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Hide and Seek
Two years ago, Donna Cowley had been desperately in love with Brodie Fox until she found out what he was really like and had broken their engagement. Her new life in Paris was satisfying and secure; she hadn't been back to England and she didn't want to risk seeing Brodie again. Now, it seemed she had no choice. Her fraternal twin brother, Gavin, was in trouble and Donna couldn't refuse to help him, even though it meant crossing swords with Brodie. But even if Brodie did think he had the upper hand, Donna wasn't going on her knees to him. She'd rather die!
Hide And Seek by Charlotte Lamb released on Jun 24, 1987 is available now for purchase.
Hide And Seek by Charlotte Lamb released on Jun 24, 1987 is available now for purchase.
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 24, 1987
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
266 books322 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 21, 2026
English Heroine meets the hero when he joins her father’s company as a high level exec. Hero starts courting her and eventually proposes, which the heroine joyfully accepts. But right before the wedding, the hero's ex-fiancee smugly taunts heroine that he is just marrying her to acquire the majority shares in her father's business. Her pride shattered, heroine tells hero off royally, jilts him, and moves to Paris, where she stays for 2 years. Hero does not follow her or attempt to woo her back or even contact her in those 2 years. He stays in London and continues to run her father's business.
Then, heroine and hero are thrown back together because her brother, who has a gambling addiction, has embezzled sixteen thousand pounds from the family firm. Hero and heroine try to deal with the crisis while shielding heroine's dad, who suffers from a severe heart condition and would probably not survive a big public Escandalo. Hero and heroine also work together to get her brother the help he needs with his gambling problem (as well as a second career in glass blowing, oh the randomness of it lol!)
The OW is unfortunately still around, sticking her ugly nose into hero and heroine's lives, with nary a comeuppance. Neither the hero nor the heroine manage to tell her off and in fact, she gets the last word before walking off, leaving them dumbfounded grrrrr.
Loooooong explanation at the end to clear away the Great Big Terrible Misunderstanding, which could have been done two years prior if the protagonists had an ounce of communication between them, or even just cared a little for each other. OW lied to the heroine about hero using her to get to the family business shares. She did it out of spite and jealousy because the hero had dumped her after she cheated on him. Hero had actually acquired the shares in heroine's father's business very early on when he first started dating heroine, because he knew right away that he wanted to marry her and did not wish for anyone to say that their marriage was a business deal: He intended to give the shares to heroine as their wedding present.
It was okay overall. CL writes beautifully as always. Nice travelogue of Paris too, including the description of the delectable cheese souffle that the protagonists enjoy at the Ritz. But I didn't feel true love in this one. Heroine ran away from her problem and hero never went after her, not because their hearts were broken, but because their pride had been dented. Pride before love, trust and communication. I don't like the odds of a happy marriage next time the OW or some other third party tries to throw a wrench into their lives.
Then, heroine and hero are thrown back together because her brother, who has a gambling addiction, has embezzled sixteen thousand pounds from the family firm. Hero and heroine try to deal with the crisis while shielding heroine's dad, who suffers from a severe heart condition and would probably not survive a big public Escandalo. Hero and heroine also work together to get her brother the help he needs with his gambling problem (as well as a second career in glass blowing, oh the randomness of it lol!)
The OW is unfortunately still around, sticking her ugly nose into hero and heroine's lives, with nary a comeuppance. Neither the hero nor the heroine manage to tell her off and in fact, she gets the last word before walking off, leaving them dumbfounded grrrrr.
Loooooong explanation at the end to clear away the Great Big Terrible Misunderstanding, which could have been done two years prior if the protagonists had an ounce of communication between them, or even just cared a little for each other. OW lied to the heroine about hero using her to get to the family business shares. She did it out of spite and jealousy because the hero had dumped her after she cheated on him. Hero had actually acquired the shares in heroine's father's business very early on when he first started dating heroine, because he knew right away that he wanted to marry her and did not wish for anyone to say that their marriage was a business deal: He intended to give the shares to heroine as their wedding present.
It was okay overall. CL writes beautifully as always. Nice travelogue of Paris too, including the description of the delectable cheese souffle that the protagonists enjoy at the Ritz. But I didn't feel true love in this one. Heroine ran away from her problem and hero never went after her, not because their hearts were broken, but because their pride had been dented. Pride before love, trust and communication. I don't like the odds of a happy marriage next time the OW or some other third party tries to throw a wrench into their lives.
July 6, 2016
Re Hide and Seek - CL brings us a comparatively mild story about an h who dumped the H two years before the story starts-- when she found out she was merely a business accoutrement and not the love of his life, cause he already had one of those. There is also a big subplot of the h's twin brother not fitting into the family business and having a gambling problem which the h tries to help him sort out.
The story starts with the h living in Paris, two years earlier she moved there after breaking her engagement to the H and leaving her businessman father's obsessive domineering control. The h is happy there, she has a nice job and good friends and plenty of things to do. Then her twin brother shows up.
He has a gambling problem that is exacerbated by his father's insistence that he work at the family firm. The twin isn't happy in an office and wants to be a glassblower artisan instead. Since the twin's mum died when they were very small, the h has always been her brother's emotional support - their father is only really interested in his company and in his own little world.
The twin needs to replace £16,000 into the company coffers as he "borrowed" it to gamble and them promptly lost it. The h is promising to help him when the H shows up and insists that the h and brother return to England and the family home.
It seems Daddy Dearest has been having a series of heart attacks and is currently in hospital and needs the devotion of his children. The h and her brother don't really buy this - the father is far more interested in and likes the H way more than his kids, but they agree to go back. The h convinces the H to replace the money her twin took and to keep quiet while the father is recovering.
The H and h are highly antagonistic, the h dumped him pretty hard after she found out from his former fiancee (and supposed true love) that the H dumped the woman when the h's father proposed he marry the h and take over the family firm. The h had been in love with the H prior to meeting the ex fiancee, but the sad story made her wake up and realize that the whole thing was little more than a business deal between the H and her father - so she returned the ring and moved to Paris.
The h goes back to her father's house, while he is in hospital, the H implies that he and the h are reconciling which seems to cheer the father up. There is a lot of jealous arguing between the H and h, punishing kisses and getting the twin brother into a glassblowing apprenticeship and a councilor for his gambling addiction. The H keeps asking the h why she dumped him and the h blames it on not wanting to be a business deal-in between fighting off punishing, knee weakening H kisses.
Finally the former fiancee calls the house for the H (he and the h and the housekeeper are all in the father's house), and the h realizes that the H never broke up with the woman. There are some nasty insinuations about the H's affair by the h and then she takes herself off to France for her best friend's wedding.
She is in her hotel room with one of her friends, (a Frenchman who has to fight the women off with judo even tho he isn't that large or handsome,) when the H shows up and gets all snarly possessive. The h tells him off pretty harshly, cause he is one to talk - at least she wasn't two-timing anybody.
We finally find out that the H was engaged to the OW, but he dumped her cause she cheated on him - with his best friend who is also married with two kids. The OW lied to break the H and h up when it appeared the H had moved on and the H supposedly really did fall in love with the h.
He wanted the h to marry him not knowing if she was being married for the business or not as a test of her love and devotion - tho he actually already owned most of the company shares cause the h's dad had sold them to him.
Supposedly they both really love each other now and the brother is happy being a glassblower and the H and h will marry and move into the h's father's home for the HEA.
This one isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. The h and H were sorta boring in their continual jealousies, and the h's brother's problem was actually the more interesting plot line. Overall this one fits the 'read it cause it is there" category, but don't expect the really passionate drama that CL does best.
The story starts with the h living in Paris, two years earlier she moved there after breaking her engagement to the H and leaving her businessman father's obsessive domineering control. The h is happy there, she has a nice job and good friends and plenty of things to do. Then her twin brother shows up.
He has a gambling problem that is exacerbated by his father's insistence that he work at the family firm. The twin isn't happy in an office and wants to be a glassblower artisan instead. Since the twin's mum died when they were very small, the h has always been her brother's emotional support - their father is only really interested in his company and in his own little world.
The twin needs to replace £16,000 into the company coffers as he "borrowed" it to gamble and them promptly lost it. The h is promising to help him when the H shows up and insists that the h and brother return to England and the family home.
It seems Daddy Dearest has been having a series of heart attacks and is currently in hospital and needs the devotion of his children. The h and her brother don't really buy this - the father is far more interested in and likes the H way more than his kids, but they agree to go back. The h convinces the H to replace the money her twin took and to keep quiet while the father is recovering.
The H and h are highly antagonistic, the h dumped him pretty hard after she found out from his former fiancee (and supposed true love) that the H dumped the woman when the h's father proposed he marry the h and take over the family firm. The h had been in love with the H prior to meeting the ex fiancee, but the sad story made her wake up and realize that the whole thing was little more than a business deal between the H and her father - so she returned the ring and moved to Paris.
The h goes back to her father's house, while he is in hospital, the H implies that he and the h are reconciling which seems to cheer the father up. There is a lot of jealous arguing between the H and h, punishing kisses and getting the twin brother into a glassblowing apprenticeship and a councilor for his gambling addiction. The H keeps asking the h why she dumped him and the h blames it on not wanting to be a business deal-in between fighting off punishing, knee weakening H kisses.
Finally the former fiancee calls the house for the H (he and the h and the housekeeper are all in the father's house), and the h realizes that the H never broke up with the woman. There are some nasty insinuations about the H's affair by the h and then she takes herself off to France for her best friend's wedding.
She is in her hotel room with one of her friends, (a Frenchman who has to fight the women off with judo even tho he isn't that large or handsome,) when the H shows up and gets all snarly possessive. The h tells him off pretty harshly, cause he is one to talk - at least she wasn't two-timing anybody.
We finally find out that the H was engaged to the OW, but he dumped her cause she cheated on him - with his best friend who is also married with two kids. The OW lied to break the H and h up when it appeared the H had moved on and the H supposedly really did fall in love with the h.
He wanted the h to marry him not knowing if she was being married for the business or not as a test of her love and devotion - tho he actually already owned most of the company shares cause the h's dad had sold them to him.
Supposedly they both really love each other now and the brother is happy being a glassblower and the H and h will marry and move into the h's father's home for the HEA.
This one isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. The h and H were sorta boring in their continual jealousies, and the h's brother's problem was actually the more interesting plot line. Overall this one fits the 'read it cause it is there" category, but don't expect the really passionate drama that CL does best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2010
This oldie CL was a bit of a disappointment. It was a slow read with no apparent spark between Donna and Brodie. I kept reading hoping it would take a turn for the better, but I found it somewhat boring. Donna's friend Alain, a Frenchman who looked a bit like a frog, but whom the ladies found extremely sexy, was more interesting than Donna and Brodie's relationship. I want to know what happened to Alain!
August 8, 2014
Particularly bland book with no angst or craziness, inspite of the very promising cover and given that it's Charlotte Lamb.
January 1, 2025
I just finished Hide and Seek overnight. In this story the title totally refers to how both the beautiful heroine Donna and her gambling addictive twin brother Gavin plays the Hide and Seek game (I mean that ironically) against our very dominant and cunning alpha- hero Brodie Fox-a close friend to their father, both for different reasons. Gavin runs away for fear of having to face the consequences of embezzling money from their company, Donna for the fear of having to face that Brodie loves another woman and only wants to inherit her assets. Ah two stupid poor fools. Still, Brodie loved her desperately, as always Lamb’s heroes do despite it all.
September 29, 2019
Two years ago, Donna Cowley had been desperately in love with Brodie Fox until she found out what he was really like and had broken their engagement. Her new life in Paris was satisfying and secure; she hadn't been back to England and she didn't want to risk seeing Brodie again. Now, it seemed she had no choice. Her fraternal twin brother, Gavin, was in trouble and Donna couldn't refuse to help him, even though it meant crossing swords with Brodie. But even if Brodie did think he had the upper hand, Donna wasn't going on her knees to him. She'd rather die! (
January 25, 2022
Most of the time I like those stories that start out with the MC meeting after a long separation due to a misunderstanding, but this is NOT one of those times. The chemistry that's supposed to sizzle under the surface was totally lacking here, the h, Donna was an entitled pain in the ass who seemed to think love means someone worshipping at your feet, and the H, Brodie (hate that name) was about as charming and sexy as a blank sheet of paper. And that's how much chemistry the two had, the few so-called love scenes were BORING, two business partners shaking hands would be more of a thrill.
So, Donna thinks Brodie wants her only to get his hands on Daddy's company, while meantime his hands are all over Christabel, his ex fiancee and supposedly current bed partner? Any solid proof? Of course not, only overheard innuendos and her own insecurities, yet she flees to Paris for two years, makes him think she doesn't care, then gets all pouty because he didn't follow her there and declare his love! Talk about a spoiled brat! If the shoe were reversed, would she have chased after him? I think not!
Brodie, for his part, didn't seem like he was capable of feeling much emotion for anything or anyone. When he talked of his wounded pride and supposedly broken heart when Christabel cheated on him (the reason for their breakup) with his close (and married) friend, Tom he sounded as emotional as if he were reading a news item, even when he talked about breaking Tom's nose! And when he wanted to know if Donna had been with any men while in Paris, he might as well have asked, "Do you want to go out for dinner or order a pizza?" for all the passion he showed.
We're supposed to believe these two were soulmates who never stopped loving each other???? Give me a break!!!
Ms. Lamb should have written a book about Donna's gambling addicted brother Gavin instead, as he was much more interesting!
So, Donna thinks Brodie wants her only to get his hands on Daddy's company, while meantime his hands are all over Christabel, his ex fiancee and supposedly current bed partner? Any solid proof? Of course not, only overheard innuendos and her own insecurities, yet she flees to Paris for two years, makes him think she doesn't care, then gets all pouty because he didn't follow her there and declare his love! Talk about a spoiled brat! If the shoe were reversed, would she have chased after him? I think not!
Brodie, for his part, didn't seem like he was capable of feeling much emotion for anything or anyone. When he talked of his wounded pride and supposedly broken heart when Christabel cheated on him (the reason for their breakup) with his close (and married) friend, Tom he sounded as emotional as if he were reading a news item, even when he talked about breaking Tom's nose! And when he wanted to know if Donna had been with any men while in Paris, he might as well have asked, "Do you want to go out for dinner or order a pizza?" for all the passion he showed.
We're supposed to believe these two were soulmates who never stopped loving each other???? Give me a break!!!
Ms. Lamb should have written a book about Donna's gambling addicted brother Gavin instead, as he was much more interesting!
October 4, 2023
Ugh! It was a waste of time to read. It started out good. Donna, the female lead, was headstrong and was standoffish with the male lead, Brodie. They continually clash but Donna held her own. What I didn't appreciate was the side character, Gavin, who was a whiny little child who couldn't keep his act together. The story is so convoluted and uninspired. It was very lackluster and the ending seemed rushed. Basically, Brodie just said that he was not after the company because he already owns it. Donna just accepted it at that and they are supposed to love happily ever after. I wanted a more forceful ML and the FL to be more steadfast and stubborn. I wanted them to fight and fight until their passions ignited. It was not an enjoyable read.
April 7, 2021
The H doesn’t hide his feelings for her. This passionate, jealous, dominant man can’t stay away from her. And I like that he verbally teases her some times with his sense of. humour.
May 7, 2022
Not the greatest CL out there. CL tried for a non-stalking hero and the end result is a limp romance with an extended monologue reveal that I skimmed over. This reads a little like the other story she wrote with the reporter who let the heroine go out of love for her and then never went to find her and tried to chase her off his island.
Gave two stars for the Paris travelogue, the hints about gambling as a disease, and a sort of bad father-children relationship that seemed on the verge of resolving, but never quite does. CL really missed the mark here.
Gave two stars for the Paris travelogue, the hints about gambling as a disease, and a sort of bad father-children relationship that seemed on the verge of resolving, but never quite does. CL really missed the mark here.
October 1, 2023
I never could understand h protecting and being saviour to people who are harmful to others and never realise they need help and proper way to deal with the issues rather than snarling at someone who is helping them out. Ridiculous!!
I mean she was limit.Idiotic h.
H was ok
I mean she was limit.Idiotic h.
H was ok
March 29, 2023
Why all the violence? I am an impassioned person but I don't grab the person I love by the shoulders and shake them or corner them. Yuck! School bully nonsense.
February 4, 2014
this was a complete disaster! i felt no connection at all bet brodie n donna, be it on a sexual or relationship level. at the end, i was like WTF!?wid donna saying "i'm sorry darling, i'm sorry", after being a cold bitch all throughout the book !? while brodie was pretty indifferent through the book, yes he was upset abt her unjustifiable insults but he did not react like a man in love/besotted. his story abt christabel was more like the real thing, he had more chemistry wid her than the heroine lol ! a few times, he did get jealous, however it seemed abrupt n gauche lol!like forced u no. i think i already read all the good ones from charlotte lamb bcoz the remainder ones i'm reading r no gud !
April 11, 2023
Better than OK but nothing special. The romance is tepid; he acts all possessive and snarls a lot and she vacillates between doormat-hood and telling him off. Her brother has a serious gambling problem and hates his job at the family business and our fearless hero uses that to keep tabs on her, but he does not use it to blackmail her into marriage or bedroom.
Reread, still three stars.
Reread, still three stars.
September 28, 2014
3.5 stars. A good read!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews