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Reluctant Prisoner
What was in it for him, she wondered
Why had wealthy Fausto Cabrini been willing to bail her father out of his financial problems? Tanya knew she should be grateful, but she didn't trust the man.
Sure enough, when the family's treasured icon, which her father had handed over as a pledge of his debt, proved a fake, the ruthless industrialist demanded Tanya instead.
She found herself a virtual prisoner in the wilds of Northern Italy, at ransom to a man who claimed he had neither heart, soul nor conscience--even in matters of love.
Why had wealthy Fausto Cabrini been willing to bail her father out of his financial problems? Tanya knew she should be grateful, but she didn't trust the man.
Sure enough, when the family's treasured icon, which her father had handed over as a pledge of his debt, proved a fake, the ruthless industrialist demanded Tanya instead.
She found herself a virtual prisoner in the wilds of Northern Italy, at ransom to a man who claimed he had neither heart, soul nor conscience--even in matters of love.
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 11, 2016
Re Reluctant Prisoner - SH's freshman HPlandia foray has shades of Margaret Pargeter and Lilian Peake in a somewhat paler fashion. The story starts with the 19 yr old h meeting a female family friend's brother who promises to help her ill father sort out his art conveyance business. Since the death of the h's mother, the father has been rapidly going downhill and is near bankruptcy and now his heart is giving him problems. The H and h have a mutual antagonism as the H is a total Alpha rude person and the h is the feisty but naive and immature type.
The H and the father soon make a deal and the father offers a piece of his art as surety on the bargain. The H chooses a Russian Icon that the father is reluctant to part with because it has tremendous familial sentiment as it was the only thing the h's great grandfather was able to smuggle out of Russia during a peasant revolt when their minor nobility family was fleeing the rebellion. The H gets what he wants however and the h is relieved to see the H gone and the father in a top clinic that will help his heart.
Except the icon turns out to be a fake and the H acts like the h and her father tried to con him, he demands that the h come work as his secretary/assistant in lieu of a surety. The h reluctantly goes to the H's Italian estate where they proceed to fight and bicker and the H flaunts other women while delivering roofie punishing kisses and exploiting the h's interior design and decorating skills. The father does improve and explains to the H that the icon is worthless except for sentimental value but he did not want his daughter the h to know.
(I wasn't buying the H's outrage, he picked what he wanted to take as a surety and the father told him to chose one of the more valuable items but the h protested the icon so the H went with that to antagonize her, the H is basically loaded and lets the h know that what her father owed was pretty much a tiny tax write off for his vast wealth. Technically the H had no reason to demand the h stand in the icon's place as a surety, he choose freely and no one mentioned a monetary value.)
The H then seduces the h in between dinner dates with a predatory OW who likes to flaunt her and the H's relationship and patronize the h. The H demands that the h be subservient to the OW even as he is hauling her off for the lurve club mojo attack. Then the H asks the h to marry him because he supposedly loves her - as he is going off with the OW and telling the h to 'trust him'. The H gives the h a month until his big summer extravaganza ball to either wear his gaudy diamond or turn him down. The h angsts for several chapters and denies herself further opportunities for H boudoir bouncing before deciding to accept the businesslike proposal right before the start of the big extravaganza.
The h takes her ring adorned self down to the library to avow her devotion to the H and walks in to find him on the couch with the OW half undressed. He is angry she interrupted and the h throws the ring back and runs off. Then the H's sister chases her down and proceeds to berate the h until she is bullied into going back and apologizing to the H for misinterpreting the situation and being mean to him.
The pimp princess sister rants about how the h should know that the H and her had a horrible home life when their father practically deserted them after years of fighting with their mother and her brother had to take care of everything, so the h should just fall down and be walked all over whenever the H demands - even it is OW.
Then she says the H, contrary to all appearances, isn't shagging every Versace clad lady that wanders by. Supposedly the OW was drunk and throwing herself at the H and he really loves the h and the h should be ashamed of herself for not trusting him. The h crawls back the H, begs for a second chance and the H declares he will marry her if she can avow blind trust forever for the dubious HEA of decorating and nursery filling to soothe the H need for multiple empiring heirs.
This isn't a terrible story, and you could see both the auras of the bully H of Margaret Pargeter and the womanizer H of Lilian Peake clearly mixed in this H. Unfortunately SH makes a point of telling us a few times that the H wants a virgin, naive and malleable as wife to bear his heirs and be his devoted doormat -(it isn't put quite that explicitly, but that is the gist of the what the H is wanting,) and it kinda leaves the true love devotion of the H in doubt.
The way the sister throws the h at the H and the way he consistently berates her while romancing both her and OW and then demanding blind trust that he isn't sleeping with them is really kinda creepy grooming - it is very, very hard not to interpret this book as a set up by the H and his accommodating sister to get a wife he can dominate and control while being assured of her chastity to bear his heirs while he actually amuses himself with women who are more to his taste and level of experience.
Still mileage always varies and other HP voyagers may be more tolerant, have more adult beverages on hand or have better rosy glasses than mine. There is quite a lot of drama and angst for a first time HP outing and so perhaps more allowances in a less than believable HEA should be given.
The H and the father soon make a deal and the father offers a piece of his art as surety on the bargain. The H chooses a Russian Icon that the father is reluctant to part with because it has tremendous familial sentiment as it was the only thing the h's great grandfather was able to smuggle out of Russia during a peasant revolt when their minor nobility family was fleeing the rebellion. The H gets what he wants however and the h is relieved to see the H gone and the father in a top clinic that will help his heart.
Except the icon turns out to be a fake and the H acts like the h and her father tried to con him, he demands that the h come work as his secretary/assistant in lieu of a surety. The h reluctantly goes to the H's Italian estate where they proceed to fight and bicker and the H flaunts other women while delivering roofie punishing kisses and exploiting the h's interior design and decorating skills. The father does improve and explains to the H that the icon is worthless except for sentimental value but he did not want his daughter the h to know.
(I wasn't buying the H's outrage, he picked what he wanted to take as a surety and the father told him to chose one of the more valuable items but the h protested the icon so the H went with that to antagonize her, the H is basically loaded and lets the h know that what her father owed was pretty much a tiny tax write off for his vast wealth. Technically the H had no reason to demand the h stand in the icon's place as a surety, he choose freely and no one mentioned a monetary value.)
The H then seduces the h in between dinner dates with a predatory OW who likes to flaunt her and the H's relationship and patronize the h. The H demands that the h be subservient to the OW even as he is hauling her off for the lurve club mojo attack. Then the H asks the h to marry him because he supposedly loves her - as he is going off with the OW and telling the h to 'trust him'. The H gives the h a month until his big summer extravaganza ball to either wear his gaudy diamond or turn him down. The h angsts for several chapters and denies herself further opportunities for H boudoir bouncing before deciding to accept the businesslike proposal right before the start of the big extravaganza.
The h takes her ring adorned self down to the library to avow her devotion to the H and walks in to find him on the couch with the OW half undressed. He is angry she interrupted and the h throws the ring back and runs off. Then the H's sister chases her down and proceeds to berate the h until she is bullied into going back and apologizing to the H for misinterpreting the situation and being mean to him.
The pimp princess sister rants about how the h should know that the H and her had a horrible home life when their father practically deserted them after years of fighting with their mother and her brother had to take care of everything, so the h should just fall down and be walked all over whenever the H demands - even it is OW.
Then she says the H, contrary to all appearances, isn't shagging every Versace clad lady that wanders by. Supposedly the OW was drunk and throwing herself at the H and he really loves the h and the h should be ashamed of herself for not trusting him. The h crawls back the H, begs for a second chance and the H declares he will marry her if she can avow blind trust forever for the dubious HEA of decorating and nursery filling to soothe the H need for multiple empiring heirs.
This isn't a terrible story, and you could see both the auras of the bully H of Margaret Pargeter and the womanizer H of Lilian Peake clearly mixed in this H. Unfortunately SH makes a point of telling us a few times that the H wants a virgin, naive and malleable as wife to bear his heirs and be his devoted doormat -(it isn't put quite that explicitly, but that is the gist of the what the H is wanting,) and it kinda leaves the true love devotion of the H in doubt.
The way the sister throws the h at the H and the way he consistently berates her while romancing both her and OW and then demanding blind trust that he isn't sleeping with them is really kinda creepy grooming - it is very, very hard not to interpret this book as a set up by the H and his accommodating sister to get a wife he can dominate and control while being assured of her chastity to bear his heirs while he actually amuses himself with women who are more to his taste and level of experience.
Still mileage always varies and other HP voyagers may be more tolerant, have more adult beverages on hand or have better rosy glasses than mine. There is quite a lot of drama and angst for a first time HP outing and so perhaps more allowances in a less than believable HEA should be given.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2018
A heroine who is supposed to be "feisty" but turns out to be immature, impulsive and petulant. A hero who is supposed to be "alpha" but turns out to be petty in all of his grievances and unable or unwilling to express himself. These two characters are thrown together in this muddled mess of a plot that depicts the heroine to being taken "prisoner" at the hero's Italian estate because the Russian icon her father gave him as collateral on a loan turned out to be fake. Rest assured our "prisoner" is sentenced to an entire new wardrobe, lots of fine dining, a few insults, and some light secretarial/interior decorating work.
There's absolutely no angst or genuine emotion. Even the black moment with an OW feels as fake as that icon. (Unintentional symbolism? Ha)
Boogenhagen has all the spoilers, if this review didn't put you off. :)
There's absolutely no angst or genuine emotion. Even the black moment with an OW feels as fake as that icon. (Unintentional symbolism? Ha)
Boogenhagen has all the spoilers, if this review didn't put you off. :)
February 20, 2012
When Tanya meets Fausto, she thinks he is the answer to her fathers prayers. After only a few short minutes she however changes her mind. He is arrogant, annoying and assuming. She feels a strong dislike towards him. Soon Fausto and her father make a deal and with that deal comes a painting. When Fausto finds out the painting is a fake, he goes and gets Tanya. Using her as collateral. She becomes Fausto's secretary and over time, they fall in love.
It was a quite beautiful book, I love the two main characters and found it easy to relate. At times I think Tanya was WAY too immature, even for her age. Maybe because I'm relating to myself because by eighteen I was working and living on my own and also curbing my tongue. hah. Overall I wasn't disappointed in this book.
It was a quite beautiful book, I love the two main characters and found it easy to relate. At times I think Tanya was WAY too immature, even for her age. Maybe because I'm relating to myself because by eighteen I was working and living on my own and also curbing my tongue. hah. Overall I wasn't disappointed in this book.
August 7, 2022
It’s an okay read. He didn’t behave in love, so when he told her he loved her, it came out of the blue.
I like the sometimes bit dramatic writing style: “Nothing could ever wash that memory away, no bland excuses ever dull the savage treachery of his cruelhearted faithlesness.” And then the next moment she forgives him.
I like the sometimes bit dramatic writing style: “Nothing could ever wash that memory away, no bland excuses ever dull the savage treachery of his cruelhearted faithlesness.” And then the next moment she forgives him.
June 21, 2018
It was okay I guess even though it was really disappointing that after the hero told the heroine she was less than his - supposedly - mistress she still went to bed with him! Their characters were not that convincingly developed. But as a quick read, this novel will do.
August 14, 2020
This one was a slog. The hero gives us and the heroine NOTHING. The story is interesting but the hero is kinda a block of ice. We know nothing about the guy. His sister does all the work. The heroine is just trying to keep her father healthy. The hero tricked himself at the beginning 'I want THIS'...well okay 'It's worth nothing!' Never said it was, you assumed it was. Liked the heroine working but she was alone in this story. Skip.
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March 3, 2024Old books
June 13, 2020
What was in it for him, she wondered
Why had wealthy Fausto Cabrini been willing to bail her father out of his financial problems? Tanya knew she should be grateful, but she didn't trust the man.
Sure enough, when the family's treasured icon, which her father had handed over as a pledge of his debt, proved a fake, the ruthless industrialist demanded Tanya instead.
She found herself a virtual prisoner in the wilds of Northern Italy, at ransom to a man who claimed he had neither heart, soul nor conscience--even in matters of love.
Why had wealthy Fausto Cabrini been willing to bail her father out of his financial problems? Tanya knew she should be grateful, but she didn't trust the man.
Sure enough, when the family's treasured icon, which her father had handed over as a pledge of his debt, proved a fake, the ruthless industrialist demanded Tanya instead.
She found herself a virtual prisoner in the wilds of Northern Italy, at ransom to a man who claimed he had neither heart, soul nor conscience--even in matters of love.
May 5, 2016
Annoying. The heroine was immature and the hero never did anything to reassure her that he loved her, in fact went out of his way to give her the wrong impression then in the end she was just supposed to trust him!! Not a romance.
October 22, 2015
This is Stephenie Howards first published novel by HQ. Very well written.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews