the true love. Complications, sorrow and joy. This is a story to remember.
A complicated life with an unexpected pregnancy. The search for the father finds the true love. Complications, sorrow and joy. This is a story to remember.
September 6, 2024
Rather syrupy
March 30, 2012
I have to say I'm surprised that I didn't like this. But, IMO, there was waaaaay too much tell and almost no show. Maybe I misunerstand how those terms are used, but really, I felt no emotional investment in either, and for some reason I felt like all Ms. Armstrong did was recite a tale, not show us the lush world of her story.
December 29, 2008
Undemanding, lighter-than-air vacation read, which is exactly where I read it...on vacation.
May 16, 2017
The first 1/3 of this book was good, then it became just plain boring. I didn’t feel any sexual tension or any chemistry for that matter. I think it lacked feeling.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews