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The Return of Antonides
Crossing the line between love and hate…
Widow Holly Halloran's fresh start is only a plane ride away, until Lukas Antonides -- the man she hates, but has never been able to forget -- strides arrogantly back into her life…
Lukas was her late husband's best friend and openly disapproved of Holly. Then on one unforgettable night their acrimony ricocheted into the bedroom!
Now the arrogant Greek is kicking the hornet's nest again by offering Holly a job. Holly agrees, determined not to let Lukas get beneath her surface this time. But as the tension mounts between them, so, too, does that bubbling attraction of old…
Widow Holly Halloran's fresh start is only a plane ride away, until Lukas Antonides -- the man she hates, but has never been able to forget -- strides arrogantly back into her life…
Lukas was her late husband's best friend and openly disapproved of Holly. Then on one unforgettable night their acrimony ricocheted into the bedroom!
Now the arrogant Greek is kicking the hornet's nest again by offering Holly a job. Holly agrees, determined not to let Lukas get beneath her surface this time. But as the tension mounts between them, so, too, does that bubbling attraction of old…
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
17 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Anne McAllister
340 books124 followersAnne McAllister has written nearly 70 romance novels for Tule Publishing and Harlequin Books.
She has won two RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America — for COWBOY PRIDE and THE STARDUST COWBOY — and has had nine other books which were RITA finalists.
Her books have also been finalists for the National Readers’ Choice Award. She was named Midwest Fiction Writers “Writer of the Year” and also received Romantic Times’ Career Achievement Award as “Series Author of the Year.”
But while the awards and sales are wonderful, Anne thinks the best part of writing is telling the story. With every new book she writes, she meets new characters – or gets to know old ones even better – and discovers what makes them and their relationships tick.
It’s the relationships that interest her most and the question about “where do you get your ideas?” has always astonished her as she has more ideas than she knows what to do with!
She has won two RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America — for COWBOY PRIDE and THE STARDUST COWBOY — and has had nine other books which were RITA finalists.
Her books have also been finalists for the National Readers’ Choice Award. She was named Midwest Fiction Writers “Writer of the Year” and also received Romantic Times’ Career Achievement Award as “Series Author of the Year.”
But while the awards and sales are wonderful, Anne thinks the best part of writing is telling the story. With every new book she writes, she meets new characters – or gets to know old ones even better – and discovers what makes them and their relationships tick.
It’s the relationships that interest her most and the question about “where do you get your ideas?” has always astonished her as she has more ideas than she knows what to do with!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 2, 2016
Widowed schoolteacher Holly Halloran meets her late husband Matt's best friend (hero Lukas Antonides) unexpectedly when he shows up looking for her. She had written to him about making a donation of a boat Lukas and her husband Matt shared to her school, which is what Matt would have wanted since he liked working with children. Holly has never really got on with Lukas and hasn't seen him since her wedding ten years ago to Matt. Holly and Lukas have known each other since they were children. A young Holly was best friends with Matt but then Lukas showed up and started spending time with Matt and became his best friend. So there was some childhood friction between Holly and Lukas, they argued a lot, Lukas told her to grow up, find someone else to play with, etc... But as they were growing up, under the animosity, there was also an attraction to each other neither really recognized at the time. At eighteen Holly became engaged to Matt, but on the night of her prom Matt asked Lukas to take Holly since he had broken his leg and couldn't go. On this night, on his Dad's sailboat, they found out they were very attracted to each other. Holly runs off, not wanting to talk to Lukas, and feeling guilty for lusting after his best friend's girl Lukas ends up moving away and neither Holly or Lukas had contact until now, over a decade later.
Holly lost her husband Matt over two years ago. Her friends are trying to get her to date again. She teaches fifth graders and is thinking of joining the Peace Corps---a two year teaching position on a small Pacific Island.
After Lukas moved away he made a fortune in opal mining---he befriended a man called Skeet who became his opal mining mentor. Now back in New York he is opening a new gallery in SoHo and heading up a charitable foundation. He didn't want to meet Holly again, but when he got her note about the boat all the old memories came back and he had to see her again. But after Holly sells her condo and temporarily moves into Lukas's building working for six weeks as his gallery manager things really heat up.
I really enjoyed this book. Lukas was a sexy and jealous hero and Holly was a strong-minded heroine. This was a sometimes sweet and sometimes sad story of love and loss set in New York with lots of sexual tension as Holly and Lukas find they can't deny their attraction to each other.
Holly lost her husband Matt over two years ago. Her friends are trying to get her to date again. She teaches fifth graders and is thinking of joining the Peace Corps---a two year teaching position on a small Pacific Island.
After Lukas moved away he made a fortune in opal mining---he befriended a man called Skeet who became his opal mining mentor. Now back in New York he is opening a new gallery in SoHo and heading up a charitable foundation. He didn't want to meet Holly again, but when he got her note about the boat all the old memories came back and he had to see her again. But after Holly sells her condo and temporarily moves into Lukas's building working for six weeks as his gallery manager things really heat up.
I really enjoyed this book. Lukas was a sexy and jealous hero and Holly was a strong-minded heroine. This was a sometimes sweet and sometimes sad story of love and loss set in New York with lots of sexual tension as Holly and Lukas find they can't deny their attraction to each other.
July 12, 2024
Interesting story. As children they all grew up together . Lukas left before Matt and Holly got married, Lukas comes back after Matt died. He wants to win the heart of the girl he has always loved.
March 13, 2016
Holly is a young childless widow,a schoolteacher.Her sister-in-law is getting married in a few months.
Lukas Antonides is a childhood friend of Holly's late husband Matt.He has a twin sister and other
siblings, all married .
Holly wants him to make a donation of a boat to her school, which was Matt's dream.Lucas hasn't seen
her in several years and realizes he is attracted to his best friend's widow.
Holly sells her condo, planning to join the Peace Corps in Africa.As she needs to stay somewhere till then,Lucas offers her to stay at his place...
Holly tries to find her place in the world,afraid to love, unlike her sister-in-law Althea, who believes
4th time lucky.
Several of Lukas's siblings pop in the book .I haven't read their stories (( think).The book made made me want to look them up.
Lukas Antonides is a childhood friend of Holly's late husband Matt.He has a twin sister and other
siblings, all married .
Holly wants him to make a donation of a boat to her school, which was Matt's dream.Lucas hasn't seen
her in several years and realizes he is attracted to his best friend's widow.
Holly sells her condo, planning to join the Peace Corps in Africa.As she needs to stay somewhere till then,Lucas offers her to stay at his place...
Holly tries to find her place in the world,afraid to love, unlike her sister-in-law Althea, who believes
4th time lucky.
Several of Lukas's siblings pop in the book .I haven't read their stories (( think).The book made made me want to look them up.
October 3, 2015
I loved this book. Its a beautiful romance which matures with the age. The young lovers do not understand love and still exhibit a maturity and eventually find each other. It's sad and happy and compelling. I enjoyed reading this book thoroughly.
October 9, 2015
A well written emotional romance that tells the story of Holly and Lukas who grew up together along with Holly's deceased husband Matt. Loved the flow of the story and the glimpses into their past. Well worth a read.
September 25, 2016
It was a good book with a lot of angst
January 27, 2024
The first half was good - as another Goodread user commented, "angsty". It explored guilt, unrequited affection, fear of getting hurt, and the concept of loving different persons in different ways at the same time. I enjoyed that but then it had to go the "enjoying my FUBU relationship while it lasts but omg I'm falling in love so I have to run" trope.
This could have gone deeper and explored regrets, missed chances, grief, and what-ifs. What a shame. Started as 4.5-star book but ended with a generous 3-star rating from me.
This could have gone deeper and explored regrets, missed chances, grief, and what-ifs. What a shame. Started as 4.5-star book but ended with a generous 3-star rating from me.
June 8, 2021
Crossing the line between love and hate…
Widow Holly Halloran's fresh start is only a plane ride away, until Lukas Antonides—the man she hates, but has never been able to forget—strides arrogantly back into her life…
Lukas was her late husband's best friend and openly disapproved of Holly. Then on one unforgettable night their acrimony ricocheted into the bedroom!
Now the arrogant Greek is kicking the hornet's nest again by offering Holly a job. Holly agrees, determined not to let Lukas get beneath her surface this time. But as the tension mounts between them, so, too, does that bubbling attraction of old…
Widow Holly Halloran's fresh start is only a plane ride away, until Lukas Antonides—the man she hates, but has never been able to forget—strides arrogantly back into her life…
Lukas was her late husband's best friend and openly disapproved of Holly. Then on one unforgettable night their acrimony ricocheted into the bedroom!
Now the arrogant Greek is kicking the hornet's nest again by offering Holly a job. Holly agrees, determined not to let Lukas get beneath her surface this time. But as the tension mounts between them, so, too, does that bubbling attraction of old…
October 25, 2015
This is a good story of love at the wrong time and eventually they find each other after a few years apart. They were friends, the hero, heroine and the BFF that died. So there was a few years they avoided each other because they have feelings but did the right thing. Now that they have another chance to be together everything eventually falls into place for them. It was a good read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews