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Lovestruck
"You remember, last night? At the party? When you proposed to me?"
"Proposed " Sam hoarsely repeated, going pale.
Natalie gave him a dewy look. "Yes. You went down on your knees, in front of them all ."
"On my " he breathed, with incredulity and horror.
"Knees." She nodded. "And asked me to marry you. You put your signet ring on my finger and said it would do until we could get to a jeweler's to choose a real engagement ring, a sapphire to match my eyes. You remember, don't you, Sam?"
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
263 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 30, 2016
The "hero" wore a "top that left his midriff bare." Oh, ugh. This man needs to meet the man (in another book) who wore "miniscule white tennis shorts". Holy Stripper Convention, Batman!
June 26, 2024
DNF on page 84 of 198.
Same old story of the doormat heroine who lets hero and pretty much everyone else in the story ride roughshod over her.
He proposes very publically to her while in the throes of an alcoholic blackout? It's all her fault.
His crazy mom who planned an engagement party before bothering to talk to either one of them is now embarrassed to tell all the caterers, hotel managers etc. that it was all a big joke? The heroine will make all the placating phone calls.
The second rate Casanova dumps her in the middle of their date for a newer, hotter model? No hard feelings, after all he is only trying to recapture his youth.
And on and on.
The hero was a disgusting, promiscuous pig who never gave a second look to his dowdy secretary before the drunken proposal fiasco, and will be cheating on her before the week is over. The dumb as a post heroine only needs his kisses to turn her brains into a gelatinous mess leaking out of her ears. Pathetic Charlotte Lamb story that is not up to her standards.
Same old story of the doormat heroine who lets hero and pretty much everyone else in the story ride roughshod over her.
He proposes very publically to her while in the throes of an alcoholic blackout? It's all her fault.
His crazy mom who planned an engagement party before bothering to talk to either one of them is now embarrassed to tell all the caterers, hotel managers etc. that it was all a big joke? The heroine will make all the placating phone calls.
The second rate Casanova dumps her in the middle of their date for a newer, hotter model? No hard feelings, after all he is only trying to recapture his youth.
And on and on.
The hero was a disgusting, promiscuous pig who never gave a second look to his dowdy secretary before the drunken proposal fiasco, and will be cheating on her before the week is over. The dumb as a post heroine only needs his kisses to turn her brains into a gelatinous mess leaking out of her ears. Pathetic Charlotte Lamb story that is not up to her standards.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2019
Re Lovestruck - Charlotte Lamb gets a five star author cover tag, (as of this 2019 writing she has over 200 million copies of her books published worldwide per Bookscan,) and revives the plot from one of her early Uber Alpha Womanizer H's vs Prime Unicorn Managing h romances.
You guessed it, CL is bringing us a revised and more politically correct for the 1990's version of Obsession. But to ease the sorrow of not having an obsessed, punishingly kissing, grabbily determined H, we get added humor instead.
This H is much more refined in both manner and tone than CL's early H's - he does seem to have a bit of a holding his liquor problem- as the book opens with our secretary h planning on giving her boss a really good verbal drubbing session, as soon as he hauls his hungover hiney to the office that is.
The h in this is the H's secretary, they both work at a non-London radio station and the h is all things efficient and practical and somewhat cynically minded. Tho softer around the edges than CL's earlier acerbic managing h's, this girl has some bottle to her bottom when she needs it.
She really needs it now, because last night she attended a party thrown by the station's number one aging, but still handsome pop DJ/announcer and was stunned into utter astonishment when her drunken boss got down on one knee, pulled off his family crest signet ring and proposed.
The h accepted in jest and now, family crest signet ring firm ensconced on her thumb, she can't wait to gleefully blow the H's usual smug complacency right out of the water. Her boss is a notorious lady buffet sampler and the first man to hit the door running whenever marriage is mentioned.
In fact, the H attended the party the night before with his latest hopeful buffet sample on his arm. Apparently this flagrant red-haired virago was not the tempting morsel she purported herself to be and the H was having issues.
Highly frustrated with the H, the woman made a serious play for the aging DJ party host and in retaliation, the H had a few too many and proposed to the h. Setting off a OW volcanic explosion of Krakatoa proportions.
The h has no plans of actually taking the H seriously, but she can't help wanting to get some of her own back over some the H's more autocratic treatments over the years.
The h does seem to be of mixed opinion about the H too, she knows he financially supports his much younger sisters and his widowed mother, so while his salary as the radio station commander in chief is pretty good, he isn't rolling in the wealth.
When the very green H finally rolls in and has a conniption because the aging DJ is hanging out with the h, the h takes the opportunity to verbally put the boot in over their mythical engagement. This verbal baiting is good for a few minutes of utter panic on the H's part, but it isn't until the H's mum calls up with engagement party and wedding plans that the real fun begins.
The h gets cozened into explaining to the H's ecstatic mother that there is no engagement. Then the mother, whose bullying and cozening strongly resembles the H's, gets the h to undo all the arrangements the mum spent the morning making, making sure the H gets all the non refundable bills too.
The h is NOT immune to maternal pressure, her own mother is a pretty good guilt tripper all by herself. So when the H's mum invites the h to lunch over the weekend and the two of them share a companionable afternoon painting garden scenes, little does the h know it is the beginning of the end.
The H shows up at his mother's unexpectedly and in the private bickering that follows between the two of them, much roofie kissing and passionate almost lurve mojo explosions occur.
The h is seriously stunned again, she doesn't know where this attraction is coming from, but she is adamant she is going to resist the treacherous body syndrome, as she leaves an irate H to his oblivious mother and runs away.
Then the h gets measles and in a classic CL twist from the original book, the H is one who shows up to care for her. There is an angry outburst when the aging DJ shows up with get well flowers and we also get an ever rarer Borrowed Patented PJ Sponging moment, as the H has to sponge the h's fever away and add some delirious roofie kissing moments in for dramatic drama.
The h's mum shows up the next day to cart the h to the family home and another bridge is crossed as the two mums become BFF's, completely untied in their behind the scenes maneuvers to get their respective kids hooked up together.
The H gets increasingly jealous as he believes that the aging DJ is competing for the h's affections and the Virago Red-Haired OW is all out to cause as much drama and damage to the h as possible.
(It didn't help that the h went to a nightclub with the aging DJ as a friend and a pop star's girlfriend on drugs tried to kill her in front of the tabloid press complete with embarrassing photographs.)
The Virago OW is all about spreading rumors all over town that the H and h are lovers and living together and the h is seeing the DJ on the side. When the H's mum calls the H in morally outraged distress, cause it isn't a super large town, the H has to confront the still recovering h.
This leads to more roofie kisses and gropey hands moments and the h barely escapes with her clothes semi-intact. The h is now fathoms deep in unrequited love for the H, her treacherous body syndrome is about to stage a complete body coup and the h knows she has to escape.
Mostly recovered from the measles malaise, she decides to chuck her job and sell her flat and head to London, but she stops to have nice gourmet lunch with the aging DJ on her way to pack. The extremely angry H is waiting when she gets back and the final showdown begins.
The H is storming around and yelling and the h is yelling back. Finally the h just shouts out that she is leaving for London and the H tells her she is NOT. The h isn't having any dictatorial fly by night lady buffet sampler tell her what to do, so she shouts louder and goes to finish packing.
The H appears stunned that the h really means it and then he starts to cry. There is silent H sobbing as the h finally calms down enough to explain that she is madly in love with the H and that is why she has to go.
This leads to a big unicorn grooming license revocation and the h's treacherous body syndrome is finally assuaged, at least for the moment.
The H is all about proposing after he too finds purple passion bliss, then running off to the register office for a quickie wedding. The H tells the h that he will have to continue to support his sisters for a few more years, but then he will only have to support his aging mum and he and the h should sell their flats and buy a house together.
The h is kinda dubious, the Virago Red-Headed OW is still lurking about the place, but the H explains that he only went out with her for a few weeks and when she started talking marriage, the H put on his trainers and ran away.
The H claims he spends a lot more time running away from the ladies than he does trying to bed them and he and the Virago were never that close.
Which was one of the reason's he proposed to the h, he was irked at the Virago OW's persistence in not understanding the word NO, so he drank more than usual and realized he loved the h. Seeing a way to kill two birds with one stone, he proposed to the h while pushing it in the Virago OW's face that she was never in the running as a permanent H accoutrement.
The h is so in love, she wants to believe, so she agrees to marry the H. But then she forms up her battle plans like a five star general, cause she wants this marriage to last. The H will not be getting a quicky wedding, instead they will let the mum's do all the big white wedding planning and it will take AGES.
The two of them will also sell their flats and buy a local Victorian fixer upper and in the months leading up to the wedding, the h will move into the house and she and the H will work together to get it fixed up.
The H doesn't get to move in until after the wedding tho, so he has to stay at his mum's. The H is cranky about it, but he is gradually getting more housebroken by the day and the h is happy that the H seems to be settling down to domesticity very nicely for the HEA.
This one was extremely funny in parts, especially when the H and h are trading their verbal snark. The romance was very low key as well, really the only inkling the HP Voyager has to the H's changing feelings is when he has a temper tantrum over other men talking to or dining with the h.
We do get some classic CL food porn and the Virago OW is funny in her rants, but this story just doesn't have the intensity or the sheer whacktastic drama of the original.
It is still a nice HP outing, with a mostly believable HEA - but CL can and has done a lot better, so that makes this a standard day at the HP CL office and not one to hunt down to jump on it.
You guessed it, CL is bringing us a revised and more politically correct for the 1990's version of Obsession. But to ease the sorrow of not having an obsessed, punishingly kissing, grabbily determined H, we get added humor instead.
This H is much more refined in both manner and tone than CL's early H's - he does seem to have a bit of a holding his liquor problem- as the book opens with our secretary h planning on giving her boss a really good verbal drubbing session, as soon as he hauls his hungover hiney to the office that is.
The h in this is the H's secretary, they both work at a non-London radio station and the h is all things efficient and practical and somewhat cynically minded. Tho softer around the edges than CL's earlier acerbic managing h's, this girl has some bottle to her bottom when she needs it.
She really needs it now, because last night she attended a party thrown by the station's number one aging, but still handsome pop DJ/announcer and was stunned into utter astonishment when her drunken boss got down on one knee, pulled off his family crest signet ring and proposed.
The h accepted in jest and now, family crest signet ring firm ensconced on her thumb, she can't wait to gleefully blow the H's usual smug complacency right out of the water. Her boss is a notorious lady buffet sampler and the first man to hit the door running whenever marriage is mentioned.
In fact, the H attended the party the night before with his latest hopeful buffet sample on his arm. Apparently this flagrant red-haired virago was not the tempting morsel she purported herself to be and the H was having issues.
Highly frustrated with the H, the woman made a serious play for the aging DJ party host and in retaliation, the H had a few too many and proposed to the h. Setting off a OW volcanic explosion of Krakatoa proportions.
The h has no plans of actually taking the H seriously, but she can't help wanting to get some of her own back over some the H's more autocratic treatments over the years.
The h does seem to be of mixed opinion about the H too, she knows he financially supports his much younger sisters and his widowed mother, so while his salary as the radio station commander in chief is pretty good, he isn't rolling in the wealth.
When the very green H finally rolls in and has a conniption because the aging DJ is hanging out with the h, the h takes the opportunity to verbally put the boot in over their mythical engagement. This verbal baiting is good for a few minutes of utter panic on the H's part, but it isn't until the H's mum calls up with engagement party and wedding plans that the real fun begins.
The h gets cozened into explaining to the H's ecstatic mother that there is no engagement. Then the mother, whose bullying and cozening strongly resembles the H's, gets the h to undo all the arrangements the mum spent the morning making, making sure the H gets all the non refundable bills too.
The h is NOT immune to maternal pressure, her own mother is a pretty good guilt tripper all by herself. So when the H's mum invites the h to lunch over the weekend and the two of them share a companionable afternoon painting garden scenes, little does the h know it is the beginning of the end.
The H shows up at his mother's unexpectedly and in the private bickering that follows between the two of them, much roofie kissing and passionate almost lurve mojo explosions occur.
The h is seriously stunned again, she doesn't know where this attraction is coming from, but she is adamant she is going to resist the treacherous body syndrome, as she leaves an irate H to his oblivious mother and runs away.
Then the h gets measles and in a classic CL twist from the original book, the H is one who shows up to care for her. There is an angry outburst when the aging DJ shows up with get well flowers and we also get an ever rarer Borrowed Patented PJ Sponging moment, as the H has to sponge the h's fever away and add some delirious roofie kissing moments in for dramatic drama.
The h's mum shows up the next day to cart the h to the family home and another bridge is crossed as the two mums become BFF's, completely untied in their behind the scenes maneuvers to get their respective kids hooked up together.
The H gets increasingly jealous as he believes that the aging DJ is competing for the h's affections and the Virago Red-Haired OW is all out to cause as much drama and damage to the h as possible.
(It didn't help that the h went to a nightclub with the aging DJ as a friend and a pop star's girlfriend on drugs tried to kill her in front of the tabloid press complete with embarrassing photographs.)
The Virago OW is all about spreading rumors all over town that the H and h are lovers and living together and the h is seeing the DJ on the side. When the H's mum calls the H in morally outraged distress, cause it isn't a super large town, the H has to confront the still recovering h.
This leads to more roofie kisses and gropey hands moments and the h barely escapes with her clothes semi-intact. The h is now fathoms deep in unrequited love for the H, her treacherous body syndrome is about to stage a complete body coup and the h knows she has to escape.
Mostly recovered from the measles malaise, she decides to chuck her job and sell her flat and head to London, but she stops to have nice gourmet lunch with the aging DJ on her way to pack. The extremely angry H is waiting when she gets back and the final showdown begins.
The H is storming around and yelling and the h is yelling back. Finally the h just shouts out that she is leaving for London and the H tells her she is NOT. The h isn't having any dictatorial fly by night lady buffet sampler tell her what to do, so she shouts louder and goes to finish packing.
The H appears stunned that the h really means it and then he starts to cry. There is silent H sobbing as the h finally calms down enough to explain that she is madly in love with the H and that is why she has to go.
This leads to a big unicorn grooming license revocation and the h's treacherous body syndrome is finally assuaged, at least for the moment.
The H is all about proposing after he too finds purple passion bliss, then running off to the register office for a quickie wedding. The H tells the h that he will have to continue to support his sisters for a few more years, but then he will only have to support his aging mum and he and the h should sell their flats and buy a house together.
The h is kinda dubious, the Virago Red-Headed OW is still lurking about the place, but the H explains that he only went out with her for a few weeks and when she started talking marriage, the H put on his trainers and ran away.
The H claims he spends a lot more time running away from the ladies than he does trying to bed them and he and the Virago were never that close.
Which was one of the reason's he proposed to the h, he was irked at the Virago OW's persistence in not understanding the word NO, so he drank more than usual and realized he loved the h. Seeing a way to kill two birds with one stone, he proposed to the h while pushing it in the Virago OW's face that she was never in the running as a permanent H accoutrement.
The h is so in love, she wants to believe, so she agrees to marry the H. But then she forms up her battle plans like a five star general, cause she wants this marriage to last. The H will not be getting a quicky wedding, instead they will let the mum's do all the big white wedding planning and it will take AGES.
The two of them will also sell their flats and buy a local Victorian fixer upper and in the months leading up to the wedding, the h will move into the house and she and the H will work together to get it fixed up.
The H doesn't get to move in until after the wedding tho, so he has to stay at his mum's. The H is cranky about it, but he is gradually getting more housebroken by the day and the h is happy that the H seems to be settling down to domesticity very nicely for the HEA.
This one was extremely funny in parts, especially when the H and h are trading their verbal snark. The romance was very low key as well, really the only inkling the HP Voyager has to the H's changing feelings is when he has a temper tantrum over other men talking to or dining with the h.
We do get some classic CL food porn and the Virago OW is funny in her rants, but this story just doesn't have the intensity or the sheer whacktastic drama of the original.
It is still a nice HP outing, with a mostly believable HEA - but CL can and has done a lot better, so that makes this a standard day at the HP CL office and not one to hunt down to jump on it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2016
Light hearted story. I didn't really care much for the hero. He was totally against any relationship with the heroine right up until the very end so I didn't really believe he loved her. Sometimes you can see the hero really cares or is falling for her throughout the book even if he says he doesn't. Here that was not the case. The hero blew so hot and cold it's a wonder the heroine didn't end up with whiplash. Still the story was cute enough in places that I'm not sorry I read it.
April 3, 2012
First of all...I think the hero cheated on his current girlfriend with the heroine. He didn't, after all, really break-up with her PRIOR to proposing to our heroine...alcoholic stupor withstanding. :-)
Ok. Maybe he didn't cheat. Anyway, what a fun book! Nothing too deep or thought provoking going on in this little book, and I am okay with that! I think this is the only book I have read lately where both neither the hero nor the heroine's parents were complete nutters/evil/neglectful etc. As a parent, that is a relief.
We are not all crazy-much! Well, there are degrees of “crazy” after all, right?
Back to the book...a grumpy, in denial hero; a feisty, no doormat here heroine; two adorably meddling mothers; and a cast of colorful, fun supporting characters made for a fun, quick read. Obviously, the hero has his obligatory TSTL moments as does our obligatory sexy yet virginal heroine. Add to that snappy dialogue like this:
“Hurriedly, he promised. 'I won't breathe a syllable! I swear it, by everything holy...Elvis, Buddy Holly, Marilyn...all my dead saints!'”
And you have a truly Goodread.
Ok. Maybe he didn't cheat. Anyway, what a fun book! Nothing too deep or thought provoking going on in this little book, and I am okay with that! I think this is the only book I have read lately where both neither the hero nor the heroine's parents were complete nutters/evil/neglectful etc. As a parent, that is a relief.
We are not all crazy-much! Well, there are degrees of “crazy” after all, right?
Back to the book...a grumpy, in denial hero; a feisty, no doormat here heroine; two adorably meddling mothers; and a cast of colorful, fun supporting characters made for a fun, quick read. Obviously, the hero has his obligatory TSTL moments as does our obligatory sexy yet virginal heroine. Add to that snappy dialogue like this:
“Hurriedly, he promised. 'I won't breathe a syllable! I swear it, by everything holy...Elvis, Buddy Holly, Marilyn...all my dead saints!'”
And you have a truly Goodread.
March 17, 2015
Disappointing CL read. This was too cute and light to be a CL book.
November 4, 2021
Woof. This was a SNOOZE. The MC’s are hardly on page together at all for the first 1/2 of the book. Other reviews mention that this got a PC makeover. You can tell. They sanitized it into a real bore. Maybe I’ll see if I can get my paws on the original. 🤷🏼♀️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating?? (they aren’t *together* in the book, so cheating would be a stretch)
- no sharing
- OW drama - H is casually dating someone else
- OM drama - a coworker shows the h attention
- H is a manwhore
- h is inexperienced, but maybe not a virgin.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating?? (they aren’t *together* in the book, so cheating would be a stretch)
- no sharing
- OW drama - H is casually dating someone else
- OM drama - a coworker shows the h attention
- H is a manwhore
- h is inexperienced, but maybe not a virgin.
November 13, 2014
This was cute. I wasn't bowled over by the romance or the hero, but it was an enjoyable and satisfying read. The end was funny, it was like a true female fantasy where you completely change a man, force him to have the giant wedding he doesn't want, and somehow he's thrilled with it all.
January 21, 2019
I’ve liked it very much. Not a very good romance but funny and at the end it was like real life. At least both H and h was working for their dream house. It reminded me my husband and me were trying to find a house and decorating while working hard and saving 23 years ago. That’s why I’ve given 3,5 stars besides the H’s not original dumbness as I quoted below:
“Well, get this, Natalie, and get it good! We aren't going to be living together, married or unmarried.' He bent, glaring at her, face flushed and tense. 'I know where that would lead—to you blackmailing me, or railroading me into marriage. Get it into your head—I am not up for a permanent relationship with anyone. So, you can just ring my mother and tell her we aren't living together, that the idea is a joke—like the joke about us being engaged!”
“Well, get this, Natalie, and get it good! We aren't going to be living together, married or unmarried.' He bent, glaring at her, face flushed and tense. 'I know where that would lead—to you blackmailing me, or railroading me into marriage. Get it into your head—I am not up for a permanent relationship with anyone. So, you can just ring my mother and tell her we aren't living together, that the idea is a joke—like the joke about us being engaged!”
August 12, 2018
Eh. The way Natalie punished Sam for his drunken "proposal" amused me, but Natalie and Sam didn't interact much so the romance was practically non-existent. Sam didn't even seem overly concerned by the other man's presence in Natalie's life! WTH? Charlotte Lamb's heroes are best when they're uber jealous and, although often angry, Sam didn't seem crazy about Natalie, if at all.
June 24, 2018
2.5 Stars
Meh. It was ok.
After working together for three years with NO chemistry at all, one drunken proposal drastically changes things. And I don’t understand why.
I disliked the H. He was anti commitment and made sure everyone knew it. He liked the h’s legs and tried to date her when she first started working for him, but that was it.
The h was professional, understated and never saw her boss as date worthy. But a drunken proposal and a ring on her finger changes everything.
I enjoyed the story because it was lighthearted and an easy read for the most part. And the H was sweet the way he took care of the h when she was ill. However, I don’t see them having a lasting relationship. Having a good working relationship does not automatically mean that you will have a successful personal relationship.
Not too bad of a book. I think my expectations were a bit too high. I should’ve read the reviews before I bought it. 😔
Meh. It was ok.
After working together for three years with NO chemistry at all, one drunken proposal drastically changes things. And I don’t understand why.
I disliked the H. He was anti commitment and made sure everyone knew it. He liked the h’s legs and tried to date her when she first started working for him, but that was it.
The h was professional, understated and never saw her boss as date worthy. But a drunken proposal and a ring on her finger changes everything.
I enjoyed the story because it was lighthearted and an easy read for the most part. And the H was sweet the way he took care of the h when she was ill. However, I don’t see them having a lasting relationship. Having a good working relationship does not automatically mean that you will have a successful personal relationship.
Not too bad of a book. I think my expectations were a bit too high. I should’ve read the reviews before I bought it. 😔
December 26, 2022
Definitely one of her weaker offerings. Telling not showing. Long interludes with no couple contact and lots of boring domestic details. She, Natalie, is his PA at a radio station and he is a manwhore called Sam. One of the ageing lothario DJs Johnny is the OM but frankly there's not a lot of tension or excitement. Their mothers get more page time.
One thing that really dates all these novels is any interface with the health service. You could split your sides laughing at her ringing the doctor because she has a temperature and scoring an immediate home visit. He diagnoses measles and asks if she has someone to help her or should he summon the district nurses. Quaint. Depressingly quaint.
One thing that really dates all these novels is any interface with the health service. You could split your sides laughing at her ringing the doctor because she has a temperature and scoring an immediate home visit. He diagnoses measles and asks if she has someone to help her or should he summon the district nurses. Quaint. Depressingly quaint.
May 9, 2017
A light hearted approach to romance is often not attempted by writers. This is story is a welcome and beautiful example.
The guy is a hot shot radio station manager who secretly fancies his strict-moral-code secretary for months. He uses the garb of a drunken party to propose to her and that incident breaks the utterly professional relationship between the 2 of them.
They cant go back to their serious office relationship nor are they straight away ready plunge into love. The way they find their path to a HEA forms the crux of the story.
Fun read, 4 stars. Cool heroine.
The guy is a hot shot radio station manager who secretly fancies his strict-moral-code secretary for months. He uses the garb of a drunken party to propose to her and that incident breaks the utterly professional relationship between the 2 of them.
They cant go back to their serious office relationship nor are they straight away ready plunge into love. The way they find their path to a HEA forms the crux of the story.
Fun read, 4 stars. Cool heroine.
January 31, 2015
Sam's proposal was made at a weak moment, but it meant a lot to Natalie. Even though she suspected Sam didn't mean it, she went along with him to avoid an embarrassing refusal. Eventually, Natalie gives Sam back his signet ring, but their relationship has changed forever.
Sam is a difficult man to get along with, forceful and demanding. His abrupt personality change at the end of the novel was a little difficult to understand, but I suppose it might have been possible.
Sam is a difficult man to get along with, forceful and demanding. His abrupt personality change at the end of the novel was a little difficult to understand, but I suppose it might have been possible.
October 21, 2019
A good-natured slice of life novel, particularly from Charlotte Lamb, whose other books in my experience have tended to be non-stop drama-fests, inadvertent incest and punishing kisses and so on. The hero and heroine had actual funny banter at the beginning; they get along with each other's families; it's all a good time.
March 12, 2021
This is a normal romance, at least normal for most authors not named Charlotte Lamb. We have no over the top emotions or plot elements and both the other man and other woman behave more or less rationally. Both the hero and heroine are rather straightforward and interested in moving their relationship along - although he kicks and fights at first.
November 9, 2025
Romance entre deux collaborateurs : Natalie Craig & Sam Erskine. Sam est le directeur de la radio et lors d'une soirée arrosée demande en mariage à Natalie. Cette dernière sait qu'il s'agit d'une plaisanterie mais accepte comme blague la demande. Les deux personnages se rendront compte qu'ils étaient réellement attirés l'un vers l'autre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2023
'Trust you to get a childish disease. I knew you hadn't properly grown up!'
I'm ded
it is said to be the tame version of Obsession and I can only agree to it. very light and easy reading, some funny bit but nothing to intense as Obsession (that still one of few of my rereads from CL)
I'm ded
it is said to be the tame version of Obsession and I can only agree to it. very light and easy reading, some funny bit but nothing to intense as Obsession (that still one of few of my rereads from CL)
August 20, 2023
H gets wasted at a party and proposes to the h, his secretary, calling her the perfect women. H has no recollection of the proposal, but there were plenty of co-workers who witnessed it. h goes along with the proposal to tease him, but then he kissed her and things take off from there.
hq-to-read
November 12, 2019You remember, last night? At the party? When you proposed to me?"
"Proposed…" Sam hoarsely repeated, going pale.
Natalie gave him a dewy look. "Yes. You went down on your knees, in front of them all…."
"On my…" he breathed, with incredulity and horror.
"Knees." She nodded. "And asked me to marry you. You put your signet ring on my finger and said it would do until we could get to a jeweler's to choose a real engagement ring, a sapphire to match my eyes. You remember, don't you, Sam?"
"Proposed…" Sam hoarsely repeated, going pale.
Natalie gave him a dewy look. "Yes. You went down on your knees, in front of them all…."
"On my…" he breathed, with incredulity and horror.
"Knees." She nodded. "And asked me to marry you. You put your signet ring on my finger and said it would do until we could get to a jeweler's to choose a real engagement ring, a sapphire to match my eyes. You remember, don't you, Sam?"
July 30, 2014
Was a very good read....loved the way he proposed....was a hoot how she tried to tease him about it. Not her fault he was too drunk to remember. But they both come to realize that they love each other through many rumors, papazzi photos, gossip, hopefull mothers, & a woman scorned. The character of radio DJ Johnny is so colorful & lively, you wish he was real just so you could meet him.
November 25, 2014
Re-Read March 09, 2013
Re-Read November 20, 2014
Re-Read November 20, 2014
Read
July 4, 2018"You remember; last night? At the party? When you proposed to me?"
"Proposed..." Sam hoarsely repeated, going pale.
Natalie gave him a dewy look. "Yes. You went down on your knees, in front of them all...."
"On my..." he breathed, with incredulity and horror.
"Knees." She nodded. "And asked me to marry you. You put your signet ring on my finger and said it would do until we could get to a jeweler's to choose a real engagement ring, a sapphire to match my eyes. You remember, don't you, Sam?"
"Proposed..." Sam hoarsely repeated, going pale.
Natalie gave him a dewy look. "Yes. You went down on your knees, in front of them all...."
"On my..." he breathed, with incredulity and horror.
"Knees." She nodded. "And asked me to marry you. You put your signet ring on my finger and said it would do until we could get to a jeweler's to choose a real engagement ring, a sapphire to match my eyes. You remember, don't you, Sam?"
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