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Reluctant Wife
romance novel
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
Lindsay Armstrong
320 books92 followersGillian Smith (alias Lindsay Armstrong) was born in South Africa. She grew up with three ambitions: to become a writer, to travel the world, and to be a game ranger. She didn't achieve the last one, but her fascination for wildlife and that special something about Africa and its big game still remains with her. When she went to work it was in travel, at an agency and an airline, and this started her on the road to seeing the world.
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 12, 2016
Re Reluctant Wife - this is another one that is a bit controversial on whether or not the H cheats. LA leaves plenty of interpretation for either way, so it pretty much depends on your adult beverage partake level or the tint on your rosy glasses.
Our h starts the book with her 21st birthday party, she has been married to the H for two years. She and the thirtyish H married as a business agreement of sorts and things aren't going well for a variety of reasons. The h's grandfather was a heavy gambler and had a horse he was sure was a winner. He died, the house burnt down, the people he owed money too wanted to collect and the champion horse died in foaling in the h's arms leaving a baby that the h is sure is also a winner, but the gambling people are looking pretty hostile.
The h has a boyfriend as well, and initially she thought they would just move up the wedding. That plan is a bit shattered when the boyfriend's mother runs the h off after telling her that her looks (a cross between Marlene Dietrich and Mae West apparently) hint that she might not be the nice innocent she seems and that the woman can't have the h around because the boyfriend's father and her husband has the hots for her. This naturally sends the h into catatonic panic mode, on top of losing her whole life, horse and family, her own boyfriend's family - who have known her for years- seem to think she looks like a pricey tart and eventually will act like that. The h is as close to nunhood as an HP h can be, so this is quite a disheartening shock to her.
The H happens to like exotic women, his first marriage broke up when his highly exotically beautiful wife left him for a richer, older man and the H has never recovered the blow to his pride. He likes the exotic, but he has no charity or belief in goodness in him, so he proposes a bargain with the h. They will marry, he gets a hot hostess and bedmate and kids and she gets her foal, to help with his racing stables and the use of his money and prestige. The h doesn't have a lot of choice, things are looking dire with the grandfather's debtors and they like those looks of hers too, so she accepts the H's proposal.
Except she has been pretty much clinically depressed for close to two years and on top of that, the boudoir bouncing isn't the thrill on the tower of power the H expects from her. She has some issues with the things "that type of girl does" it has been suggested she is, so she either doesn't enjoy anything or when she does, she has a bucket load of guilt about it. The H is pretty upset about this, apparently he is equivocating her looks with her response as well, forgetting that this lady is barely out of teenhood and that she was absolutely chaste when she married him. (In fact it is ironic that the H gets all huffy about this, a bit on in the story his 19 year old niece wants to marry her boyfriend and he has a conniption fit saying she is too young - conveniently disregarding the fact the h was exactly that age when he married her.)
The morning after the h's birthday and after the H and h have had a few words about the boudoir bouncing non response and the lack of children, the H announces that they need a break from each other. He explicitly states that he will be BUSY the next few months and the h is to try and relax and do her own thing.
The h figures he will be lurvin it up at the lady buffet and this makes her sit up a bit and take some notice. The H has an extended family and two overly familiar house staff that pretty much define interfering family. There are several little minor dramas and house redecorating, along with the h's grown foal breaking a leg so that she can't race. The H is off on his business trips and the h is sorting herself out and comes up with the plan to fight for her man with the old eager beaver seduction routine on her part, she is done with guilt over things she isn't and ready to enjoy the fruits of lurvin passion.
She succeeds to a certain extent, after a long drawn out introspection and family drama period where the h solves all the little family problems that crop up with elan and style and redecorates the house without an interior designer. The H and h are lurving it up when the H returns from his extended Tokyo business trip. Things are looking up and the h is feeling no guilt or shame.
Then the H's sister, whose husband is consistently unfaithful and who is also in a power struggle on her side for family matriarchal influence against the h's version, spills the beans that the H was seen leaving another woman's hotel room quite later or really early while in Tokyo and was also seen purchasing an exquisite kimono with her as well. The sister in law immediately feels horrible at being so mean about the H's affair when the h is completely surprised and a bit upset, and the h comforts her when the sorry state of the sil's marriage comes out.
The h had been suspecting something like this all along, and she wonders if it is better to be cheated on with multiple women, which means the man may still care about her or with one, which means the man is in love with the OW. The h is still puzzling that and determined to lurve her way to H holding victory, when the H returns home from his latest trip and gets mad that the h isn't pitching his clothes onto the front lawn and having hysterics. ( I personally don't agree with the pitching clothes and hysterics route. I hold for the change the locks on the door, make appointments with every divorce lawyer in town and hire a forensic accountant to trace the money which you will be getting half of. It saves on grey hair dye and stress in the end.)
The h responds that she already dealt with the possibility in her mind, he practically spelled it out that he was going to do it and she had made her stand by getting frisky with him and enjoying it. The h then explains the whole boyfriend's father situation and how that threw her for a loop. The H appears to be much more understanding after that explanation and he admits that he tried to make it with a babe from his past, but he couldn't get a pike out of a noodle and his guilt was kicking in, so it took the h a few attempts to get any power to the tower as well, the past babe got nada but some late night guilt and talk.
Not to worry tho, the lovely babe from the past was very understanding and went along to help him pick out the h's kimono gift, cause every wife wants to know that her hubby's mistress or almost mistress has exquisite taste in designer kimonos that he will be giving her. The H had mentioned previously that he had gotten her a gift in Tokyo, but he claims he felt too guilty to give it to her because of past babe associations. Nevertheless, the h knows all about it now and the H has decided he loves her (or at least her looks and her efforts in bed) and of course the h loves him back. They happily plan for the h to wear the kimono and lurve it up with the H and the family being told they aren't at home for the next six moths for the HEA
I liked this one with some reservations. Mainly I was not a huge fan of the H or the 'thoughtful' gift picked out by a past and potentially current fling, that is just plain tacky. Plus this book is again in the convoluted LA drawn out introspection style and some people have to read it multiple times before they figure out exactly what the h's problem is. I had to myself, because it is so delicately alluded to.
I do buy that the H wanted to cheat but didn't, mainly cause his past babe probably did not look exotic enough for his fetish. I did believe he loved her, as much as he was able to love anyone, by the end. Mainly the reason I buy the HEA tho is the h was really well done, she had a lot character and I felt a ton of confidence that she was the most mature/together out of the whole lot of them. I do wonder about twenty years from now, but since time stops after the HEA in HPlandia, it isn't really something to worry about too much.
Our h starts the book with her 21st birthday party, she has been married to the H for two years. She and the thirtyish H married as a business agreement of sorts and things aren't going well for a variety of reasons. The h's grandfather was a heavy gambler and had a horse he was sure was a winner. He died, the house burnt down, the people he owed money too wanted to collect and the champion horse died in foaling in the h's arms leaving a baby that the h is sure is also a winner, but the gambling people are looking pretty hostile.
The h has a boyfriend as well, and initially she thought they would just move up the wedding. That plan is a bit shattered when the boyfriend's mother runs the h off after telling her that her looks (a cross between Marlene Dietrich and Mae West apparently) hint that she might not be the nice innocent she seems and that the woman can't have the h around because the boyfriend's father and her husband has the hots for her. This naturally sends the h into catatonic panic mode, on top of losing her whole life, horse and family, her own boyfriend's family - who have known her for years- seem to think she looks like a pricey tart and eventually will act like that. The h is as close to nunhood as an HP h can be, so this is quite a disheartening shock to her.
The H happens to like exotic women, his first marriage broke up when his highly exotically beautiful wife left him for a richer, older man and the H has never recovered the blow to his pride. He likes the exotic, but he has no charity or belief in goodness in him, so he proposes a bargain with the h. They will marry, he gets a hot hostess and bedmate and kids and she gets her foal, to help with his racing stables and the use of his money and prestige. The h doesn't have a lot of choice, things are looking dire with the grandfather's debtors and they like those looks of hers too, so she accepts the H's proposal.
Except she has been pretty much clinically depressed for close to two years and on top of that, the boudoir bouncing isn't the thrill on the tower of power the H expects from her. She has some issues with the things "that type of girl does" it has been suggested she is, so she either doesn't enjoy anything or when she does, she has a bucket load of guilt about it. The H is pretty upset about this, apparently he is equivocating her looks with her response as well, forgetting that this lady is barely out of teenhood and that she was absolutely chaste when she married him. (In fact it is ironic that the H gets all huffy about this, a bit on in the story his 19 year old niece wants to marry her boyfriend and he has a conniption fit saying she is too young - conveniently disregarding the fact the h was exactly that age when he married her.)
The morning after the h's birthday and after the H and h have had a few words about the boudoir bouncing non response and the lack of children, the H announces that they need a break from each other. He explicitly states that he will be BUSY the next few months and the h is to try and relax and do her own thing.
The h figures he will be lurvin it up at the lady buffet and this makes her sit up a bit and take some notice. The H has an extended family and two overly familiar house staff that pretty much define interfering family. There are several little minor dramas and house redecorating, along with the h's grown foal breaking a leg so that she can't race. The H is off on his business trips and the h is sorting herself out and comes up with the plan to fight for her man with the old eager beaver seduction routine on her part, she is done with guilt over things she isn't and ready to enjoy the fruits of lurvin passion.
She succeeds to a certain extent, after a long drawn out introspection and family drama period where the h solves all the little family problems that crop up with elan and style and redecorates the house without an interior designer. The H and h are lurving it up when the H returns from his extended Tokyo business trip. Things are looking up and the h is feeling no guilt or shame.
Then the H's sister, whose husband is consistently unfaithful and who is also in a power struggle on her side for family matriarchal influence against the h's version, spills the beans that the H was seen leaving another woman's hotel room quite later or really early while in Tokyo and was also seen purchasing an exquisite kimono with her as well. The sister in law immediately feels horrible at being so mean about the H's affair when the h is completely surprised and a bit upset, and the h comforts her when the sorry state of the sil's marriage comes out.
The h had been suspecting something like this all along, and she wonders if it is better to be cheated on with multiple women, which means the man may still care about her or with one, which means the man is in love with the OW. The h is still puzzling that and determined to lurve her way to H holding victory, when the H returns home from his latest trip and gets mad that the h isn't pitching his clothes onto the front lawn and having hysterics. ( I personally don't agree with the pitching clothes and hysterics route. I hold for the change the locks on the door, make appointments with every divorce lawyer in town and hire a forensic accountant to trace the money which you will be getting half of. It saves on grey hair dye and stress in the end.)
The h responds that she already dealt with the possibility in her mind, he practically spelled it out that he was going to do it and she had made her stand by getting frisky with him and enjoying it. The h then explains the whole boyfriend's father situation and how that threw her for a loop. The H appears to be much more understanding after that explanation and he admits that he tried to make it with a babe from his past, but he couldn't get a pike out of a noodle and his guilt was kicking in, so it took the h a few attempts to get any power to the tower as well, the past babe got nada but some late night guilt and talk.
Not to worry tho, the lovely babe from the past was very understanding and went along to help him pick out the h's kimono gift, cause every wife wants to know that her hubby's mistress or almost mistress has exquisite taste in designer kimonos that he will be giving her. The H had mentioned previously that he had gotten her a gift in Tokyo, but he claims he felt too guilty to give it to her because of past babe associations. Nevertheless, the h knows all about it now and the H has decided he loves her (or at least her looks and her efforts in bed) and of course the h loves him back. They happily plan for the h to wear the kimono and lurve it up with the H and the family being told they aren't at home for the next six moths for the HEA
I liked this one with some reservations. Mainly I was not a huge fan of the H or the 'thoughtful' gift picked out by a past and potentially current fling, that is just plain tacky. Plus this book is again in the convoluted LA drawn out introspection style and some people have to read it multiple times before they figure out exactly what the h's problem is. I had to myself, because it is so delicately alluded to.
I do buy that the H wanted to cheat but didn't, mainly cause his past babe probably did not look exotic enough for his fetish. I did believe he loved her, as much as he was able to love anyone, by the end. Mainly the reason I buy the HEA tho is the h was really well done, she had a lot character and I felt a ton of confidence that she was the most mature/together out of the whole lot of them. I do wonder about twenty years from now, but since time stops after the HEA in HPlandia, it isn't really something to worry about too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2021
I’ve read this twice now and I liked it better the first time. Then, I had a real interest in how the heroine was going to solve her problems with the hero. This time I was struck by what a poor communicator the hero was.
He never makes clear what he wanted from the heroine. I think his ego didn’t like that he married her when she was 18 and vulnerable and that she didn’t show the enthusiasm in bed or in their married life as he expected. But that’s my guess. LA is oblique about motivations and sexual dynamics.
So to shake things up, after the heroine’s 21st birthday party, hero tells the heroine that they are on a break while he goes to Japan and maybe after that, too.
Heroine thinks he’s off to cheat, so she spends the time dealing with hero’s family and flashing back to the moment her former boyfriend’s mother told her she couldn’t marry into the family since her holier-than-thou husband was tempted by her.
*sigh*
Heroine has had such a dreary life being a rich clothes horse for the hero's image. Hero’s family is dramatic and boring at the same time. Hero’s big gesture is to bring her a kimono his friend/mistress picked out. It’s all a bit underwhelming.
Boogenhagen makes more sense of it than I can in her spoiler review.
He never makes clear what he wanted from the heroine. I think his ego didn’t like that he married her when she was 18 and vulnerable and that she didn’t show the enthusiasm in bed or in their married life as he expected. But that’s my guess. LA is oblique about motivations and sexual dynamics.
So to shake things up, after the heroine’s 21st birthday party, hero tells the heroine that they are on a break while he goes to Japan and maybe after that, too.
Heroine thinks he’s off to cheat, so she spends the time dealing with hero’s family and flashing back to the moment her former boyfriend’s mother told her she couldn’t marry into the family since her holier-than-thou husband was tempted by her.
*sigh*
Heroine has had such a dreary life being a rich clothes horse for the hero's image. Hero’s family is dramatic and boring at the same time. Hero’s big gesture is to bring her a kimono his friend/mistress picked out. It’s all a bit underwhelming.
Boogenhagen makes more sense of it than I can in her spoiler review.
February 5, 2023
I take 3 stars off because the man cheats on her near the end of the book. He didn’t go all the way with the woman, but the fact is that he was in her hotel room and that he made out with that other woman. He himself says he had wanted to go all the way with the other woman. Anyway, making out with someone is cheating enough.
He is also not very in love or in lust with the h. She practically has to beg him to have sex with her.
She is not a prize either. She is dependent and spoilt. A poor little rich wifey. She even has someone employed who does her wardrobe. 🙄
He is also not very in love or in lust with the h. She practically has to beg him to have sex with her.
She is not a prize either. She is dependent and spoilt. A poor little rich wifey. She even has someone employed who does her wardrobe. 🙄
October 9, 2012
I could NOT get past the age difference and what it implied when she was 14. I didn’t like the fact that Adam felt his 19 year old sister was too young to get married, however Roz was 19 when she married him. I understood the hang-up Roz had about Adam and how that came about and really all his actions supported that as well. But for some reason it still seemed a bit on the predator side and just a little yucky when you think about it more. It also didn’t help that he was so quick to whisk her off to marry. He didn’t even allow a proper wedding as though he was worried she would back out before he could finalize it all. That implied that he had feelings for her, which led me to believe that he started these feelings when she was 14 to his 30!! That bothered me a lot!!
apparently there is just something about Roz that attracts older men to her. Even her so called BF’s father and that is why she would never make a good wife for the BF – because the future father-in-law is lusting after her!!
So Roz realizes she loves Adam and she has woken up from her depression – which I keep thinking someone in his family, if not him, should have clued in on before – and she seeks to have more of a marriage. Never mind that Adam has never confessed his feelings, but he is upset that when things are revealed about him and his trip away that Roz didn’t act angry and go off on him! He wanted her to reacted furiously and when she acted calmly it wasn’t working for him – either be childish or be an adult I suppose he preferred a child when it came to feelings for him.
He truly acted guilty, by the way. So one could assume that something did occur, however he says no and tells her some of what happened. Adam also claimed that he keeps his word. Well, then one can argue that he didn’t stick to his marriage vows when he intended to do something w/ the OW, thereby negating his word! Another thing that bothered me was that he claimed to have felt guilty yet he tells Roz that he brought her a gift back and then he withheld it because of the memories associated w/ it – so why even mention the gift?
This one just didn’t work for me on so many levels.
August 7, 2015
i was bored to death due to too many secondary characters ! roz was an astoundingly naive girl who had a huge problem wid sex. i guess she was traumatized by what mrs howard told her. this had a bad effect on her and she was damaged, sexually at least. i read the other reviews and i'm of the same opinion as other readers dat something did go on in tokyo wid adam. i'm 99% sure dat he cheated wid this OW ! it's all so ludicrous dat adam wud go shopping wid OW to find a gift for roz and was then seen coming out of OW's room ! i think he bought dat expensive kimono for roz as he felt guilty.
February 19, 2022
I have no idea why anyone does anything in this story. And worse yet, I don’t even care.
September 26, 2024
I gave read this author before and liked the stories. This one not so much, I am wondering if this was one of the authors first books. While the plot was okay though definitely not original to the Harlequin brand it was confusing dialogue wise. I'm not sure what it was exactly but reading through book, quite a few times it left me figuratively scratching my head. I mean I got the gist but was unsure the book was being translated literally from another language.
There was nothing specifically wrong in the book but nothing right either. It was just a book.
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I reread this book (December 2023) and found it a much better story the second time around. Maybe I saw things I missed the first time . Still had some confusing dialogue but not nearly like the first time. I had sympathy for the main characters as they just did not know how to express their feelings.
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Re-read this book again February 22, 2024 and I think like being a passenger in a car and not the driver you notice more on the drive then when you are concentrating on the road and car. Each time I read this Inter more insight to the characters, supporting characters and dialogue, feelings and situations.
Third time around I really enjoyed this book.
There was nothing specifically wrong in the book but nothing right either. It was just a book.
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I reread this book (December 2023) and found it a much better story the second time around. Maybe I saw things I missed the first time . Still had some confusing dialogue but not nearly like the first time. I had sympathy for the main characters as they just did not know how to express their feelings.
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Re-read this book again February 22, 2024 and I think like being a passenger in a car and not the driver you notice more on the drive then when you are concentrating on the road and car. Each time I read this Inter more insight to the characters, supporting characters and dialogue, feelings and situations.
Third time around I really enjoyed this book.
February 24, 2020
We made a bargain," Adam reminded her
Roz knew that Adam had married her without loving her. He needed a poised and beautiful hostess--but her need was even greater. A fire had killed her beloved grandfather and destroyed her home, leaving her alone and vulnerable.
As an adolescent she had woven fantasies about Adam Milroy, never expecting her dreams would come true, but she dared not let him know her feelings.
His first disastrous marriage had left him cynical about women, and the role she was expected to play did not include loving him
Roz knew that Adam had married her without loving her. He needed a poised and beautiful hostess--but her need was even greater. A fire had killed her beloved grandfather and destroyed her home, leaving her alone and vulnerable.
As an adolescent she had woven fantasies about Adam Milroy, never expecting her dreams would come true, but she dared not let him know her feelings.
His first disastrous marriage had left him cynical about women, and the role she was expected to play did not include loving him
July 18, 2021
2 1/2 stars. Confusing plot. Had potential but I had a hard time following the conversations. They would cut each other off and I just couldn't understand the unsaid thoughts and feelings. Won't repeat
March 30, 2024
Those two needs years of therapy. She’s too young and he’s too old for her. There’s something of a moc but she is in love with him, or she’s not. Who knows. Sex is bad and she isn’t able to get pregnant. She’s inhibited but this is unreal, we all come from those years and me myself from a catholic mother, anyway I was able to enjoy sex a lot hiding the fact from my parents, as all my girlfriends. So I suppose the chemistry between them was simply lacking. There are too many other characters whose stories are equally important here and eventually I couldn’t be interested in the main characters whoever they are.
The hero almost cheats but isn’t able in the end because of guilt. Or maybe because he’s got issues with his lill pee. In the end all is well but I was on and off sleeping so nothing much stayed with me of this story, and too many vacuous dialogues between the characters. This author is not for me. Her characters are not able to talk and to communicate. They don’t focus on what is important and the reader, that is me, is left with a feeling of not being able to understand what they are talking about. And they are never really into something. They can’t be really angry. Or really mad to each other. Or really invested. Or really passionate. It’s like listening to psychiatric patients on drugs. They can’t focus. Their language is derailed. Where is the book going? Who knows. Sorry, not for me.
The hero almost cheats but isn’t able in the end because of guilt. Or maybe because he’s got issues with his lill pee. In the end all is well but I was on and off sleeping so nothing much stayed with me of this story, and too many vacuous dialogues between the characters. This author is not for me. Her characters are not able to talk and to communicate. They don’t focus on what is important and the reader, that is me, is left with a feeling of not being able to understand what they are talking about. And they are never really into something. They can’t be really angry. Or really mad to each other. Or really invested. Or really passionate. It’s like listening to psychiatric patients on drugs. They can’t focus. Their language is derailed. Where is the book going? Who knows. Sorry, not for me.
February 29, 2024
Bare 3. I'm a LA completist and her catalogue has some beauties but my goodness, the odd one is a bit 😬
In this 19 year old child bride Roz and 36 year old Adam work at delineating then changing the terms of their marriage. There's a lot of byplay with his large, tempestuous family, more of the usual LA horse racing stuff and a really rather stomach churning episode of attempted infidelity on his part when he's on a business trip to Japan. Not to mention a stunning ex-wife that you get the teensiest feeling he would revenge fuck in a heartbeat. I wish her luck with this one. Rather her than me.
In this 19 year old child bride Roz and 36 year old Adam work at delineating then changing the terms of their marriage. There's a lot of byplay with his large, tempestuous family, more of the usual LA horse racing stuff and a really rather stomach churning episode of attempted infidelity on his part when he's on a business trip to Japan. Not to mention a stunning ex-wife that you get the teensiest feeling he would revenge fuck in a heartbeat. I wish her luck with this one. Rather her than me.
August 4, 2022
I liked this but have reservations about the whole love thing. He had no idea how his pretty, very young, sheltered wife thought or felt about him or being married and I didn’t see evidence he cared enough to investigate, just assumed she liked the rich life.
June 22, 2026
Lots of strangeness here!
It's obvious from the start that the h has a lot of psychological problems and needed some help (especially after her grandfather's death in a fire), and it sure DIDN'T help for the H to marry her when she was only 19 (to his 35, too much of an age difference), as part of a business arrangement (save her from debt/be his hostess and give him some heirs) and also tells her he doesn't believe in love, his own failed first marriage taught him what a mistake that belief is, and this kind of arrangement is much better.
Meanwhile, her childhood sweetheart, who she thought would be her husband, wasn't all that shook up when she married the H, and it didn't take him long to get over her and marry someone else. As an incentive (besides all the debts she had to pay) to marry the H, the OM's mother encouraged her to end things with him because it seems her hubby had the hots for her! Yes, Mr. Hornypants was getting all stiff beneath his zipper whenever he looked at his son's girlfriend! YECK!!! The "kindly" woman told her she had that effect on older men.
Is it any wonder this young woman was all mixed up and had ambivalent feelings about sex??? Being 16 years younger than the H (and having once had a schoolgirl crush on him) she most likely felt his desire for her was kind of dirty, so she couldn't respond, or if she did, felt guilty, because he had said he didn't believe in love, so it was all just lust.
Then, she was disturbed by her own feelings about him, as she repressed her love thinking it wasn't what he wanted, causing her to lash out the opposite way and claimed she "HATED" him, more than once! Because she was only just 21 (the story starts when they've been married two years) and had all these problems, I can excuse that childishness, but had she been a few years older I would have done some HATING myself.
To add to all this, she feels like a failure because she hasn't gotten pregnant yet. With all this going on, it seems unlikely that she'd suddenly realize how much she wants a real marriage that includes love and passion, but that's what happens. Ironically, that happens at the same time that the H decides they need a break, to take a step back, give each other some space. Not a separation, but no getting naked for a while.
This would have made his interlude in Japan kind of funny, if he had used that old Ross line from "Friends": "WE WERE ON A BREAK!" No, he didn't exactly cheat, but he didn't exactly NOT cheat, as apparently, he met up with a former fling and (thinking at that point that maybe his marriage was really over) decided "Why not"? but either his subconscious conscience got the better of him, or he consciously didn't want to, or someone spiked his drink with saltpeter, because he just couldn't do the deed! We're not told how far things went, if it was a make out session that stopped, were they in or out of their clothes, did she try to make him rise to the occasion, but he kept falling flat? Who knows???
The point is that he realized he loved the h and didn't want to do the deed with anyone else. What to do now? Why, buy the h some Japanese lingerie, of course! (Why he'd think the h would want a gift from the place where he almost cheated on her is beyond me.)
And what a coincidence when they both have a revelation on a short casino vacation involving their ex's, who both show up around the same time, both with the spouses they're very happy with, and any residual feelings the H may have had for his former wife or the h may have had for her former fiancé are put to rest for good, after all the hang-ups they both had! Happens all the time, in delulu land!
And just in case you didn't think there were enough obstacles, never fear! Though the h now feels free to let herself go in bed, and the H appreciates her orgasms, they're still not satisfied, because she thinks he doesn't want her love, just her body, while he thinks she doesn't want to let go of the lifestyle his money provides so she'll keep him happy in the sack in exchange for the $$$.
A HEA for these two????
OH, BROTHER!!!
To add to the mess, the H's family was too annoying! The niece who caused so much trouble was a spoiled brat air head, her true love/"second" cousin (still icky) seemed more like a big brother to the girl he's supposed to be in love with, which gives their relationship more of an incest vibe than the cousin thing. He had a neurotic mother who wants the h to think that the H is cheating on her because her own husband can't keep it in his pants and then goes from bitch to lovelorn wife and the h actually comforts her when she should have given her a kick in her patrician butt! The H's mother was okay, but the rest were just unnecessary and took up space.
In fact, the only worthwhile one in this whole mess was the horse, and why the author sought to end that poor filly's racing career before it started and have her end up as a brood mare is beyond me!
In honor of that horse, I'm giving this book another star, otherwise one would still have been too generous!
It's obvious from the start that the h has a lot of psychological problems and needed some help (especially after her grandfather's death in a fire), and it sure DIDN'T help for the H to marry her when she was only 19 (to his 35, too much of an age difference), as part of a business arrangement (save her from debt/be his hostess and give him some heirs) and also tells her he doesn't believe in love, his own failed first marriage taught him what a mistake that belief is, and this kind of arrangement is much better.
Meanwhile, her childhood sweetheart, who she thought would be her husband, wasn't all that shook up when she married the H, and it didn't take him long to get over her and marry someone else. As an incentive (besides all the debts she had to pay) to marry the H, the OM's mother encouraged her to end things with him because it seems her hubby had the hots for her! Yes, Mr. Hornypants was getting all stiff beneath his zipper whenever he looked at his son's girlfriend! YECK!!! The "kindly" woman told her she had that effect on older men.
Is it any wonder this young woman was all mixed up and had ambivalent feelings about sex??? Being 16 years younger than the H (and having once had a schoolgirl crush on him) she most likely felt his desire for her was kind of dirty, so she couldn't respond, or if she did, felt guilty, because he had said he didn't believe in love, so it was all just lust.
Then, she was disturbed by her own feelings about him, as she repressed her love thinking it wasn't what he wanted, causing her to lash out the opposite way and claimed she "HATED" him, more than once! Because she was only just 21 (the story starts when they've been married two years) and had all these problems, I can excuse that childishness, but had she been a few years older I would have done some HATING myself.
To add to all this, she feels like a failure because she hasn't gotten pregnant yet. With all this going on, it seems unlikely that she'd suddenly realize how much she wants a real marriage that includes love and passion, but that's what happens. Ironically, that happens at the same time that the H decides they need a break, to take a step back, give each other some space. Not a separation, but no getting naked for a while.
This would have made his interlude in Japan kind of funny, if he had used that old Ross line from "Friends": "WE WERE ON A BREAK!" No, he didn't exactly cheat, but he didn't exactly NOT cheat, as apparently, he met up with a former fling and (thinking at that point that maybe his marriage was really over) decided "Why not"? but either his subconscious conscience got the better of him, or he consciously didn't want to, or someone spiked his drink with saltpeter, because he just couldn't do the deed! We're not told how far things went, if it was a make out session that stopped, were they in or out of their clothes, did she try to make him rise to the occasion, but he kept falling flat? Who knows???
The point is that he realized he loved the h and didn't want to do the deed with anyone else. What to do now? Why, buy the h some Japanese lingerie, of course! (Why he'd think the h would want a gift from the place where he almost cheated on her is beyond me.)
And what a coincidence when they both have a revelation on a short casino vacation involving their ex's, who both show up around the same time, both with the spouses they're very happy with, and any residual feelings the H may have had for his former wife or the h may have had for her former fiancé are put to rest for good, after all the hang-ups they both had! Happens all the time, in delulu land!
And just in case you didn't think there were enough obstacles, never fear! Though the h now feels free to let herself go in bed, and the H appreciates her orgasms, they're still not satisfied, because she thinks he doesn't want her love, just her body, while he thinks she doesn't want to let go of the lifestyle his money provides so she'll keep him happy in the sack in exchange for the $$$.
A HEA for these two????
OH, BROTHER!!!
To add to the mess, the H's family was too annoying! The niece who caused so much trouble was a spoiled brat air head, her true love/"second" cousin (still icky) seemed more like a big brother to the girl he's supposed to be in love with, which gives their relationship more of an incest vibe than the cousin thing. He had a neurotic mother who wants the h to think that the H is cheating on her because her own husband can't keep it in his pants and then goes from bitch to lovelorn wife and the h actually comforts her when she should have given her a kick in her patrician butt! The H's mother was okay, but the rest were just unnecessary and took up space.
In fact, the only worthwhile one in this whole mess was the horse, and why the author sought to end that poor filly's racing career before it started and have her end up as a brood mare is beyond me!
In honor of that horse, I'm giving this book another star, otherwise one would still have been too generous!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2008
I read this one several times as a teen and never understood the heroine's issues until now. This one is a marriage of convenience story underscored by a tragic fire and love for horses.
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