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Eclipse of the Heart
Was he pursuing her for amusement?
As far as Lorna was concerned, if Alex Kendall didn't consider her sister good enough to marry his cousin, then he certainly wouldn't find Lorna worthy of the family name, either.
Lorna reproached him for his life-style, his reputation and especially for his arrogant refusal to take no for an answer. She needed more from a man than to top his list of temporary amusements. And she told him so in no uncertain terms.
"What a marvelous woman you are." His response held no apology. "I'm falling more madly in love with you every minute."
As far as Lorna was concerned, if Alex Kendall didn't consider her sister good enough to marry his cousin, then he certainly wouldn't find Lorna worthy of the family name, either.
Lorna reproached him for his life-style, his reputation and especially for his arrogant refusal to take no for an answer. She needed more from a man than to top his list of temporary amusements. And she told him so in no uncertain terms.
"What a marvelous woman you are." His response held no apology. "I'm falling more madly in love with you every minute."
189 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 1985
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About the author
Mary Lyons
129 books20 followersMary-Jo Wormell, whose nom de plume is Mary Lyons, was a popular British writer of over 40 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1983 to 2001. She was also a Conservative Party parlimentary candidate.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 17, 2016
Re Eclipse of the Heart - This one starts out fairly well, the h is a 25 year old fashion model doing Fashion Week in Paris. She became a model at 23, after the death of her lover and her father, to support her younger sister when it was discovered her dad was almost bankrupt. Prior to meeting her lover, she was getting acting jobs on Broadway and had a lot of potential to be big star. She gave that up when she left for Italy with her first true love. Sadly he died on the racing circuit and she has been too busy earning a living to find another man since.
The H shows up at her New York apartment and starts haranguing her right away about being engaged to his young cousin, who apparently is engaged to his English next door neighbor. He is rather insulting to the h and she quickly figures out that the cousin is actually involved with her sister. The h also recognizes the H as an English lord turned photographer with a notorious reputation for womanizing. The H goes on and on about how unsuitable she is for the cousin when the sister walks in and the H finally figures out his mistake.
He immediately starts to try and pick up on the h and while she feels an attraction, she doesn't like his reputation or his quick turn around from antagonist to pick-up artist. The sister explains that she met the H's cousin while he was working in the US temporarily and that they fell instantly in love. The cousin's mother wants him to marry a local heiress, (and apparently the engagement was more to appease the families than true love,) so the cousin is breaking it off with the heiress and wants the sister to fly over to the H's estate in England to meet the rest of the family.
The h agrees to help the sister however she can, and promises to go to England with the sister if she can get enough time off between modeling jobs. The H starts showing up wherever the h is, and every time they meet, it winds up in an altercation with the H trying to seduce her and the h warding him off, even though the physical attraction is growing.
The h is also being pursued by another multi-millionaire, and for all her assertiveness with the H, neither man seems to be listening when she tells them she isn't interested in anything more than a casual friendship. The H becomes more determined, even to the point of inveigling himself into a new business venture between the h and her agent and the h's frustration with him is growing. He is just too tawdry in his dealings with women and she doesn't want to be involved with a womanizer.
Things culminate when the h and her sister go to England to meet the rest of the family. The sister's intended (the cousin), is really nice and the H offers them a house on his estate. The h also meets the H's mum with her lecherous husband (the H's stepfather) and the stepfather also brings along a former lover of the H's who wants to renew the affair. It is speculated that the H will marry the former lover and the h feels that her rejection is justified - the H goes from trying to coax the h into bed to allowing the OW to hang all over him in the h's presence.
I though that was kinda odd, since the H swears he loves the h and knows her big objection is that he is a ladie's man. So instead of telling the OW off, he encourages her, but this behavior is supposed to make the h trust him and override her fears of infidelity. I guess it succeeds cause the h gets jealous and decides to leave. The H's mum (who adores the disgusting husband and even condones how he behaves,) manipulates the h into being driven back to London by the H. They wind up falling into bed and the H avows eternal love and the h loves him back.
When the h wakes up the next morning, she finds the H on the phone with another person, and the conversation sounds pretty damaging to any hope of fidelity. The H challenges the h on what she believes, and the h decides she trusts him. The H feels assured that he has her trust and it was his mum on the phone and HEA.
Not a bad story, but the h's waffling was repetitious and the reform of the H was a bit suspect. While he doesn't do anything really overtly suspicious while chasing the h, his refusal to put the OW off and from the things his own family says (including his mum), makes me wonder if the h was on his list because she so staunchly tried to refuse him. He tells the h that she will be a stay at home mom, buried in the English countryside, (he has decided her career is over,) and he will continue his two continent existence while doing his fashion photography.
I also have to wonder about the depth of his love, he seems to remark on how beautiful the h is more than anything else and I can't help but speculate on what a true die hard womanizer would do in the same scenario when confronted with a woman who did not want him because of his lifestyle and reputation. I think he would do something very similar to what the H does.
He would woo the woman, marry her, bury her in a location far away from his actual business, get her preggers and then proceed to party while he was out of the country - any gossip column issues would be dismissed as lies- which the h would probably buy given that any lapse of belief on her part would be ammunition for him to tell her that she is the paranoid suspicious person, who obviously doesn't love him because she doesn't trust him.
The whole ending scenario between the H and h is actually a perfect gaslighting set-up for a man who has no intention of fidelity but wants a wife and kids at home - it is mentioned several times that the H needs an heir for his title and his estate. I also think that such a man would be happy to dump the wife once age sets in and the kids are grown, setting a younger, "funner" model in her place. Needless to say that doesn't bode well for a long-term HEA.
So on the surface it is a decent boy chases girl until she catches him book, but the undercurrents in it weren't fully resolved enough to be a long term believable HPlandia HEA.
The H shows up at her New York apartment and starts haranguing her right away about being engaged to his young cousin, who apparently is engaged to his English next door neighbor. He is rather insulting to the h and she quickly figures out that the cousin is actually involved with her sister. The h also recognizes the H as an English lord turned photographer with a notorious reputation for womanizing. The H goes on and on about how unsuitable she is for the cousin when the sister walks in and the H finally figures out his mistake.
He immediately starts to try and pick up on the h and while she feels an attraction, she doesn't like his reputation or his quick turn around from antagonist to pick-up artist. The sister explains that she met the H's cousin while he was working in the US temporarily and that they fell instantly in love. The cousin's mother wants him to marry a local heiress, (and apparently the engagement was more to appease the families than true love,) so the cousin is breaking it off with the heiress and wants the sister to fly over to the H's estate in England to meet the rest of the family.
The h agrees to help the sister however she can, and promises to go to England with the sister if she can get enough time off between modeling jobs. The H starts showing up wherever the h is, and every time they meet, it winds up in an altercation with the H trying to seduce her and the h warding him off, even though the physical attraction is growing.
The h is also being pursued by another multi-millionaire, and for all her assertiveness with the H, neither man seems to be listening when she tells them she isn't interested in anything more than a casual friendship. The H becomes more determined, even to the point of inveigling himself into a new business venture between the h and her agent and the h's frustration with him is growing. He is just too tawdry in his dealings with women and she doesn't want to be involved with a womanizer.
Things culminate when the h and her sister go to England to meet the rest of the family. The sister's intended (the cousin), is really nice and the H offers them a house on his estate. The h also meets the H's mum with her lecherous husband (the H's stepfather) and the stepfather also brings along a former lover of the H's who wants to renew the affair. It is speculated that the H will marry the former lover and the h feels that her rejection is justified - the H goes from trying to coax the h into bed to allowing the OW to hang all over him in the h's presence.
I though that was kinda odd, since the H swears he loves the h and knows her big objection is that he is a ladie's man. So instead of telling the OW off, he encourages her, but this behavior is supposed to make the h trust him and override her fears of infidelity. I guess it succeeds cause the h gets jealous and decides to leave. The H's mum (who adores the disgusting husband and even condones how he behaves,) manipulates the h into being driven back to London by the H. They wind up falling into bed and the H avows eternal love and the h loves him back.
When the h wakes up the next morning, she finds the H on the phone with another person, and the conversation sounds pretty damaging to any hope of fidelity. The H challenges the h on what she believes, and the h decides she trusts him. The H feels assured that he has her trust and it was his mum on the phone and HEA.
Not a bad story, but the h's waffling was repetitious and the reform of the H was a bit suspect. While he doesn't do anything really overtly suspicious while chasing the h, his refusal to put the OW off and from the things his own family says (including his mum), makes me wonder if the h was on his list because she so staunchly tried to refuse him. He tells the h that she will be a stay at home mom, buried in the English countryside, (he has decided her career is over,) and he will continue his two continent existence while doing his fashion photography.
I also have to wonder about the depth of his love, he seems to remark on how beautiful the h is more than anything else and I can't help but speculate on what a true die hard womanizer would do in the same scenario when confronted with a woman who did not want him because of his lifestyle and reputation. I think he would do something very similar to what the H does.
He would woo the woman, marry her, bury her in a location far away from his actual business, get her preggers and then proceed to party while he was out of the country - any gossip column issues would be dismissed as lies- which the h would probably buy given that any lapse of belief on her part would be ammunition for him to tell her that she is the paranoid suspicious person, who obviously doesn't love him because she doesn't trust him.
The whole ending scenario between the H and h is actually a perfect gaslighting set-up for a man who has no intention of fidelity but wants a wife and kids at home - it is mentioned several times that the H needs an heir for his title and his estate. I also think that such a man would be happy to dump the wife once age sets in and the kids are grown, setting a younger, "funner" model in her place. Needless to say that doesn't bode well for a long-term HEA.
So on the surface it is a decent boy chases girl until she catches him book, but the undercurrents in it weren't fully resolved enough to be a long term believable HPlandia HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2023
🩷 ✈️ 💍
Lorna Grant, an American living in New York, has lost her fiancée to a motor racing accident. Since his death a few years ago, Lorna's father has also died. With a sister called Beth to support, Lorna takes up the profession of being a model. She works hard to provide for them both. Lorna does well in her career and makes good money. She needs to, as her sister wants to be a professional pianist.
Then Beth arrives home and tells Lorna she has fallen in love. In comes Beth's fiancée, Harry, and his cousin Lord Kendal. Kendal is the current owner of the family estate in England. He is also a world-famous photographer, with a reputation as a womaniser. In their first meeting, Lorna and Kendal get into an argument. He accuses her sister of only being interested in what she can have out of Harry. Lorna is livid with these wild accusations. It ends with a furious kiss reigned down on Lorna. For Lorna, it is the first time in a long time that she really feels desire for someone. Lorna thinks she will just be another of Kendal's women he has. She can't resist his kisses, though. Beth and Lorna then get invited to stay at Harry's family home in England. To Lorna's astonishment, Kendal comes over to England during their stay. He is supposed to be working in New York.
What a soap opera style of story. It is quite dramatic in places. It is instant love for Kendal. Definitely not so for Lorna. She dislikes him a lot. Lorna blows hot and cold with him at an astonishing rate. She really does not want to be used and tossed aside. She does not trust Kendal with his lady's man reputation. He certainly has his work cut out to convince Lorna. Kendal shows his thoughtful and caring side when he gives Beth and Harry their first home on the family estate. Lorna, fighting her feelings for Kendal, kept the book going along well. Lorna's career as a model I found interesting. Like how exhausting and tiring the job is with all the rushing around and international travelling.
Bare in mind the author wrote this story in 1985, so it has the expectation that Lorna will give up her career when she and Kendal get married. A fine afternoon read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lorna Grant, an American living in New York, has lost her fiancée to a motor racing accident. Since his death a few years ago, Lorna's father has also died. With a sister called Beth to support, Lorna takes up the profession of being a model. She works hard to provide for them both. Lorna does well in her career and makes good money. She needs to, as her sister wants to be a professional pianist.
Then Beth arrives home and tells Lorna she has fallen in love. In comes Beth's fiancée, Harry, and his cousin Lord Kendal. Kendal is the current owner of the family estate in England. He is also a world-famous photographer, with a reputation as a womaniser. In their first meeting, Lorna and Kendal get into an argument. He accuses her sister of only being interested in what she can have out of Harry. Lorna is livid with these wild accusations. It ends with a furious kiss reigned down on Lorna. For Lorna, it is the first time in a long time that she really feels desire for someone. Lorna thinks she will just be another of Kendal's women he has. She can't resist his kisses, though. Beth and Lorna then get invited to stay at Harry's family home in England. To Lorna's astonishment, Kendal comes over to England during their stay. He is supposed to be working in New York.
What a soap opera style of story. It is quite dramatic in places. It is instant love for Kendal. Definitely not so for Lorna. She dislikes him a lot. Lorna blows hot and cold with him at an astonishing rate. She really does not want to be used and tossed aside. She does not trust Kendal with his lady's man reputation. He certainly has his work cut out to convince Lorna. Kendal shows his thoughtful and caring side when he gives Beth and Harry their first home on the family estate. Lorna, fighting her feelings for Kendal, kept the book going along well. Lorna's career as a model I found interesting. Like how exhausting and tiring the job is with all the rushing around and international travelling.
Bare in mind the author wrote this story in 1985, so it has the expectation that Lorna will give up her career when she and Kendal get married. A fine afternoon read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 11, 2023Sometimes I like Mary Lyons, other times, like this, just don’t work for me. Not rating because I quit on page 20, boring and h shows doormat hints.
February 21, 2025
She was tiresome in her refusal to listen to him but he would have gotten to yes much more easily if he stopped groping her every encounter and just dated her, i.e. gotten to know her as a person.
October 19, 2025
He calls her ‘a raving nut case’ on page 163 and he is right. He is a very nice man but all she does is insult him and yell at him. She was in a loving, long relationship before she met the H.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews