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Shadows of Yesterday
Book
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Cathy Williams
1,416 books202 followersCathy Williams, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is a British author who has written romance novels for Mills & Boon since 1990. She lives in Chiswick, London, with her three daughters and continues to craft engaging, heartfelt love stories.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 18, 2018
When sweet, innocent, virginal heroines realize the man they love is cad and won't marry them, they usually go into a neurotic decline and lick their wounds in a bedsit – or they get bitchy and stupid and end up with OMs who attempt rape when they don’t put out after a dinner date.
*sigh*
I think I prefer the neurotic decline – one because it’s usually more in character to these creatures of pure emotion and no pretense, plus it shows a healthy self-preservation unlike this heroine who sets herself up for “I told you so” throughout the story.
But enough about what I prefer. What is this story about?
Heroine has an art degree, but takes a job as a cleaner at the hero’s manor house. He falls for herstupidity gullible innocence and has her on her back before she can draw a shaky breath. She is a virgin who loudly proclaims her love. He winces and has to ban that word from the bedroom. He sets her up on a cottage on his estate when she gets a job in town at an advertising agency.
The story opens when the heroine confronts the hero about a photo she found of him on his wedding day to a beautiful blonde. Hero explains wifey is dead and he doesn’t want to talk about it. Heroine decides he will never love another because his heart is buried with his dead wife and breaks it off. Hero is angry and a big jerk about not loving the heroine. He taunts her with what did you expect, marriage? Etc . . .
Heroine’s sister also tells her I told you so. Same with the co-worker who lets the heroine stay with her. And the “old friend” of the hero’s who moves into the cottage as soon as the heroine moves out.
Hero keeps turning up like a bad penny, to prove heroine is still attracted to him.
The heroine meets the rapey OM at a party at her sister’s. Hero is alarmed because he knows a user when he sees one. (Reviewer: look in the mirror, a-hole) He tries to warn the heroine off. She won’t listen. So hero ends up giving the agency a huge advertising contract with his company so he can take the heroine to Paris on a “business trip.” OM shows up at her hotel for the long-awaited booty call and things turn nasty. Hero shows up in time, but heroine begs him not to fire the OM since it was “her fault.”
*barf*
After some sexual healing the H/h are back together again with the heroine resigning herself to mistress category. The party’s over when the heroine discovers she’s pregnant and the hero is less than enthused when she tells him on the phone.
For the black moment, the heroine flees to her sister’s house in London after quitting her job. (Always step one when you find you’re pregnant) Hero tracks her down. He’s thrilled about the baby and wants to marry heroine. He never loved his wife. She was pregnant when they got married and ran around on him until she died in a car accident. And with the final nail in the proverbial coffin, the H/h have their HEA.
This heroine was too stupid to be believed. The hero was a jerk and not even interesting in his cruelty. It was like watching someone taking candy from a baby – especially the flashback scenes. I honestly don’t know what she saw in him – or he in her. She was . . . simple.
2.5 rounded up since the author kept the events of the story moving along.
*sigh*
I think I prefer the neurotic decline – one because it’s usually more in character to these creatures of pure emotion and no pretense, plus it shows a healthy self-preservation unlike this heroine who sets herself up for “I told you so” throughout the story.
But enough about what I prefer. What is this story about?
Heroine has an art degree, but takes a job as a cleaner at the hero’s manor house. He falls for her
The story opens when the heroine confronts the hero about a photo she found of him on his wedding day to a beautiful blonde. Hero explains wifey is dead and he doesn’t want to talk about it. Heroine decides he will never love another because his heart is buried with his dead wife and breaks it off. Hero is angry and a big jerk about not loving the heroine. He taunts her with what did you expect, marriage? Etc . . .
Heroine’s sister also tells her I told you so. Same with the co-worker who lets the heroine stay with her. And the “old friend” of the hero’s who moves into the cottage as soon as the heroine moves out.
Hero keeps turning up like a bad penny, to prove heroine is still attracted to him.
The heroine meets the rapey OM at a party at her sister’s. Hero is alarmed because he knows a user when he sees one. (Reviewer: look in the mirror, a-hole) He tries to warn the heroine off. She won’t listen. So hero ends up giving the agency a huge advertising contract with his company so he can take the heroine to Paris on a “business trip.” OM shows up at her hotel for the long-awaited booty call and things turn nasty. Hero shows up in time, but heroine begs him not to fire the OM since it was “her fault.”
*barf*
After some sexual healing the H/h are back together again with the heroine resigning herself to mistress category. The party’s over when the heroine discovers she’s pregnant and the hero is less than enthused when she tells him on the phone.
For the black moment, the heroine flees to her sister’s house in London after quitting her job. (Always step one when you find you’re pregnant) Hero tracks her down. He’s thrilled about the baby and wants to marry heroine. He never loved his wife. She was pregnant when they got married and ran around on him until she died in a car accident. And with the final nail in the proverbial coffin, the H/h have their HEA.
This heroine was too stupid to be believed. The hero was a jerk and not even interesting in his cruelty. It was like watching someone taking candy from a baby – especially the flashback scenes. I honestly don’t know what she saw in him – or he in her. She was . . . simple.
2.5 rounded up since the author kept the events of the story moving along.
November 14, 2017
Definitely better than a lot of this author's more recent books. This heroine had a bit more backbone than many of the heroine's that live in the world of HPresents.
January 30, 2019
Hero and heroine are having an affair but she ends it when she finds out about his dead wife and his reluctance to get married. She starts dating another man, hero is jealous and pursues her, she is resisting but not for long. She ends up pregnant and hero declares his love. He is happy about the baby and he is not afraid of commitment anymore. I loved the cruel hero and his jealousy, the vulnerable heroine and the ending was so sweet. 4 stars!
December 18, 2018
Stop being a fool!’
‘I have,’ she retorted. ‘I did the minute I decided to end our relationship.
The book began as the heroine had stopped being a doormat. Then the Hero (!) started to chase her. She resisted more than I expected but of course she melted in Paris. I didn’t believe H’s love at the end after the tragic phone call. It was more like an obsession. But it was nice because I liked heroines with backbones.
‘I have,’ she retorted. ‘I did the minute I decided to end our relationship.
The book began as the heroine had stopped being a doormat. Then the Hero (!) started to chase her. She resisted more than I expected but of course she melted in Paris. I didn’t believe H’s love at the end after the tragic phone call. It was more like an obsession. But it was nice because I liked heroines with backbones.
December 19, 2018
I think the best word I can come up with is cute; the story was cute, h was cute although she did her best to resemble a doormat in the beginning.
H was not cute; but he was trademark HP hero; alpha, scared of commitment with a delicious undertone of casual cruelty to her feelings in the first few chapters. But I did like the effort he made to run after her; dissuading her, trying to make her jealous, coming up with the idea of using her firm for advertising; all standard HP behaviors.
My pet peeve was with the loser OM; CW could have used a slightly better specimen. And h could have been smarter; being 'too nice' and entertaining OM even though she had misgivings (apart from H's machinations). She acted stupid on this topic and even insisted that she was to blame! Apparently she had led him on; she should have insisted on H getting OM kicked out of his job at the least! I am taking away one star for her stupidity!
Overall a cute read though ..
ETA; don't get me started on leaving her job when she is pregnant; IMHO she should have been hauling herself to the nearest pub to sign on for evening shifts; trademark of good HP h's who are pregnant; they must be willing to indulge in large amounts of work to highlight their pregnancy and poor financial condition - its practically a rule of hplandia; pregnant h must be poor, or as close to it as possible
H was not cute; but he was trademark HP hero; alpha, scared of commitment with a delicious undertone of casual cruelty to her feelings in the first few chapters. But I did like the effort he made to run after her; dissuading her, trying to make her jealous, coming up with the idea of using her firm for advertising; all standard HP behaviors.
My pet peeve was with the loser OM; CW could have used a slightly better specimen. And h could have been smarter; being 'too nice' and entertaining OM even though she had misgivings (apart from H's machinations). She acted stupid on this topic and even insisted that she was to blame! Apparently she had led him on; she should have insisted on H getting OM kicked out of his job at the least! I am taking away one star for her stupidity!
Overall a cute read though ..
ETA; don't get me started on leaving her job when she is pregnant; IMHO she should have been hauling herself to the nearest pub to sign on for evening shifts; trademark of good HP h's who are pregnant; they must be willing to indulge in large amounts of work to highlight their pregnancy and poor financial condition - its practically a rule of hplandia; pregnant h must be poor, or as close to it as possible
July 1, 2017
3.5 Stars
A fun read.
I loved the h for making the H work for her love after the way he treated her.
She was young, innocent and in love. He was older and jaded. She broke it off when she found out he'd been married. He wasn't ready to end it so he chased after her. She held her ground and did a damn good job of frustrating him.
The banter was brilliant. The characters were interesting. The story was a good read.
A fun read.
I loved the h for making the H work for her love after the way he treated her.
She was young, innocent and in love. He was older and jaded. She broke it off when she found out he'd been married. He wasn't ready to end it so he chased after her. She held her ground and did a damn good job of frustrating him.
The banter was brilliant. The characters were interesting. The story was a good read.
November 28, 2018
3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK, or decent reads.
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==>Reread in October 17, 2022
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==>Reread in October 17, 2022
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She was no great beauty with her uneventful brown hair, blue eyes and pale complexion, a brunette who couldn’t tan, of all things.
And she certainly did not inhabit his rarefied world of the rich, the privileged and the powerful.
He did not want commitment.
I’ve spent my life searching for a fairy-tale, she thought bitterly, looking for some dark, dramatic knight in shining armour.
‘Still set on talking?’ he asked in the same low voice, and he gave her a smile of such devastating charm that the breath caught in her throat. ‘Or should we postpone the conversation in favour of something less cerebral?’
‘You don’t look like a man who’s crying of suspense. In fact, you don’t look as though you give a damn about what I have to say.’
‘I didn’t realise that I owed you anything, least of all an explanation about something that’s really none of your business.’
‘We’ve slept together,’ she began, and he gave a bark of laughter. ‘And?’
‘I never encouraged you to think…’
‘Claire, let me make one thing absolutely clear between us. What we have is physical. I want you. But if you’re looking for commitment, then you’re looking in the wrong place, at the wrong man. My capacity for love was well and truly expended on Olivia.’
He had been her first and only lover.
‘You play with women, don’t you? Did it amuse you to play with me? Did my virginity turn you on?’
I’ve only ever been a little bit of fun on the side. He’s still in love with Olivia.
‘Nothing in life is permanent, remember that,’ he said shortly,
‘We didn’t take any precautions,’ he said, facing her. ‘I don’t suppose that you’re on…’
‘You’re young,’ he said heavily, ‘you have your whole life ahead of you, and as for me, let’s just say that I want an heir to the “throne” even less than I want a woman with whom to share it.’
‘And I don’t need a woman clinging on to me, Claire, trying to understand me. You’re an attractive girl, but you’re not that attractive.’
She would never have dreamt that she would find herself in the position of mistress, accepting the rules of someone else’s game.
‘Will you miss me?’ she had asked,
He raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Why on earth should I?’
‘I always like to make it clear to the women I…date…that I’m not on the look-out for a prospective wife.’
I was honest enough when I told you that I didn’t want commitment, and I thought that you accepted that.’
‘You’ve never been like this before! I thought you were sweet and innocent and uncomplicated.’
‘Stop being a fool!’ ‘I have,’ she retorted. ‘I did the minute I decided to end our relationship.’
‘Point proved,’ he said softly. ‘It’s gratifying to know that at least in that area you weren’t pretending.’ ‘You bastard,’ she said.
She had no intention of forgetting his little amusing game yesterday at her expense.
I want you and the feeling’s mutual. So why throw what we have to the winds because of some misguided sense of morality?’
And when he was ready to discard her he would do so without a backward glance, because his emotions had never been involved.
Fine to fool around with, but it was obvious that he liked them brainy and it was equally obvious that he considered her to be about as brainy as a baked potato.
He must have known from the start that she was gullible, not like those sophisticated women he normally surrounded himself with, and now he felt some kind of warped obligation to protect her from herself.
‘Olivia was self-assured,’ he said harshly. ‘She was a woman, a sophisticated, confident woman who knew what she wanted out of life and wasn’t afraid to go allout to get it.’
‘What happened between us was a mistake,’ he said roughly. ‘I knew that at the time, but I couldn’t resist.’
The knight in shining armour had turned out to be a tarnished mockery of the real thing.
February 15, 2023
She breaks up with him after finding a photo of him and another woman and hearing his cruel answers to that.
He had to make a bit of an effort to get her back. Usually the h’s just fall into the H’s arms again, but not this h. She made him sweat a little bit. More h’s should be like that.
He had to make a bit of an effort to get her back. Usually the h’s just fall into the H’s arms again, but not this h. She made him sweat a little bit. More h’s should be like that.
November 30, 2013
he hero was constantly after her for a reaction, you could tell he was crazy for her. The passion/arguing was pretty intense.
July 7, 2023
It’s a vintage harlequin presents. A good one if you are in a good mood. No comfort read. For me. I hated the whole affair trope.
The heroine, Claire Harper, is twenty, innocent, cute, pretty and has that quality of a faun startled when caught in the headlights.
She’s the second child to her lower to middle class parents and has always been the pet, sheltered and protected.
Big sister went to London. Claire is still in a small place.
She’s finished her art degree and isn’t managing to find a job so she finally agrees to be a cleaner at Frilton manor. She’s young. She’s strong. She loves how beautiful the place is.
It’s owned by a wealthy rich man who owns a big company in London, the Forrester Group.
He’s bought it from an old relative and keeps it beautifully. The whole house is centrally heated whether he’s at home or not. It has beautiful rugs and art and a bit heavy in the kind of drapes and bed from what I could make out.
No poor but hunky hero here as there are no poor heroes in HPLand.
Anyway. The day Claire goes to interview with the housekeeper, James Forrester, arrives home and finds her standing in the hallway prior to leaving.
They are both equally entranced with each other. He’s 34, successful. She’s twenty, beautiful.
We know how the story goes.
She starts working at the manor. We never see or hear any of the staff who work there. They’re invisible. Till the end. Magical. Invisible.
Suddenly, James Forrester(that’s how she thinks of him in her mind throughout) is coming home early.
One evening he takes her to his library for a drink. They have a loaded conversation. I think they kiss? No. Perhaps not. Anyway. He tells her he is too old for her. She should stay out of his way.
So they skirt around each other for a bit. Then the inevitable happens. They are in bed together. An affair starts. He is totally in lust with her. She’s enslaved, telling him she loves him from the beginning.
He makes it very clear to her that there are no wedding bells going to be ringing.
She gets a job as an artist at a local ad agency. She leaves the cleaning job. Still no sign of housekeeper.
She tells James Forrester all about her days at place of work and he vaguely pays attention. He’s more focussed on the main thing, screwing her.
He gives her a cottage on the grounds at a nominal rent because she’s an idealist. She will take no gifts. She will go on no holidays with him. She is still living in La La land hoping he’ll start loving her back like she loves him.
So now, one March evening, he’s not home yet and she runs out of paper at her cottage. Not much description of her life there. Or any description.
She goes to the manor and opens a drawer in its desk. Searching for foolscap paper. What does she find?
A photograph. The hero. A cool blonde. Obviously at their own wedding.
She is shocked. He’s married?
He comes home. She throws a miniature tantrum. He tells her that his wife is dead. Anyway. They don’t have that kind of relationship. So come on. Let’s get into bed.
She breaks up with him. Moves in very conveniently with her work colleague, called believe it or not Karen. This Karen is intelligent. I think she was Karen.
Anyway. Claire vacates the cottage.
The hero is waiting outside her workplace every evening now. Poor fellow. He drives down from London. Then he goes sits outside her office. It’s possible? Anyway. It happens with amazing regularity.
They exchange some kisses. She tells him get thee gone. He insists on dropping her home because it’s raining or it’s too dark. Every day.
He brings a blonde American lady to live at the cottage.
Claire goes to a party at her sister’s house and also acquires an American beau.
In fact hero’s American lady very conveniently knows the heroines American acquaintance. All the dibs on how bad he is.
Hero gets uptight now. He gets rid of male companion who will go away soon. His company wants him back. All engineered by hero.
So James Forrester takes Claire away to Paris by bribing her boss with work which only she can do.
In Paris there is a dinner. No they never reach dinner. Her OM shows up. Very illogical occurrence. He tries to rape her when earlier he wasn’t interested. Hero comes in and sends him off. Heroine faints.
She comes to.
Of course they make love. That is what one does after an assault.
She’s pregnant a month later. Hero is upset. How could this happen. She runs away to sisters empty house. Hero finds out her address and unearths her.
Marriage is mentioned.
The end.
I had loved this book when I read it a few years ago. So angsty. What a brooding hot hero who is so crazy about the heroine.
This time around all I saw were the flaws.
It’s ok. Read if you want all the cliches and a bit of angst.
I just hated them both. Don’t know why.
The heroine, Claire Harper, is twenty, innocent, cute, pretty and has that quality of a faun startled when caught in the headlights.
She’s the second child to her lower to middle class parents and has always been the pet, sheltered and protected.
Big sister went to London. Claire is still in a small place.
She’s finished her art degree and isn’t managing to find a job so she finally agrees to be a cleaner at Frilton manor. She’s young. She’s strong. She loves how beautiful the place is.
It’s owned by a wealthy rich man who owns a big company in London, the Forrester Group.
He’s bought it from an old relative and keeps it beautifully. The whole house is centrally heated whether he’s at home or not. It has beautiful rugs and art and a bit heavy in the kind of drapes and bed from what I could make out.
No poor but hunky hero here as there are no poor heroes in HPLand.
Anyway. The day Claire goes to interview with the housekeeper, James Forrester, arrives home and finds her standing in the hallway prior to leaving.
They are both equally entranced with each other. He’s 34, successful. She’s twenty, beautiful.
We know how the story goes.
She starts working at the manor. We never see or hear any of the staff who work there. They’re invisible. Till the end. Magical. Invisible.
Suddenly, James Forrester(that’s how she thinks of him in her mind throughout) is coming home early.
One evening he takes her to his library for a drink. They have a loaded conversation. I think they kiss? No. Perhaps not. Anyway. He tells her he is too old for her. She should stay out of his way.
So they skirt around each other for a bit. Then the inevitable happens. They are in bed together. An affair starts. He is totally in lust with her. She’s enslaved, telling him she loves him from the beginning.
He makes it very clear to her that there are no wedding bells going to be ringing.
She gets a job as an artist at a local ad agency. She leaves the cleaning job. Still no sign of housekeeper.
She tells James Forrester all about her days at place of work and he vaguely pays attention. He’s more focussed on the main thing, screwing her.
He gives her a cottage on the grounds at a nominal rent because she’s an idealist. She will take no gifts. She will go on no holidays with him. She is still living in La La land hoping he’ll start loving her back like she loves him.
So now, one March evening, he’s not home yet and she runs out of paper at her cottage. Not much description of her life there. Or any description.
She goes to the manor and opens a drawer in its desk. Searching for foolscap paper. What does she find?
A photograph. The hero. A cool blonde. Obviously at their own wedding.
She is shocked. He’s married?
He comes home. She throws a miniature tantrum. He tells her that his wife is dead. Anyway. They don’t have that kind of relationship. So come on. Let’s get into bed.
She breaks up with him. Moves in very conveniently with her work colleague, called believe it or not Karen. This Karen is intelligent. I think she was Karen.
Anyway. Claire vacates the cottage.
The hero is waiting outside her workplace every evening now. Poor fellow. He drives down from London. Then he goes sits outside her office. It’s possible? Anyway. It happens with amazing regularity.
They exchange some kisses. She tells him get thee gone. He insists on dropping her home because it’s raining or it’s too dark. Every day.
He brings a blonde American lady to live at the cottage.
Claire goes to a party at her sister’s house and also acquires an American beau.
In fact hero’s American lady very conveniently knows the heroines American acquaintance. All the dibs on how bad he is.
Hero gets uptight now. He gets rid of male companion who will go away soon. His company wants him back. All engineered by hero.
So James Forrester takes Claire away to Paris by bribing her boss with work which only she can do.
In Paris there is a dinner. No they never reach dinner. Her OM shows up. Very illogical occurrence. He tries to rape her when earlier he wasn’t interested. Hero comes in and sends him off. Heroine faints.
She comes to.
Of course they make love. That is what one does after an assault.
She’s pregnant a month later. Hero is upset. How could this happen. She runs away to sisters empty house. Hero finds out her address and unearths her.
Marriage is mentioned.
The end.
I had loved this book when I read it a few years ago. So angsty. What a brooding hot hero who is so crazy about the heroine.
This time around all I saw were the flaws.
It’s ok. Read if you want all the cliches and a bit of angst.
I just hated them both. Don’t know why.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2021
Growing up is hard to do!
For a book I wanted to chuck across the room a few times, it had a sweet HEA. The way the book was progressing I expected my first Harlequin HFN.
This book was really about two over grown children. A naive teenager and three year old that had temper tantrums when things did not go his way. No real OW only in the main female characters mind. But due to her naivety and really a lack of street smarts, there was a nasty other man who turned into a possible rapist due to not getting value for the dinners he paid for.
There was a lot of growing up to do which our female lead did. Other than owning up to his feelings I don't think our main male character changed much. But in the end I think Claire is more than capable of putting James in his place and getting him to be less of a jerk and turn into a loving husband and father.
For a book I wanted to chuck across the room a few times, it had a sweet HEA. The way the book was progressing I expected my first Harlequin HFN.
This book was really about two over grown children. A naive teenager and three year old that had temper tantrums when things did not go his way. No real OW only in the main female characters mind. But due to her naivety and really a lack of street smarts, there was a nasty other man who turned into a possible rapist due to not getting value for the dinners he paid for.
There was a lot of growing up to do which our female lead did. Other than owning up to his feelings I don't think our main male character changed much. But in the end I think Claire is more than capable of putting James in his place and getting him to be less of a jerk and turn into a loving husband and father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
hq-to-read
May 27, 2020I'm not looking for love."
Those words shattered Claire. How could she have been so naive as to assume that she would be the one to break through James Forrester's cool, arrogant exterior? She should have known better, but instead had hoped that their wild, tempestuous affair would at least count for something....
However, now she was well aware that James viewed her with cynicism, wanting yet despising her youthful innocence. So what chance did they have--particularly when James seemed determined not to lay to rest the ghost of his dead wife?
Those words shattered Claire. How could she have been so naive as to assume that she would be the one to break through James Forrester's cool, arrogant exterior? She should have known better, but instead had hoped that their wild, tempestuous affair would at least count for something....
However, now she was well aware that James viewed her with cynicism, wanting yet despising her youthful innocence. So what chance did they have--particularly when James seemed determined not to lay to rest the ghost of his dead wife?
April 20, 2020
Kept me interested
Well written. I liked how the H. was developed and that he could act like a jerk.
I didn’t agree with some of the heroines choices but overall pleasant read. Didn’t mind a bit cliche story about a jaded H. who thinks he don’t want commitment and young, naive h. who gets under his skin . Fairytales ending is a given.
Well written. I liked how the H. was developed and that he could act like a jerk.
I didn’t agree with some of the heroines choices but overall pleasant read. Didn’t mind a bit cliche story about a jaded H. who thinks he don’t want commitment and young, naive h. who gets under his skin . Fairytales ending is a given.
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