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Claiming His Shock Heir
Re-read this classic romance by New York Times bestselling author Penny Jordan, previously published as What You Made Me in 1984
A week ago Philippa's life had been relatively uncomplicated. But that was before she returned to the village she left eleven years ago; young, frightened and pregnant. Having raised her son alone, Philippa thinks nothing could ever frighten her again...until she meets Scott Garston--her first love, hard-hearted tycoon...and father of her child!
Scott has never forgiven Philippa for abandoning their relationship--his reputation for ruthlessness is entirely her responsibility! So when he realizes the chemistry between them still burns, it's his perfect chance for vengeance. And when he discovers the shocking secret she's been keeping from him Scott is determined to claim his revenge and his son!
A week ago Philippa's life had been relatively uncomplicated. But that was before she returned to the village she left eleven years ago; young, frightened and pregnant. Having raised her son alone, Philippa thinks nothing could ever frighten her again...until she meets Scott Garston--her first love, hard-hearted tycoon...and father of her child!
Scott has never forgiven Philippa for abandoning their relationship--his reputation for ruthlessness is entirely her responsibility! So when he realizes the chemistry between them still burns, it's his perfect chance for vengeance. And when he discovers the shocking secret she's been keeping from him Scott is determined to claim his revenge and his son!
192 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1984
20 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,127 books668 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 25, 2015
I don't know why I waited so long to read a Penny Jordan. Now I understand why, Jenny :')
Dear God, this was one of the most intense and heart-ripping romance novels I've ever read. Ever.
Heroine and hero were together 11 years ago, but heroine leaves hero, because hero's grandfather blackmails her and says that if she doesn't leave H, he will disinherit hero. So heroine leaves him, pregnant and alone. She makes H think that she has been having an affair with another man this entire time, and that she's pregnant with his child. So now he hates her, has hated her for years, and when he sees an opportunity to get back at her, he grabs it. H makes heroine live with him, work for him and share his bed with him, while her 10 year old son lives in the same house.
He hurls insult after insult, jab after jab and the heroine painfully and quietly takes it all, because she believes that if she told H the truth, he'd never believe her because he is so harsh, jaded and cynical now. And it is the truth, I completely understood, sympathised with her. In fact, I was totally on her side.
The awful, delicious angst I felt while reading this book was truly incomparable. Perhaps even as good as Diana Palmer's angst.
I will definitely check out more of Jordan's books.
I didn't like one thing about this book though, and it was the ending. I would have preferred more grovelling and more guilt from the hero's side for treating h so horribly. I mean, yes, the pain and guilty he felt was very visibly obvious, but I would have thought he would feel more, I was looking forward to a better grovel lol. But I am not at all disappointed, the whole book more than made up for it *bursts into sobs*
Dear God, this was one of the most intense and heart-ripping romance novels I've ever read. Ever.
Heroine and hero were together 11 years ago, but heroine leaves hero, because hero's grandfather blackmails her and says that if she doesn't leave H, he will disinherit hero. So heroine leaves him, pregnant and alone. She makes H think that she has been having an affair with another man this entire time, and that she's pregnant with his child. So now he hates her, has hated her for years, and when he sees an opportunity to get back at her, he grabs it. H makes heroine live with him, work for him and share his bed with him, while her 10 year old son lives in the same house.
He hurls insult after insult, jab after jab and the heroine painfully and quietly takes it all, because she believes that if she told H the truth, he'd never believe her because he is so harsh, jaded and cynical now. And it is the truth, I completely understood, sympathised with her. In fact, I was totally on her side.
The awful, delicious angst I felt while reading this book was truly incomparable. Perhaps even as good as Diana Palmer's angst.
I will definitely check out more of Jordan's books.
I didn't like one thing about this book though, and it was the ending. I would have preferred more grovelling and more guilt from the hero's side for treating h so horribly. I mean, yes, the pain and guilty he felt was very visibly obvious, but I would have thought he would feel more, I was looking forward to a better grovel lol. But I am not at all disappointed, the whole book more than made up for it *bursts into sobs*
April 22, 2017
Okay – I should love this. It’s a second chance, OTT reunion story with a bitter, bitter hero and a heroine who did what she thought best and was thrown to the wolves at 17.
However, this heroine lie and lies and lies some more and I just can’t with the lying. In fact everyone but the hero knows – even minor characters like her former boss – knows that the hero is the boy’s father before he does.
Second, these are the worst parents ever. The poor secret baby is 10 years old, knows the hero is his father and yet the heroine tells him to lie and pretend the hero is not his father. Plus the hero makes sure the boy sees his mother in bed with him. Supposedly to humiliate the mother – but what kind of message is this boy getting? Not a lot of respect for women or boundaries at all. The heroine is TMI with her son and he can’t handle it. No, no, no.
I would have enjoyed the OTT drama (including a tumble down the stairs for the heroine) if the poor kid hadn’t been a witness to it all.
However, this heroine lie and lies and lies some more and I just can’t with the lying. In fact everyone but the hero knows – even minor characters like her former boss – knows that the hero is the boy’s father before he does.
Second, these are the worst parents ever. The poor secret baby is 10 years old, knows the hero is his father and yet the heroine tells him to lie and pretend the hero is not his father. Plus the hero makes sure the boy sees his mother in bed with him. Supposedly to humiliate the mother – but what kind of message is this boy getting? Not a lot of respect for women or boundaries at all. The heroine is TMI with her son and he can’t handle it. No, no, no.
I would have enjoyed the OTT drama (including a tumble down the stairs for the heroine) if the poor kid hadn’t been a witness to it all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2015
Re What You Made Me- This is a train wreck with an avalanche just barely avoiding the cyclone - PJ goes to some extremes in this one and as much as I am a PJ junkie, I am always reluctant to pull this one off the shelf.
The h and the H, a 23 year old, are teenage sweethearts. She is 17 and stupid, so when the H's evil grandfather demands that she break it off with the H or he will disinherit him, she lies to the H that she has been seeing another, richer young man behind his back and she is preggers. The H begs her to stay, he loves her so much he would be a dad to the baby anyway, she tells him she loves the other guy and that is that.
The h feels it wouldn't be "best for him", so she takes herself off, completely breaking the H's heart -- to be fair to her, the H was really, really obsessed with restoring the family estate, so she could be forgiven for not wanting to ruin that, even though he said her he was willing to give it up to be with her. Turns out since the H wouldn't marry the girl the grandfather wanted, he got disinherited anyway but he managed to start up his own firm so he is getting ahead now.
Usually in HPlandia, we have the H dumping the h but this time it is the other way around, so kudos to PJ for a different take. I think that is probably the last bit of kudos for this one though. The H blackmails the h into moving in with him when her son damages part of the H's property. The H is really, really jerky for 90% of the book - she agrees to be his bedmate and secretary and brings her son to live with them as well to prevent the H from calling the police on the boy.
The H is totally nasty to her and says a lot of very vicious things and doesn't really care that he is also harming a 10 year old boy by degenerating his mother. They move in with the H, the h flaunts another woman in front of her (OW's dad can offer his business a big contract) and the h just takes all the abuse the H heaps out and never ONCE thinks of just explaining the whole situation, she just continues to lie her head off.
That isn't the icing on the cake though, the h's son KNOWS the H is his dad (he found his birth certificate) - and he really, really wants a dad and he begs repeatedly for the h to tell the H about him. The h continuously refuses, for a whole host of really dumb reasons and is far too busy protesting the H's hauling her off to bed and then internally whining when the H doesn't.
(Every love scene in the book starts out as rape and then turns into the h pretty much attacking the H, then she spends 85% of the rest of the time fantasizing about the H in bed and bemoaning the fact that they aren't in it) .
Everyone but the H has figured out that the boy is his son, the kid is in tears and wondering what is wrong with him that he can't have his dad and the h is too worried about getting loved up to do anything but lie about most everything. In fact had she just told the H the whole story when he first reappears, this whole thing could have been avoided and that poor kid's pain would never have been inflicted.
Finally the son tells the H's that he is his father and the H's mum tells him the rest of the story and about the h's lies. He forces her into marriage and they quibble for a bit but then HEA.
These two do actually belong together because of how idiotic and nasty they are to each other, but I was srsly thinking there had been a baby switch at the hospital, 'cause the son was too much of a sweetheart to have come from these two and he really deserved a LOT better.
The poor kid's pain and confusion vibrated off the page, and while the H had just cause for his anger - he really needed to pull himself together after 11 years and get over himself.
The h was just a waste, I understood the 17 year old vapidity, but once her child was crying and hurt and just plain begging her to set things straight - she needed to do the right thing and she just did not do it EVEN ONCE - every revelation about the child and what had happened previously came from someone besides the h and that was a HUGE negative for me.
I can handle a TSTL h, I can handle a vapid, clueless h but I just cannot handle a TSTL, vapid, clueless, horrible parent cause-I-am-too-busy -whining-about-not-getting-my-forced-seduction-groove-on h. And that was exactly what she was.
The H tells her he will fight for custody of the son if she doesn't marry him, and I thought that after all she had done, and all the lies she had told in the PRESENT should have been enough for her to offer the H at least joint custody, and she should also let her son stay with his dad for a while while she had visitation.
I was actually against her marrying him - not because of her actions- but because he is VERY abusive and it really just went too far, as PJ's H's are wont to do. These two people were both really messed up and I wasn't rooting for anyone but the son by the end.
Unfortunately aliens did not beam him into a nice home with decent parents, so everyone just had to make the best of the sorry situation.
This isn't on my top ten PJ lists but for the drama/angst junkies this book is a goldmine - so your mileage may vary and keep the cookies and vino handy if you decide to take the plunge.
The h and the H, a 23 year old, are teenage sweethearts. She is 17 and stupid, so when the H's evil grandfather demands that she break it off with the H or he will disinherit him, she lies to the H that she has been seeing another, richer young man behind his back and she is preggers. The H begs her to stay, he loves her so much he would be a dad to the baby anyway, she tells him she loves the other guy and that is that.
The h feels it wouldn't be "best for him", so she takes herself off, completely breaking the H's heart -- to be fair to her, the H was really, really obsessed with restoring the family estate, so she could be forgiven for not wanting to ruin that, even though he said her he was willing to give it up to be with her. Turns out since the H wouldn't marry the girl the grandfather wanted, he got disinherited anyway but he managed to start up his own firm so he is getting ahead now.
Usually in HPlandia, we have the H dumping the h but this time it is the other way around, so kudos to PJ for a different take. I think that is probably the last bit of kudos for this one though. The H blackmails the h into moving in with him when her son damages part of the H's property. The H is really, really jerky for 90% of the book - she agrees to be his bedmate and secretary and brings her son to live with them as well to prevent the H from calling the police on the boy.
The H is totally nasty to her and says a lot of very vicious things and doesn't really care that he is also harming a 10 year old boy by degenerating his mother. They move in with the H, the h flaunts another woman in front of her (OW's dad can offer his business a big contract) and the h just takes all the abuse the H heaps out and never ONCE thinks of just explaining the whole situation, she just continues to lie her head off.
That isn't the icing on the cake though, the h's son KNOWS the H is his dad (he found his birth certificate) - and he really, really wants a dad and he begs repeatedly for the h to tell the H about him. The h continuously refuses, for a whole host of really dumb reasons and is far too busy protesting the H's hauling her off to bed and then internally whining when the H doesn't.
(Every love scene in the book starts out as rape and then turns into the h pretty much attacking the H, then she spends 85% of the rest of the time fantasizing about the H in bed and bemoaning the fact that they aren't in it) .
Everyone but the H has figured out that the boy is his son, the kid is in tears and wondering what is wrong with him that he can't have his dad and the h is too worried about getting loved up to do anything but lie about most everything. In fact had she just told the H the whole story when he first reappears, this whole thing could have been avoided and that poor kid's pain would never have been inflicted.
Finally the son tells the H's that he is his father and the H's mum tells him the rest of the story and about the h's lies. He forces her into marriage and they quibble for a bit but then HEA.
These two do actually belong together because of how idiotic and nasty they are to each other, but I was srsly thinking there had been a baby switch at the hospital, 'cause the son was too much of a sweetheart to have come from these two and he really deserved a LOT better.
The poor kid's pain and confusion vibrated off the page, and while the H had just cause for his anger - he really needed to pull himself together after 11 years and get over himself.
The h was just a waste, I understood the 17 year old vapidity, but once her child was crying and hurt and just plain begging her to set things straight - she needed to do the right thing and she just did not do it EVEN ONCE - every revelation about the child and what had happened previously came from someone besides the h and that was a HUGE negative for me.
I can handle a TSTL h, I can handle a vapid, clueless h but I just cannot handle a TSTL, vapid, clueless, horrible parent cause-I-am-too-busy -whining-about-not-getting-my-forced-seduction-groove-on h. And that was exactly what she was.
The H tells her he will fight for custody of the son if she doesn't marry him, and I thought that after all she had done, and all the lies she had told in the PRESENT should have been enough for her to offer the H at least joint custody, and she should also let her son stay with his dad for a while while she had visitation.
I was actually against her marrying him - not because of her actions- but because he is VERY abusive and it really just went too far, as PJ's H's are wont to do. These two people were both really messed up and I wasn't rooting for anyone but the son by the end.
Unfortunately aliens did not beam him into a nice home with decent parents, so everyone just had to make the best of the sorry situation.
This isn't on my top ten PJ lists but for the drama/angst junkies this book is a goldmine - so your mileage may vary and keep the cookies and vino handy if you decide to take the plunge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2015
Thanks to my lovely goodreads friend Jenny who brought this classic PJ book to my attention .
Wonderful angsty read which I was in the mood for and PJ delivered.
Lovers reunited with secret baby now 10 years old who knows that the hero is his father,but hero does not know that he is his son.The heroine lied and told hero that he was not the Dad and left him only to return 11 years later and be forced to work for him as his personal secretary and bedmate.Filled with tension and passion,this couple rightly deserved their hea.My only complaint,I wanted an epi with a new baby to join the family.
Wonderful angsty read which I was in the mood for and PJ delivered.
Lovers reunited with secret baby now 10 years old who knows that the hero is his father,but hero does not know that he is his son.The heroine lied and told hero that he was not the Dad and left him only to return 11 years later and be forced to work for him as his personal secretary and bedmate.Filled with tension and passion,this couple rightly deserved their hea.My only complaint,I wanted an epi with a new baby to join the family.
December 10, 2013
Naive 17 year old heroine abandoned hero after being blackmailed by his evil grandfather. Now 11 years later hero wants revenge and forces heroine to work for him as his secretary and become his live in mistress. He has no idea that her ten year old boy is his son since she told him she cheated and left him for another man.
I adore PJ and this book is just awesome. It is so full of angst and emotions that I devoured it! Poor hero felt so betrayed and rejected, my heart broke for him. Heroine was not that likable keeping a child a secret for more than 10 years is unforgivable but this story sucked me in! Angst galore!
I adore PJ and this book is just awesome. It is so full of angst and emotions that I devoured it! Poor hero felt so betrayed and rejected, my heart broke for him. Heroine was not that likable keeping a child a secret for more than 10 years is unforgivable but this story sucked me in! Angst galore!
May 3, 2016
I really debated between a 1 star and a 4 star. A 1 star because it's so over the top and awful, and 4 because it's so over the top and awful. I compromised and gave it three. If you love OTT, TSTL, OMG Angsty McAngst, and emotional and verbal bloodletting then this PJ is for you.
Eleven years ago, at 17, Philippa finds out she's pregnant. The love of her life's scary, mean grandfather scares her off; he won't leave the estate to Scott who loves it. So really thinking this through carefully, P, the sacrificial martyr that she is, does what any sane girl would do: tells Scott that she's pregnant with another man's baby and he was just there to break her in so to speak then leaves for parts unknown.
Philippa is now back in town with Scott's doppelgänger son, Simon. EVERYBODY from Scott's employees, Philippa's old boss, even Scott's own mother can see the resemblance between the H and the moppet; everybody but Scott that is. Simon has a run-in, literally, with Scott's car that allows the H to blackmail the h into staying as his secretary and resident bed warmer with the son in the house.
Scott runs Philippa through the arm-twisting, slut shaming antics of ye olde school Harley hero. A forced seduction scene that ends in them being caught by their son the next morning. Oh yeah, not just caught but mom's nude. Nice mom. I almost threw my computer out the window at that scene as it was so yuck.
Scott is an out of control, rageaholic that wants to make the h suffer and does so quite nicely. Philippa, on the other hand, is an out of control nincompoop that still loves Scott despite how often he verbally abuses her and humiliates her. Heck, the love she shares may be in direct proportion to the mud slinging.
Penny Jordan raises the bar for crazy, tstl heroines. Philippa just may be the worst mother ever in fiction. Okay, Medea pretty much has that down as a lock, but P is a close second. Why is she the worst? Not only does she not tell the hero that he is a father, but when her son finds his birth certificate identifying Scott as his father P asks him to not say anything. Her ten year old is supposed to go along with the story that the town lothario fathered him in order to spare Scott's feelings. (It's okay. Scott's wealthy so he can pay for all the psychiatric sessions later.) Then she allows the H to set her up as the villageidiot harlot with her son in the house, and allows said son to catch her in flagrante. Oh, and not to mention this is after her son has needlessly grown up the child of a struggling single mother in an era that frowns upon that.
There is a lot of mud throwing and chiffon wearing. I'm telling you the old schoolers love their chiffon, and the H wears a silk shirt or two, of course.
And somehow, someway they end happily ever after...
Purple run-on prose. See below.
It was a kiss that was a desecration of all that they had shared; of her tender and shy submission to him; of Simon's conception which had been a sharing and meeting of their souls as well as their flesh; and yet in spite of everything something inside her twisted and took fire, a spark which burned briefly before it was extinguished so that when he eventually lifted his mouth, and she became aware of the rough sledgehammer blows of his heart against her body, she was filled with self-disgust, with aching shame that she should have actually experienced in such a violent and destructive embrace, a fierce tug of sensuality that she had never known in the caresses they had exchanged before.
Eleven years ago, at 17, Philippa finds out she's pregnant. The love of her life's scary, mean grandfather scares her off; he won't leave the estate to Scott who loves it. So really thinking this through carefully, P, the sacrificial martyr that she is, does what any sane girl would do: tells Scott that she's pregnant with another man's baby and he was just there to break her in so to speak then leaves for parts unknown.
Philippa is now back in town with Scott's doppelgänger son, Simon. EVERYBODY from Scott's employees, Philippa's old boss, even Scott's own mother can see the resemblance between the H and the moppet; everybody but Scott that is. Simon has a run-in, literally, with Scott's car that allows the H to blackmail the h into staying as his secretary and resident bed warmer with the son in the house.
Scott runs Philippa through the arm-twisting, slut shaming antics of ye olde school Harley hero. A forced seduction scene that ends in them being caught by their son the next morning. Oh yeah, not just caught but mom's nude. Nice mom. I almost threw my computer out the window at that scene as it was so yuck.
Scott is an out of control, rageaholic that wants to make the h suffer and does so quite nicely. Philippa, on the other hand, is an out of control nincompoop that still loves Scott despite how often he verbally abuses her and humiliates her. Heck, the love she shares may be in direct proportion to the mud slinging.
Penny Jordan raises the bar for crazy, tstl heroines. Philippa just may be the worst mother ever in fiction. Okay, Medea pretty much has that down as a lock, but P is a close second. Why is she the worst? Not only does she not tell the hero that he is a father, but when her son finds his birth certificate identifying Scott as his father P asks him to not say anything. Her ten year old is supposed to go along with the story that the town lothario fathered him in order to spare Scott's feelings. (It's okay. Scott's wealthy so he can pay for all the psychiatric sessions later.) Then she allows the H to set her up as the village
There is a lot of mud throwing and chiffon wearing. I'm telling you the old schoolers love their chiffon, and the H wears a silk shirt or two, of course.
And somehow, someway they end happily ever after...
Purple run-on prose. See below.
It was a kiss that was a desecration of all that they had shared; of her tender and shy submission to him; of Simon's conception which had been a sharing and meeting of their souls as well as their flesh; and yet in spite of everything something inside her twisted and took fire, a spark which burned briefly before it was extinguished so that when he eventually lifted his mouth, and she became aware of the rough sledgehammer blows of his heart against her body, she was filled with self-disgust, with aching shame that she should have actually experienced in such a violent and destructive embrace, a fierce tug of sensuality that she had never known in the caresses they had exchanged before.
February 9, 2019
I felt so bad for Simon, Phillipa's 10-year-old son. She let him needlessly suffer which I thought was cruel. Did Phillipa think she was setting a good example? Oh, wait. She wasn't thinking about him, it was all about her!
Phillipa did act nobly all those years ago—walking out on Scott for his sake—but I felt she still hadn't learned anything, sticking to a destructive path of lies in the present. Scott hated Phillipa, yet I understood where he was coming from. It was clear Scott acted that way because he'd loved her and felt betrayed when she'd rejected him. I felt Phillipa should have understood that as well and been willing to open up to him about the past, especially about her son's paternity.
I couldn't relish the romance or the angst in this story because I couldn't get past Phillipa's very flawed character. As the song by Prince goes: "Act your age . . . not your shoe size."
Phillipa did act nobly all those years ago—walking out on Scott for his sake—but I felt she still hadn't learned anything, sticking to a destructive path of lies in the present. Scott hated Phillipa, yet I understood where he was coming from. It was clear Scott acted that way because he'd loved her and felt betrayed when she'd rejected him. I felt Phillipa should have understood that as well and been willing to open up to him about the past, especially about her son's paternity.
I couldn't relish the romance or the angst in this story because I couldn't get past Phillipa's very flawed character. As the song by Prince goes: "Act your age . . . not your shoe size."
October 3, 2021
Someone call the social workers please!
I found this book really angsty and difficult, but for the first time the angst was not due to the story between the characters but to the way they abused their son.
Actually the 10 year old boy was the best character of the book and the only one I could sympathize with.
The heroine was one of the worst heroine ever.
It was all about her.
Stupid, conceited and awful.
She left the hero when she was 17 and he 24 and they were madly in love because his grandfather threatened to disinherit him. She didn’t even tell him and she made up a story and brutally told him she had another man and she was pregnant with his child.
The poor hero was shattered and even offered to marry her thinking that the child was not his.
This was her first ugly abuse, against him and against their son, because she coldly deprived them of each other, and her son had to endure difficult times because she didn’t have much money.
The hero actually was disinherited and left and became a rich man, and when he came back he planned his revenge against her.
Ten years later their son accidentally damage his father’s car and the hero threatens the heroine to take him to the police. He tells her that he won’t if she went to work to him and she and his son went to live in his house.
Here we have the first glimpse of the boy’s intelligence that obviously he didn’t inherit from either his parents.
He reveals to know that h is his father and asks his mother what happened.
When he tells him that she didn’t want him to lose his house because he loved it he asks:” more than he loved you?”
When she reveals his gf’s threats he asks:
“But how did he make you agree? Why didn’t you tell my father what he had said?”
When he asks her why now she refuses to tell him he’s his son:” Because you think he won’t want me???”
Blessed child! Those two idiots don’t deserve a lil sweet intelligent and sensible boy like him. Please have him removed from that toxic family!
His mother doesn’t even explain why she doesn’t tell the hero he’s his child.
As I said, it’s all about her and her stupid little games.
She had to tell him long before that, since the old man was dead and he was a rich man and the house was finally his.
No, she kept on telling lies and all the times she kept saying she was still madly in love with om, a man she barely knew only to spite the hero.
The hero was not much better.
He abused her in front of the boy, he even stayed in bed with her when the boy went to her mother’s room and wasn’t even bothered if he cause the poor boy to be embarrassed.
I can accept if two adults hurt themselves because they are stupid and idiots but I can’t accept that they hurt an innocent child.
The heroine didn’t tell the H that the boy was his son and planned to go away without telling him, and didn’t even care that she hurt the child in the process. It was him that told the H he was his son.
The two always quarreled in front of the boy.
What a dysfunctional couple.
And the man was so stupid and dumb that he couldn’t even understand the boy was his spitting image. Everyone else understood that they were father and son, and he didn’t even had a doubt.
My god this book was agony.
I don’t want even talk about their abusive relationship because they were both determined to hurt each other and since they were both unpleasant characters I couldn’t care less. If they killed each other I would have been very happy.
It’s obvious that he wasn’t over her and he was obsessed by her but this time I didn’t feel her love for him.
This heroine was a failure on everything. She was a very bad mother ( and that’s a first) because she never put her son’s needs before hers and she didn’t love the hero because she didn’t even wondered if he preferred to be with her, she simply decided for him.
Two starts because I loved the child, it was one if I had to vote his parents.
I found this book really angsty and difficult, but for the first time the angst was not due to the story between the characters but to the way they abused their son.
Actually the 10 year old boy was the best character of the book and the only one I could sympathize with.
The heroine was one of the worst heroine ever.
It was all about her.
Stupid, conceited and awful.
She left the hero when she was 17 and he 24 and they were madly in love because his grandfather threatened to disinherit him. She didn’t even tell him and she made up a story and brutally told him she had another man and she was pregnant with his child.
The poor hero was shattered and even offered to marry her thinking that the child was not his.
This was her first ugly abuse, against him and against their son, because she coldly deprived them of each other, and her son had to endure difficult times because she didn’t have much money.
The hero actually was disinherited and left and became a rich man, and when he came back he planned his revenge against her.
Ten years later their son accidentally damage his father’s car and the hero threatens the heroine to take him to the police. He tells her that he won’t if she went to work to him and she and his son went to live in his house.
Here we have the first glimpse of the boy’s intelligence that obviously he didn’t inherit from either his parents.
He reveals to know that h is his father and asks his mother what happened.
When he tells him that she didn’t want him to lose his house because he loved it he asks:” more than he loved you?”
When she reveals his gf’s threats he asks:
“But how did he make you agree? Why didn’t you tell my father what he had said?”
When he asks her why now she refuses to tell him he’s his son:” Because you think he won’t want me???”
Blessed child! Those two idiots don’t deserve a lil sweet intelligent and sensible boy like him. Please have him removed from that toxic family!
His mother doesn’t even explain why she doesn’t tell the hero he’s his child.
As I said, it’s all about her and her stupid little games.
She had to tell him long before that, since the old man was dead and he was a rich man and the house was finally his.
No, she kept on telling lies and all the times she kept saying she was still madly in love with om, a man she barely knew only to spite the hero.
The hero was not much better.
He abused her in front of the boy, he even stayed in bed with her when the boy went to her mother’s room and wasn’t even bothered if he cause the poor boy to be embarrassed.
I can accept if two adults hurt themselves because they are stupid and idiots but I can’t accept that they hurt an innocent child.
The heroine didn’t tell the H that the boy was his son and planned to go away without telling him, and didn’t even care that she hurt the child in the process. It was him that told the H he was his son.
The two always quarreled in front of the boy.
What a dysfunctional couple.
And the man was so stupid and dumb that he couldn’t even understand the boy was his spitting image. Everyone else understood that they were father and son, and he didn’t even had a doubt.
My god this book was agony.
I don’t want even talk about their abusive relationship because they were both determined to hurt each other and since they were both unpleasant characters I couldn’t care less. If they killed each other I would have been very happy.
It’s obvious that he wasn’t over her and he was obsessed by her but this time I didn’t feel her love for him.
This heroine was a failure on everything. She was a very bad mother ( and that’s a first) because she never put her son’s needs before hers and she didn’t love the hero because she didn’t even wondered if he preferred to be with her, she simply decided for him.
Two starts because I loved the child, it was one if I had to vote his parents.
December 19, 2020
Another years-long misunderstanding/long-held vengeance tale from Penny Jordan. Back in the day, PJ was one of my go-tos for a good angsty read, but in re-reading vintage Harleys, I am finding her long-suffering, tstl-heroines really annoying. Lots of great summaries below, so I won't go into details about the plot, but seriously--one conversation in the 11 years since the H and h first fell in love, only to be driven oh-so-tragically apart by a weak plot that belongs in a Regency romance, would have saved everyone a lot of time and angst. This h is not only whiny, self-defeating, and long suffering, she's the worst mom I've come across in in HPlandia in a long time. Some decent heat in the forced-seduction scenes, but I ended up skimming this one and not caring at all about the contrived HEA. Ah, PJ, coming off the high of your Georgian-era A Wager for Love (Caroline Courtney=Penny Jordan), this was a real let-down for me.
July 26, 2015
1.5 stars - Warning SPOILERS AHEAD
Ok I’m going to try to be as calm as possible when I write this..
Dear Philippa,
I need to punch you repeatedly in the face until you wake up !
Ok um let’s try again…
Dear Philippa
SERIOUSLY ?! SERIOUSLY ?!
No really, let’s do this..
Dear Philippa ,
I understand how you could think that leaving Scott when you were 17 was for his own good. That you thought that giving him a chance to work in a place he loved and his mother to be treated in a good facility was your way of making sure he’s going to be ok. I can try to stomach that you were so young that you didn’t grasp the fact that you’re depriving a father and a son from knowing each other because you thought you were doing the best for the person you loved. BUT .. 11 years has passed and I felt that your maturity stopped at 17.
First, when you met Scott again and he obviously seemed to resent you and blackmailed you into working for him or calling the police on your son. It was OBVIOUS and I’m pretty sure you understood that he meant that he would be sleeping with you too. And you agreed to that. So why did you act like that was not going to happen when he wanted it? Because you could’ve simply stopped it by telling him that your son is his son too! See? pretty simple.
But of course you couldn’t tell him and we’ll get to that in a minute but seriously what did you except from Scott ? The man loved you so much he was going against his grandfather and was willing to lose his inheritance for you. He was willing to marry you after you lied and told him you’re carrying another man’s child. But you completely destroyed him when you told him you never loved him and that you were cheating the whole time. Yeah it was for his “own good”, but the man doesn’t know that! So OF COURSE he was going to resent you, of course he was supposed to hate you, but even with his cruel words to you, it was obvious he was just hurt and jealous. You were scared that by sleeping with him it’ll force you to admit how much you wanted him and that would automatically reveal that you still love him , well NEWS FLASH he was telling you how much he wanted you, how beautiful you are..and so on ! and you assumed that he still hated you !
Now let’s talk about the fact that you wouldn’t tell him that Simon was his son.. How cruel could you be?! really? Your son is begging you to tell his father that he is his son that he teared more than once because of it and your excuses were pathetic.
Let’s explain why..
First Excuse : "He’ll reject him" , umm I’m pretty sure you saw how much he liked him even thinking he was another man’s child, he called him “son”. He told you how brilliant he is, he told you he could’ve been yours together ! How did you get the idea that he’ll reject him ?!
Second Excuse : "He’s so bitter he won’t believe the truth".. HE IS BITTER BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW THE TRUTH! Every single person you met knew that he was his son just by looking at him, and I mean EVERYONE including his own mother, so I would think that would’ve encouraged you to be honest!
Third Excuse : "Your pride" ! I’m not a mother, but I can’t begin to imagine a mother putting “her pride” first above her son’s absolute need to be loved by his father. I just can’t ! And why would that even hurt your pride?! Yeah, I remember, because you felt it was humiliating that you still loved him after the way he’s treating you, you didn't think about his pride did you?! That he was publicly humiliated and hurt by you .. Again.. that’s WHY he is treating you that way! WAKE UP!
You’d think I’d be done by now , but I’ve got another question for you. WHAT exactly did you want from Scott ? Because it seemed like you wanted him to automatically forgive you without knowing the truth, you called him cruel and hard but what do you call telling him you thought of someone else after sleeping with him?! He had a right to be a jerk, maybe not that big of a jerk but I could somewhat excuse him, but why were you acting like a victim ?! You aren’t ! So please stop the pity party!
You didn’t want him to sleep with you the first time to the point you called it RAPE. but ended up begging for him to make love to you. Then the second time with him saying those sweet nothings in you ear you woke up and wanted to leave with his son without a goodbye. And after he knew the truth and married you, you were disappointed that he never made a move to make love to you and thought that he didn’t want you anymore, but when he did, you ALSO protested at first like he was doing it against your will when that was what you wanted ! I can understand that it would be hard sleeping with someone you love without him loving you back. But what did you do to make it better? You just wanted him to let it go which I doubt you’d done if you were in his shoes. Even after you got married, did you go to him to explain and apologize? No you didn’t. He was the one who apologized first.
Ok, last thing, why is it that you get to be jealous that he was taking this Cara person on dates while knowing he did it for business with her father, while you were completely BAFFLED that he was jealous seeing that guy flirt with you? It wasn’t light flirting either, he actually heard him saying he wanted to see your body flush with pleasure! Even though you explained to us that this guy was in love with another girl! He doesn’t know that.
But despite everything, I do wish you happiness with your husband if only for you son’s sake.
Just a quick word Scott,
How could you be so blind to not recognize your own son, when even the people who worked for you figured it out from the first time they met him ?! . You said it yourself she was blond and the guy she “cheated” with was blond, so the fact that he had your hair should’ve made you at least “pause” and think.
Another thing, it got disturbing that every time you try to have sex with her she’d try to get away by pushing you hard and protesting a lot, because even though she asks for it at the end, the beginning does feel a little rapey.
Last thing, You were a huge jerk, though like I said, I can excuse you.
PS. I do like those kind of reads, the ones where the hero seems to hate the heroine for something she did, but then we discover she was innocent and he tries to grovel. But that didn’t quite happen here but I might’ve been harsh on the heroine, other people might actually sympathize with her, so if you were planning to read this, I think you should go for it and form your own opinion about it. That was just how I felt.
Safety :: During the separation the heroine didn’t sleep with anyone else but I’m not sure about the hero. After they way she hurt him, 11 years is a long time to be celibate so I don’t think he was nor do I care honestly. During the book he takes this girl to dates because he wanted her father’s business, I don’t think he sleeps with her, but it’s not confirmed if they kissed or not. But he seemed to have never gotten over the h anyway.
Ok I’m going to try to be as calm as possible when I write this..
Dear Philippa,
I need to punch you repeatedly in the face until you wake up !
Ok um let’s try again…
Dear Philippa
SERIOUSLY ?! SERIOUSLY ?!
No really, let’s do this..
Dear Philippa ,
I understand how you could think that leaving Scott when you were 17 was for his own good. That you thought that giving him a chance to work in a place he loved and his mother to be treated in a good facility was your way of making sure he’s going to be ok. I can try to stomach that you were so young that you didn’t grasp the fact that you’re depriving a father and a son from knowing each other because you thought you were doing the best for the person you loved. BUT .. 11 years has passed and I felt that your maturity stopped at 17.
First, when you met Scott again and he obviously seemed to resent you and blackmailed you into working for him or calling the police on your son. It was OBVIOUS and I’m pretty sure you understood that he meant that he would be sleeping with you too. And you agreed to that. So why did you act like that was not going to happen when he wanted it? Because you could’ve simply stopped it by telling him that your son is his son too! See? pretty simple.
But of course you couldn’t tell him and we’ll get to that in a minute but seriously what did you except from Scott ? The man loved you so much he was going against his grandfather and was willing to lose his inheritance for you. He was willing to marry you after you lied and told him you’re carrying another man’s child. But you completely destroyed him when you told him you never loved him and that you were cheating the whole time. Yeah it was for his “own good”, but the man doesn’t know that! So OF COURSE he was going to resent you, of course he was supposed to hate you, but even with his cruel words to you, it was obvious he was just hurt and jealous. You were scared that by sleeping with him it’ll force you to admit how much you wanted him and that would automatically reveal that you still love him , well NEWS FLASH he was telling you how much he wanted you, how beautiful you are..and so on ! and you assumed that he still hated you !
Now let’s talk about the fact that you wouldn’t tell him that Simon was his son.. How cruel could you be?! really? Your son is begging you to tell his father that he is his son that he teared more than once because of it and your excuses were pathetic.
Let’s explain why..
First Excuse : "He’ll reject him" , umm I’m pretty sure you saw how much he liked him even thinking he was another man’s child, he called him “son”. He told you how brilliant he is, he told you he could’ve been yours together ! How did you get the idea that he’ll reject him ?!
Second Excuse : "He’s so bitter he won’t believe the truth".. HE IS BITTER BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW THE TRUTH! Every single person you met knew that he was his son just by looking at him, and I mean EVERYONE including his own mother, so I would think that would’ve encouraged you to be honest!
Third Excuse : "Your pride" ! I’m not a mother, but I can’t begin to imagine a mother putting “her pride” first above her son’s absolute need to be loved by his father. I just can’t ! And why would that even hurt your pride?! Yeah, I remember, because you felt it was humiliating that you still loved him after the way he’s treating you, you didn't think about his pride did you?! That he was publicly humiliated and hurt by you .. Again.. that’s WHY he is treating you that way! WAKE UP!
You’d think I’d be done by now , but I’ve got another question for you. WHAT exactly did you want from Scott ? Because it seemed like you wanted him to automatically forgive you without knowing the truth, you called him cruel and hard but what do you call telling him you thought of someone else after sleeping with him?! He had a right to be a jerk, maybe not that big of a jerk but I could somewhat excuse him, but why were you acting like a victim ?! You aren’t ! So please stop the pity party!
You didn’t want him to sleep with you the first time to the point you called it RAPE. but ended up begging for him to make love to you. Then the second time with him saying those sweet nothings in you ear you woke up and wanted to leave with his son without a goodbye. And after he knew the truth and married you, you were disappointed that he never made a move to make love to you and thought that he didn’t want you anymore, but when he did, you ALSO protested at first like he was doing it against your will when that was what you wanted ! I can understand that it would be hard sleeping with someone you love without him loving you back. But what did you do to make it better? You just wanted him to let it go which I doubt you’d done if you were in his shoes. Even after you got married, did you go to him to explain and apologize? No you didn’t. He was the one who apologized first.
Ok, last thing, why is it that you get to be jealous that he was taking this Cara person on dates while knowing he did it for business with her father, while you were completely BAFFLED that he was jealous seeing that guy flirt with you? It wasn’t light flirting either, he actually heard him saying he wanted to see your body flush with pleasure! Even though you explained to us that this guy was in love with another girl! He doesn’t know that.
But despite everything, I do wish you happiness with your husband if only for you son’s sake.
Just a quick word Scott,
How could you be so blind to not recognize your own son, when even the people who worked for you figured it out from the first time they met him ?! . You said it yourself she was blond and the guy she “cheated” with was blond, so the fact that he had your hair should’ve made you at least “pause” and think.
Another thing, it got disturbing that every time you try to have sex with her she’d try to get away by pushing you hard and protesting a lot, because even though she asks for it at the end, the beginning does feel a little rapey.
Last thing, You were a huge jerk, though like I said, I can excuse you.
PS. I do like those kind of reads, the ones where the hero seems to hate the heroine for something she did, but then we discover she was innocent and he tries to grovel. But that didn’t quite happen here but I might’ve been harsh on the heroine, other people might actually sympathize with her, so if you were planning to read this, I think you should go for it and form your own opinion about it. That was just how I felt.
Safety :: During the separation the heroine didn’t sleep with anyone else but I’m not sure about the hero. After they way she hurt him, 11 years is a long time to be celibate so I don’t think he was nor do I care honestly. During the book he takes this girl to dates because he wanted her father’s business, I don’t think he sleeps with her, but it’s not confirmed if they kissed or not. But he seemed to have never gotten over the h anyway.
August 25, 2022
Sweet and tender OTT romance. I like that it was fast paced and yet the climax wasn’t just rushed and met with in the beginning of the book. The big reveal took its sweet time and kept me flipping the pages.
The h is a single mother to a ten year old. Some late aunt passing away brings her back to the village where she was once briefly acquainted with the H, her son’s father. But then she’d ran away when things got complicated and the H’s grandfather had come to scare her off.
Sadly, the h’s story was a big downer. She has a man ready to leave all for her (inheritance and relatives) and marry her young and reckless. The h uses her head to inflict cruel judgement and lies to the H that she’s having an affair with someone else and also carrying his child. The H is raging mad and they part.
Now, years later the H runs into the h when she’s visiting their village. The h’s son wrecks the H’s car and she agrees to work for him briefly to pay off the damage.
Funny and expected bit, the h’s son is a splitting image of his dad yet the H can’t recognize that. He says the cruelest slut shaming stuff to the h and she happily takes it. The H’s mother and any visiting relative can instantly see that this man is the h’s son’s father.
This goes on and on. They have repeated ONS and the H is much jealous and enraged. There are brief instances where the h falls sleepy and feels dizzy. I was happy to see a baby in the works but like PJ does, there isn’t one on the way!
The HEA is rushed. I’d have liked a deeper look into them settling in as a family. Also loved how the h’s son called the shots on their big reveal. He was a sweet boy that the h raised. Very happy reading hour!
The h is a single mother to a ten year old. Some late aunt passing away brings her back to the village where she was once briefly acquainted with the H, her son’s father. But then she’d ran away when things got complicated and the H’s grandfather had come to scare her off.
Sadly, the h’s story was a big downer. She has a man ready to leave all for her (inheritance and relatives) and marry her young and reckless. The h uses her head to inflict cruel judgement and lies to the H that she’s having an affair with someone else and also carrying his child. The H is raging mad and they part.
Now, years later the H runs into the h when she’s visiting their village. The h’s son wrecks the H’s car and she agrees to work for him briefly to pay off the damage.
Funny and expected bit, the h’s son is a splitting image of his dad yet the H can’t recognize that. He says the cruelest slut shaming stuff to the h and she happily takes it. The H’s mother and any visiting relative can instantly see that this man is the h’s son’s father.
This goes on and on. They have repeated ONS and the H is much jealous and enraged. There are brief instances where the h falls sleepy and feels dizzy. I was happy to see a baby in the works but like PJ does, there isn’t one on the way!
The HEA is rushed. I’d have liked a deeper look into them settling in as a family. Also loved how the h’s son called the shots on their big reveal. He was a sweet boy that the h raised. Very happy reading hour!
October 14, 2021
"What You Made Me" is the story of Phillipa and Scott.
Woe-is-me heroine is a single mother, who returns to her village when her aunt dies. She had fled lying to the hero in order to protect him- hurting him badly in process. When her son damages his car, she is forced to pay back by co-habitating with him, working as his secretary and with her body. He then proceeds to verbally abuse her and sleep with her, reminding her of her sexual past in every sentence and takes pleasure in torturing her. Her son is the only smart one in the book, who is aware of his paternity, and is actually a well written character- dealing with want of father, jealousy and protectiveness towards his mother. The heroine's insistence that she cheated was ridiculous.
Bitter hero, doormat heroine who has "yes it was my fault so torture me but it was all for you" attitude and loads of unnecessary angst.
SWE- Hero's safety unknown.
2/5
Woe-is-me heroine is a single mother, who returns to her village when her aunt dies. She had fled lying to the hero in order to protect him- hurting him badly in process. When her son damages his car, she is forced to pay back by co-habitating with him, working as his secretary and with her body. He then proceeds to verbally abuse her and sleep with her, reminding her of her sexual past in every sentence and takes pleasure in torturing her. Her son is the only smart one in the book, who is aware of his paternity, and is actually a well written character- dealing with want of father, jealousy and protectiveness towards his mother. The heroine's insistence that she cheated was ridiculous.
Bitter hero, doormat heroine who has "yes it was my fault so torture me but it was all for you" attitude and loads of unnecessary angst.
SWE- Hero's safety unknown.
2/5
November 9, 2013
This is another angsty reunion between Scott and Phillipa. Eleven years ago they were desperately in love. The interference of Scott's nasty grandfather led Phillipa into making a dreadful mistake, thinking she had to give up Scott so he could keep his inheritance.
Now Scott has a chance for revenge and he takes it. Forcing her to work for him and treating her with contempt. Her son Simon however bonds with Scott even though Scott doesn't realise he is the boys father.
Scott has a fairly high level of alphajerk in him and treats Phillipa pretty horribly most of the time. It's obvious how her betrayal destroyed him, leaving him hating and mistrusting women. It's suggested he has had experience in the years apart but no relationships and is clearly unhappy.
I can usually forgive a hero anything if he suffers enough and grovels thoroughly and Scott certainly did both. A good read.
Now Scott has a chance for revenge and he takes it. Forcing her to work for him and treating her with contempt. Her son Simon however bonds with Scott even though Scott doesn't realise he is the boys father.
Scott has a fairly high level of alphajerk in him and treats Phillipa pretty horribly most of the time. It's obvious how her betrayal destroyed him, leaving him hating and mistrusting women. It's suggested he has had experience in the years apart but no relationships and is clearly unhappy.
I can usually forgive a hero anything if he suffers enough and grovels thoroughly and Scott certainly did both. A good read.
March 2, 2019
The only person I felt any concern and affection for in this book is Simon, the 10 year old child. My wish for him; a better set of parents.
Geewiz the h and H annoyed the heck out of me. She lied about her child father. Then sat a 10 year old down and tried to excuse her bs. He, the H, was a cold, cruel butt cheek. (My 7 yr old grandson’s favorite insult.)
Together, they annoyed the heck out of me and made me want to give up on the book. But I stuck it out to see how PJ brought this travesty to an end, and it was as disappointing as the rest of the book.
I will never read this book again. Not worth the wasted hours.
Geewiz the h and H annoyed the heck out of me. She lied about her child father. Then sat a 10 year old down and tried to excuse her bs. He, the H, was a cold, cruel butt cheek. (My 7 yr old grandson’s favorite insult.)
Together, they annoyed the heck out of me and made me want to give up on the book. But I stuck it out to see how PJ brought this travesty to an end, and it was as disappointing as the rest of the book.
I will never read this book again. Not worth the wasted hours.
June 10, 2017
Heroine was just too silly, her reasons for leaving though justified over and over again as due to her being immature and young, I just couldn't sympathise. When H is so adamant in his love for you and you decide to turn your back on him and become a single mother by choice, it's just too idiotic to swallow. And to share your dumb reasons with your son and tell him not to tell his father he's the son, that's just too cruel. Nope, did not like this at all. Nothing redeemable.
January 23, 2012
Usually Penny Jordan does a better job making a hero more likable even though he resents the heroine for some reason, by showing glimpses of how he cares for her despite himself. I felt that was lacking in this story, making it only ok.
April 19, 2021
In the past, a 17-year old Philippa was manipulated by Scott's grandfather to leave. She lied to Scott that she was pregnant with another man's child.
After 11 years, Philippa (now 28) runs into Scott (35) due to her son Simon's antics that resulted in Scott crashing his car. Scott is out for revenge and demands that Philippa quit her London job, move in with him, and work as his secretary and mistress. Philippa had a few tears and mild refusals, but for the most part I found her to be passive and accepting of the whole situation.
Knowing Scott is his father, Simon gets attached quickly. Literally every random character figures out that Simon is Scott's son... except our clueless hero. And any time someone confronts Philippa with the truth, she easily opens up with their history. Yet no one tells Scott. Even the grandmother knows, and she continues to allow the secret. In the end, it takes Simon blurting it out in a moment of distress.
Of course, it is made clear that Scott has been Philippa's only lover in all this time. There is no mention of Scott's activities, but I would assume that he was obviously not celibate for 11 years, especially when he was the jilted one.
Neither heroine or hero were the sharpest tools in the shed. 10-year old Simon is the best part of this story. He's mature, gifted, and interested in mechanical things like fast cars and motorbikes. I'd much rather read about him than his annoying parents.
Nothing special here. Move on. Read Penny Jordan's Taken Over or Loving instead.
After 11 years, Philippa (now 28) runs into Scott (35) due to her son Simon's antics that resulted in Scott crashing his car. Scott is out for revenge and demands that Philippa quit her London job, move in with him, and work as his secretary and mistress. Philippa had a few tears and mild refusals, but for the most part I found her to be passive and accepting of the whole situation.
Knowing Scott is his father, Simon gets attached quickly. Literally every random character figures out that Simon is Scott's son... except our clueless hero. And any time someone confronts Philippa with the truth, she easily opens up with their history. Yet no one tells Scott. Even the grandmother knows, and she continues to allow the secret. In the end, it takes Simon blurting it out in a moment of distress.
Of course, it is made clear that Scott has been Philippa's only lover in all this time. There is no mention of Scott's activities, but I would assume that he was obviously not celibate for 11 years, especially when he was the jilted one.
Neither heroine or hero were the sharpest tools in the shed. 10-year old Simon is the best part of this story. He's mature, gifted, and interested in mechanical things like fast cars and motorbikes. I'd much rather read about him than his annoying parents.
Nothing special here. Move on. Read Penny Jordan's Taken Over or Loving instead.
December 20, 2015
I chanced upon this book while I was looking for another book. I loved the blurb and with a "title" like "What You Made Me", there was no way I would have given the book a miss.
This was one angsty and intense read. It kept me deliciously hooked. The hero did treat the heroine badly but he did have his reasons. It was clear to see how much he was still in love with the heroine and how much she affected him.
My only complaint is that when everyone could make out that heroine's son, Simon resembled the hero, Scott; how could Scott himself not see the resemblance? I just don't understand how can an otherwise rational man fail to discern what is so very obvious to all. But like Coleridge there must be a willing suspension of disbelief while reading a Harlequin.
The heroine, Philippa at times got on my nerves at usual. But then I seem to dislike most of the Harlequin heroines. At times I wished she would just communicate and let the blockhead see what he could not see that Simon was in fact his son.
In spite of few short comings, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It had a good pace and I found it difficult to put down. The delicious undercurrents and the tension that shimmered between two people who were obviously very much still in love after eleven years made it a wonderful read on a cold winter day. Yep, deliciously warm.
This was one angsty and intense read. It kept me deliciously hooked. The hero did treat the heroine badly but he did have his reasons. It was clear to see how much he was still in love with the heroine and how much she affected him.
My only complaint is that when everyone could make out that heroine's son, Simon resembled the hero, Scott; how could Scott himself not see the resemblance? I just don't understand how can an otherwise rational man fail to discern what is so very obvious to all. But like Coleridge there must be a willing suspension of disbelief while reading a Harlequin.
The heroine, Philippa at times got on my nerves at usual. But then I seem to dislike most of the Harlequin heroines. At times I wished she would just communicate and let the blockhead see what he could not see that Simon was in fact his son.
In spite of few short comings, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It had a good pace and I found it difficult to put down. The delicious undercurrents and the tension that shimmered between two people who were obviously very much still in love after eleven years made it a wonderful read on a cold winter day. Yep, deliciously warm.
January 20, 2018
No Brasil foi publicado com o título Uma noite de amor, em 1986.
Quando jovens Jane e Scott foram apaixonados. Mas, o avô foi o senhor do destino dos dois, e os separou.
Onze anos depois se reencontram, ela com um filho já crescido e ele a odeia com todas as forças por ter sido abandonado por ela. E promete fazê-la pagar por todo sofrimento que o fez passar e porque acha que ela o deixou por outro e porque não tinha fortuna.
Agora, rico e dona de empresa tem chance de sua vingança.
Impõe-se a ela, uma noite apaixonada. Mas, não a força mais. Porém, continua a maltratá-la com palavras ofensivas. Depois, quase no final, se reaproxima já um pouco mudado. Fazem amor com a mesma paixão de antes, mas antes ele descobre que é pai e a força a se casar ou perderá o filho. O casamento, rejeitado por ela, é um passo para o enlace final...
O que se percebe é que ambos continuam atraídos um pelo outro e se amam; embora não queiram admitir.
Pra mim foi uma leitura arrastada, o mocinho não me convenceu, a mocinha para feri-lo mais ainda, disse que fingia que estava com outro, enfurecendo-o ainda mais, algo que também não me agradou.
Detalhe todo mundo olha para o filho dela e sabe logo que ele é o pai do menino, menos, o inteligente tapado do Scott. Ele vê todo homem que se aproxima dela em um amante em potencial, e fica batendo na mesma tecla. Resultado: 2,5 estrelas
Quando jovens Jane e Scott foram apaixonados. Mas, o avô foi o senhor do destino dos dois, e os separou.
Onze anos depois se reencontram, ela com um filho já crescido e ele a odeia com todas as forças por ter sido abandonado por ela. E promete fazê-la pagar por todo sofrimento que o fez passar e porque acha que ela o deixou por outro e porque não tinha fortuna.
Agora, rico e dona de empresa tem chance de sua vingança.
Impõe-se a ela, uma noite apaixonada. Mas, não a força mais. Porém, continua a maltratá-la com palavras ofensivas. Depois, quase no final, se reaproxima já um pouco mudado. Fazem amor com a mesma paixão de antes, mas antes ele descobre que é pai e a força a se casar ou perderá o filho. O casamento, rejeitado por ela, é um passo para o enlace final...
O que se percebe é que ambos continuam atraídos um pelo outro e se amam; embora não queiram admitir.
Pra mim foi uma leitura arrastada, o mocinho não me convenceu, a mocinha para feri-lo mais ainda, disse que fingia que estava com outro, enfurecendo-o ainda mais, algo que também não me agradou.
Detalhe todo mundo olha para o filho dela e sabe logo que ele é o pai do menino, menos, o inteligente tapado do Scott. Ele vê todo homem que se aproxima dela em um amante em potencial, e fica batendo na mesma tecla. Resultado: 2,5 estrelas
October 27, 2017
I found Scott 2 be a pain in the neck in more ways than one. True Philippa lied but she did it 2 help him. She at 17 did her best. 11 years later she was far more mature than Scott who acted like a cruel despot. Why she put up with his abuse? Because he threatened with having her 10 yr old arrested? She had a good job with a great boss. She could have made arrangements 2 pay whatever monies were owed. But then that would have been a different story :-)
November 20, 2015
this was fetching ! Scott was besotted wid Philippa. she thought he had only revenge in his heart when he really had not forgotten about her at all ! I uwd have rated it more than a 3 star, had they not wasted 10 long years ! Philippa's reticence to tell him about his son was wrong and selfish. The poor boy clearly lacked a father's care and attention !
January 9, 2023
I can understand why the H feels so much hate and revenge. This h takes lying to another level. She has no shame. Is there anything she hasn’t lied about. 🙄
The reason I give it two stars instead of just one is because of all the passionate things he says to her.
The reason I give it two stars instead of just one is because of all the passionate things he says to her.
July 24, 2025
Where do I begin? I only finished the story because it was a quick read. In other cases, I would DNF like you have never seen before. The heroine is the stupidest, meanest, most selfish person I have ever read about.I don't care about her reasons for doing what she did. All I care about is that she deprived a father and a son from each other. There is absolutely no excuse for that. If the roles were reversed, the hero would have been crucified by the reader community.
What is even worse was that she dragged her son into her lies, denying him the right to be with his dad. Till the last minute, she wanted to take the son away from his dad, even after learning the extent of damage her lies did to the hero. Then, she has the gall to say (and I paraphrase here) "Oh, Oh, but I did not expect that he would care so much about having a child. I thought if he liked children, he would have had a bunch of them in the past years". Like How dumb are you? Who gave you the right to decide what he did and he didn't like?
I felt so bad for Scott. He was manipulated to the highest degree, and throughout it all, the heroine kept acting as if she was the victim, being surprised again and again and again as to why he is cruel towards her. Finally, when he learned the truth, her only response was "it's all in the past now", as if there is a statute of limitations to her lies. And again kept insisting that he let them leave. What is the excuse this time for keeping them away from each other, whatever your name is? The gall of this person...
And Scott, dear, if the heroine is blonde and her alleged lover is blond, and the boy has dark hair and was conceived around the same time you were with the heroine, any sane person would have the tiniest suspicion that the child was theirs. Like really?! Otherwise, I loved you and you were in the right. I honestly wished you had your HEA with someone else, because the heroine surely did not deserve it.
What is even worse was that she dragged her son into her lies, denying him the right to be with his dad. Till the last minute, she wanted to take the son away from his dad, even after learning the extent of damage her lies did to the hero. Then, she has the gall to say (and I paraphrase here) "Oh, Oh, but I did not expect that he would care so much about having a child. I thought if he liked children, he would have had a bunch of them in the past years". Like How dumb are you? Who gave you the right to decide what he did and he didn't like?
I felt so bad for Scott. He was manipulated to the highest degree, and throughout it all, the heroine kept acting as if she was the victim, being surprised again and again and again as to why he is cruel towards her. Finally, when he learned the truth, her only response was "it's all in the past now", as if there is a statute of limitations to her lies. And again kept insisting that he let them leave. What is the excuse this time for keeping them away from each other, whatever your name is? The gall of this person...
And Scott, dear, if the heroine is blonde and her alleged lover is blond, and the boy has dark hair and was conceived around the same time you were with the heroine, any sane person would have the tiniest suspicion that the child was theirs. Like really?! Otherwise, I loved you and you were in the right. I honestly wished you had your HEA with someone else, because the heroine surely did not deserve it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2021
Contrary to the blurb, the H doesn't find out about his secret son until the end of the book.
I couldn't put it down but it was not a pleasant reading experience. The H hates the h and treats her like crap the entire book. He forcibly kisses her (painful descriptions--imagine lips mashed against teeth), manhandles her (lots of shaking and wrist bruising gripping), and "seduces" her. She, on the other hand, cries and whines about how he's being mean to her but she doesn't leave or stand up to herself. She understands he's taking out his anger on her for the way she left him eleven years ago and she doesn't like it but she endures it. She did lie to him about being pregnant with someone else's child after all.
The h's refusal to tell the truth about her son's paternity was inexcusable. She knew how much her son wanted his father to know. She knew the truth would change her relationship with Scott. She said she didn't tell him because he wouldn't believe her. That's what DNA tests are for...
I couldn't put it down but it was not a pleasant reading experience. The H hates the h and treats her like crap the entire book. He forcibly kisses her (painful descriptions--imagine lips mashed against teeth), manhandles her (lots of shaking and wrist bruising gripping), and "seduces" her. She, on the other hand, cries and whines about how he's being mean to her but she doesn't leave or stand up to herself. She understands he's taking out his anger on her for the way she left him eleven years ago and she doesn't like it but she endures it. She did lie to him about being pregnant with someone else's child after all.
The h's refusal to tell the truth about her son's paternity was inexcusable. She knew how much her son wanted his father to know. She knew the truth would change her relationship with Scott. She said she didn't tell him because he wouldn't believe her. That's what DNA tests are for...
April 28, 2022
A very old Penny Jordan book which had my favorite theme of second chance love plus a secret baby (who doesn’t love those?). The book has very little character development nor to they learn from their mistakes. It is clearly one of Ms Jordan’s early works. Skimmed through the book missing out on very little. A fast and easy read. Barely 2 stars.
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October 30, 2019Uh, could not like the hero and the heroine’s sacrifice was for NOTHING! So it felt so pointless. If the hero treated the heroine like dirt but really took a shiny to her kid. But he calls him a bastard to the heroine. Just yucky.
March 13, 2021
Stupid heroine. So much drama for nothing.
September 6, 2021
So beautiful. Loved it so much. ❤❤❤ 👌 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 18, 2022
I didn’t like the way the story developed. There was a lot of potential. But the hero and heroine show up as very petty, small people.
Maybe I’m wrong.
Will reread and update review.
Maybe I’m wrong.
Will reread and update review.
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September 2, 2023Cant access app
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