Castles of Sand

by Anne Mather

Used Paperback

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Harlequin Presents, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Anne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angsty tale of a mother reunited with her seven year-old son when he is enrolled in her classroom. At 18, she had been forced to give up her baby at birth to her dead husband’s wealthy, royal family. The hero withdraws the boy from the school as soon as he finds out who the teacher is. From there the action moves to a fictional desert country where the heroine is tutoring her son and trying to fight her attraction to the hero, her husband’s half-brother.

The opening is quite dramatic – seeing both her son (who doesn’t know her) and her husband’s brother – her first lover. When the action shifts to the fictional desert country, the narration slows down a little – lots of palace intrigue and various wives and relatives for the heroine to meet.

Right off you know there is more to the backstory of the H/h – but you don’t find out until the end. The hero’s father sent the brother to England to break them up. Brother drugged the heroine’s drink and climbed into bed with her. Hero thought she was cheating. When she found out she was pregnant, she married the “impotent” brother out of spite. “Impotent” brother droves his car into a tree a few days after the wedding. They never consummated their marriage.

I liked how AM drew out the mystery of the H/h. I also liked how she did not whitewash the cultural differences in how women were treated. The young son was starting to absorb them and the heroine didn’t like that. In fact, the young son was well on his way to suffering from “little prince syndrome,” that the ending where they all end of in New York when the H takes a diplomatic position at the UN felt right and necessary.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad little story about a heroine who gave up her baby 7 years ago to the Father's family. I was shocked that an HP had a mother give up her son. I guess there has been some, I can think of two at least, but wow it got me. She is leading a lonely celibate life in England teaching little boys at a private school when she notices the name of a new student and realizes it is her son. She actually sees him and his Uncle when they come to the school and notices that he looks alot like her and his Father. Her husband had killed himself the day after the wedding and she was forced to give up her baby to the powerful family. She was in love with her husbands brother however, the Uncle, and she married the H's brother because he dumped her thinking that she had cheated on him. She was pregnant and to hurt the H she married his brother. There are a lot of secrets and once the h sees her son, she pretty much blackmails the H into letting her come be his tutor. Once she gets there, she finds tons of machinations and secrets in the Harem where she is being kept. Of course there is more drama between the h and the H's youngest brother wanting her. There is a second wife for the H's Father who is the H's Mother also and she is so nice. There is lot's of drama and there is an HEA of course. I loved Anne Mather when I was a teenager and this story certainly made me remember why. They were apart 7 years and it never said anything about other women but I am sure there was but at least it didn't rub it in my face. And at the end your are firmly convinced that the H loves her. So I am pretending there wasn't anyone else and they all lived Happily Ever After!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Mather is a talented author.

This vintage Harlequin is no exception. While I did not read in one sitting, I wanted to as the book was hard to put down.

This was a second chance romance with a baby. It was well written, full of angst and unrequited love.

A great story!

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel ripped at my heartstrings. Her Arab husband dies and his family makes her give up her baby son. So she not only loses her husband but the baby she carried for nine months. When she finally sees her son, she decides she is going to fight for him and everyone better watch the hell out.

[Sall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst the principle story was good, the fact that the characters names got mixed up and the spelling wasn't great made for a difficult read. I also found that the number of characters made it hard to follow.

[Anuradha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anne Mather doesn't invest much depth in her leads - the wronged English miss or the brooding Arab prince.

The leads have a fluffy affair. His little brother arrives from some La La land in the Gulf. Plays mischief, big brother thinks the girl cheated on him. Girl marries the younger guy in a hurry, out of spite. Of course he promptly meets with an accident and conks off in a day !!

The big brother figures out she is pregnant, thinks the child belongs to the 1 day husband. Oh, but the poor dead guy is conveniently impotent ?!?!?

Hero anyway whisks the kiddo off to the kingdom. Cut to 7 years later.

Our English miss gets to see a glimpse of her kid. And suddenly all her maternal instincts come rushing !! She follows the kid and her sheikh into la la land.

Now no M&B hero could say no to his libido. Same here, sheikh finds the girl irresistible all over again. And towards the end figures out what an angel she is.

And as usual to make a hero from an alien land more palatable, he is given a French mother. What cliches !!? I could write a book on cliches used in M&B tales :))

Insipid stuff.

[Debby]

The h had a relationship with the H. Then the H’s brother comes along and she decides to marry his brother. His brother died and now the H is back again.

Keeping it in the family, I don’t like that trope.

[FOTINI · Rating 3 out of 5]

Κατάσταση ανάγκης...

[nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense angsty.

[N.]

...Rather not read baby fighting stuff. Personal issue. Uh, thanks for the book.

[RomLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reunion was almost unbearable...Ashley could hardly believe she was actually seeing her son. Circumstances had forced her to give him up at birth seven years earlier to her deceased husband's wealthy Arab family.

Now the unexpected sight of Hussein with his uncle, Prince Alain, thoroughly shocked her. No longer was her son an image buried in Ashley's heart: he was there; he was real.

And Alain was no longer a memory but as disturbing - and unforgiving - as ever. This time, Ashley resolved, I'm not going to lose either of them.

[Yvonne Pennacchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story and I really loved the characters

[Desi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terminado de leer el 18/01/2010
"La huella del amor"

[Shanelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like this story at all.