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Any Man Of Mine
After getting her heart broken seven years ago, Keena Whitman fled town. Now she’s back, and a successful designer at last. But when she sees Nicholas Coleman again, all the feelings she’s tried so hard to forget come rushing back. Letting Keena go was the biggest mistake Nicholas has ever made. This time he’s ready to prove he’s her perfect match—in loveand business.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 1982
463 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Diana Blayne
12 books52 followersDiana Blayne is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle. Susan Kyle also writes under the pseudonyms Katy Currie and Diana Palmer.
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 26, 2019
I didn't think that Nicholas Coleman and Keenan Whitman would ever make it because I thought she was stuck in the past that she still had feelings for her child hood crush. Than things worked out for her and Nicholas in the end can't wait to read more books by Diana Palmer
December 13, 2025
The couple: Nicholas and Keena; Greyson and Abby
Romance trope: office romance
Length: 304 pages
Plot: This book has two separate, unrelated stories. The first story is Nick and Keena. They are friends in the same industry, and it seems like they might be inching closer to something more than friends, but Nick isn't sure Keena is ready, as she is running back home to show the "one that got away" how great she's doing without him. It's a sort of revenge/look where I am now tour. But Keena isn't sure that Nick wants anything more than sex from her. The second story is about Abby who is a personal assistant to Greyson. When a new client comes in, it's a man that Abby had an affair with and Greyson offers to act as her fake boyfriend, but she'll have to move in with him.
Commentary: Typical heros from this author - rude and mean up until the very end, where of course they are madly in love with the heroine. The heroines in this case are both smart and successful even if they make stupid decisions with respoect to the other men in their lives. Fun look at some older Harlequin-type romances.
Romance trope: office romance
Length: 304 pages
Plot: This book has two separate, unrelated stories. The first story is Nick and Keena. They are friends in the same industry, and it seems like they might be inching closer to something more than friends, but Nick isn't sure Keena is ready, as she is running back home to show the "one that got away" how great she's doing without him. It's a sort of revenge/look where I am now tour. But Keena isn't sure that Nick wants anything more than sex from her. The second story is about Abby who is a personal assistant to Greyson. When a new client comes in, it's a man that Abby had an affair with and Greyson offers to act as her fake boyfriend, but she'll have to move in with him.
Commentary: Typical heros from this author - rude and mean up until the very end, where of course they are madly in love with the heroine. The heroines in this case are both smart and successful even if they make stupid decisions with respoect to the other men in their lives. Fun look at some older Harlequin-type romances.
January 14, 2019
A reprinting of two titles originally published in early 1980's. Perhaps that partially explains why they left me wishing for something more. In both stories, the men were large, hairy, smoked, and approached lovemaking with "violent" kisses and the like. The women were overwhelmed with their emotions, but didn't seem to stick with being able to say 'no' after the men they were crushing on turned away from them.
Perhaps that's what the women of the 1980's appreciated. I did not. Even though the men declared their undying love toward the end of each story.
Perhaps that's what the women of the 1980's appreciated. I did not. Even though the men declared their undying love toward the end of each story.
January 22, 2020
Two stories in this book about two powerful men and strong women who
Support themselves..A story or second chances, love, and forgiveness.
The tale is fast moving and heartwarming. An enjoyable,easy,light read.
Support themselves..A story or second chances, love, and forgiveness.
The tale is fast moving and heartwarming. An enjoyable,easy,light read.
February 25, 2019
3.5 stars
This is a review for the second story in this anthology, A Loving Arrangement , already did a review for the first story in this book A Waiting Game in a previous post.
This was one of the earlier works of Diana Palmer when she had written as Diana Blayne back in the day. It was kind of funny because this book definitely showed off of its age of back in the day with it mentions of typewriters, which wasn’t a bad thing but definitely made me chuckle a little bit. So the story was a bit dated, but it didn’t bother me.
This story had that classic Diana Palmer feel, yet it was a bit different too. For one, Abby isn’t a virgin, which isn’t a typical Diana Palmer heroine, and had in fact been married before, which was a disaster being her ex was a selfish idiot only concerned with his pleasure and not hers and made her feel sexual insecure by calling her frigid. If that wasn’t bad enough, her ex cheated on and blaming Abby for doing so because she wasn’t pleasing him in the bedroom. And from what I inferred that he was verbally abusive towards her.
And that wasn’t the only unsatisfying experience she had with men. There was another one too, and it was the relationship that really bothered me and was the reason that I gave this story a lower rating than typical of Diana Palmer. The other guy that she got involved with was married, supposedly a loveless one but married nonetheless, and Abby knew that when she got involved with him and intended to have an affair with him. They were even caught by the wife. It would have been one thing if the guy lied to her and she didn’t know about it, but the fact that she did just left a sour taste in my mouth, and I wish it wasn’t included at all. My biggest pet peeve in romance is cheating and especially when it’s done by the main character or characters. That’s a big no-no, and if they lie about being married then have an affair then that’s even worse. That wasn’t case this one, but she went into the affair with her eyes opened. Before they could consummate their affair, they were interrupted by the wife so she was never physical with him even if she intended to be. So like most Diana Palmer heroine’s, Abby was pretty innocent and naive about the ways of physical pleasure and intimate relationships. And like most Diana Palmer the hero, Grey was the one to teach Abby the joys of physical intimacy and loving.
If the cheating part wasn’t in the story, it would have been so much better because everything else was really good. There were moments of angst and tension between the couple before they finally succumbed to their attraction for one another. They had a backstory to their relationship before they even got together with Abby being Grey’s longtime secretary so they had a chance to develop a report and some type of friendship. They kept their relationship professional until the threat of the married man that she had an affair with was coming into town and was scared of her reaction to him. So, Grey offered his protection of Abby by pretending to be in a romantic relationship together and that was when sparks flew on both ends.
Their passionate scenes were sensual yet very sexy. Their kisses were smoking hot and I could feel the heat coming off the pages as their connection continued to grow and grow both physically and emotionally. I liked seeing her able to feel passion and desire for Grey when she believed she was incapable of doing, but how wrong she was. There was just that spark between them that carried through most of the book from kisses to touches to their first time together. That first time scene was very steamy, which was kind of ironic because it stared off in the bathtub. It just showed how much of passionate connection that they had and how deep feelings ran on both sides.
I loved Grey. He had some of those typical alpha male traits that I so enjoying reading about, but he wasn’t over the top and was a little bit tamer than I thought he would be. It was very clear that he had feelings for Abby and had for awhile but didn’t know how to proceed and get closer to her in that way. I loved how protective he was of Abby and how he used the situation to his advantage so he could get closer and develop a relationship with her. He had moments of being a jerk, but there weren’t too many of them and I could easily overlook them because I understood where he was coming from and trying to hide his feelings for Abby and not wanting to get hurt in case she didn’t return his feelings. He had his sweet moments too though.
Overall this was a quick and easy read. It had some of the typical Diana Palmer flair that I loved and wished there was more of that in the story. I didn’t appreciate the whole being involved with a married man and knowing about it. It just left a really bad taste in my mouth and diminished the story for me. I couldn’t get behind Abby because of that. I get people make mistakes and all, but in my romance cheating doesn’t belong there. So, that was really a turn off for me from the very beginning. If that wasn’t included in the story then I would have a totally different opinion on it and would have probably really loved it. Everything else was fine but that. That was just a big red flag for me. It just bothered me a lot. Otherwise it was good. I did like Grey and Abby together and the passions scenes that they had in the book and their connection was good. They might not have been my favorite Diana Palmer couple, but they made do. I had no problem with them as a couple and I enjoyed them as a couple I just didn’t agree with everything in the book and that was my biggest problem with it.
This is a review for the second story in this anthology, A Loving Arrangement , already did a review for the first story in this book A Waiting Game in a previous post.
This was one of the earlier works of Diana Palmer when she had written as Diana Blayne back in the day. It was kind of funny because this book definitely showed off of its age of back in the day with it mentions of typewriters, which wasn’t a bad thing but definitely made me chuckle a little bit. So the story was a bit dated, but it didn’t bother me.
This story had that classic Diana Palmer feel, yet it was a bit different too. For one, Abby isn’t a virgin, which isn’t a typical Diana Palmer heroine, and had in fact been married before, which was a disaster being her ex was a selfish idiot only concerned with his pleasure and not hers and made her feel sexual insecure by calling her frigid. If that wasn’t bad enough, her ex cheated on and blaming Abby for doing so because she wasn’t pleasing him in the bedroom. And from what I inferred that he was verbally abusive towards her.
And that wasn’t the only unsatisfying experience she had with men. There was another one too, and it was the relationship that really bothered me and was the reason that I gave this story a lower rating than typical of Diana Palmer. The other guy that she got involved with was married, supposedly a loveless one but married nonetheless, and Abby knew that when she got involved with him and intended to have an affair with him. They were even caught by the wife. It would have been one thing if the guy lied to her and she didn’t know about it, but the fact that she did just left a sour taste in my mouth, and I wish it wasn’t included at all. My biggest pet peeve in romance is cheating and especially when it’s done by the main character or characters. That’s a big no-no, and if they lie about being married then have an affair then that’s even worse. That wasn’t case this one, but she went into the affair with her eyes opened. Before they could consummate their affair, they were interrupted by the wife so she was never physical with him even if she intended to be. So like most Diana Palmer heroine’s, Abby was pretty innocent and naive about the ways of physical pleasure and intimate relationships. And like most Diana Palmer the hero, Grey was the one to teach Abby the joys of physical intimacy and loving.
If the cheating part wasn’t in the story, it would have been so much better because everything else was really good. There were moments of angst and tension between the couple before they finally succumbed to their attraction for one another. They had a backstory to their relationship before they even got together with Abby being Grey’s longtime secretary so they had a chance to develop a report and some type of friendship. They kept their relationship professional until the threat of the married man that she had an affair with was coming into town and was scared of her reaction to him. So, Grey offered his protection of Abby by pretending to be in a romantic relationship together and that was when sparks flew on both ends.
Their passionate scenes were sensual yet very sexy. Their kisses were smoking hot and I could feel the heat coming off the pages as their connection continued to grow and grow both physically and emotionally. I liked seeing her able to feel passion and desire for Grey when she believed she was incapable of doing, but how wrong she was. There was just that spark between them that carried through most of the book from kisses to touches to their first time together. That first time scene was very steamy, which was kind of ironic because it stared off in the bathtub. It just showed how much of passionate connection that they had and how deep feelings ran on both sides.
I loved Grey. He had some of those typical alpha male traits that I so enjoying reading about, but he wasn’t over the top and was a little bit tamer than I thought he would be. It was very clear that he had feelings for Abby and had for awhile but didn’t know how to proceed and get closer to her in that way. I loved how protective he was of Abby and how he used the situation to his advantage so he could get closer and develop a relationship with her. He had moments of being a jerk, but there weren’t too many of them and I could easily overlook them because I understood where he was coming from and trying to hide his feelings for Abby and not wanting to get hurt in case she didn’t return his feelings. He had his sweet moments too though.
Overall this was a quick and easy read. It had some of the typical Diana Palmer flair that I loved and wished there was more of that in the story. I didn’t appreciate the whole being involved with a married man and knowing about it. It just left a really bad taste in my mouth and diminished the story for me. I couldn’t get behind Abby because of that. I get people make mistakes and all, but in my romance cheating doesn’t belong there. So, that was really a turn off for me from the very beginning. If that wasn’t included in the story then I would have a totally different opinion on it and would have probably really loved it. Everything else was fine but that. That was just a big red flag for me. It just bothered me a lot. Otherwise it was good. I did like Grey and Abby together and the passions scenes that they had in the book and their connection was good. They might not have been my favorite Diana Palmer couple, but they made do. I had no problem with them as a couple and I enjoyed them as a couple I just didn’t agree with everything in the book and that was my biggest problem with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2023
If I could give this book a less than a star rating I would have. Not this authors best work by far. There were two stories in this book. The male character in both was a controlling, jealous, pompous jerk, and the female characters were naive women who loved didn’t really see any problem with this. It was like a early version of shades of grey (this was written decades before those books).
Don’t waste your time with this one
Don’t waste your time with this one
February 26, 2019
I loved this book Greyson McCallum was a great man just a little rough around the edges Abby hi Secretary always was in love with him he helps her when she needs it but gets jealous when someone found on her past comes back and he thinks that she wants this guy from the past back but she don't because she is in love with him but he doesn't realize that until it was almost to late
March 19, 2020
A waiting game: 2 stars.
Ooh this is the kind of romantic novel I despise. Heroine basically a virgin (a single bad experience in her life), completely naive about sex and basic physical attraction, who acts like a repressed teenager who can’t get over past slights and is blindly committed to seeking petty revenge from a man from her past who doesn’t even matter.
The hero is a widower who dearly loved his deceased wife (ugh), who since turned into a huge slut (double ugh), who has had many many women and even a mistress that he recently dumped, all while spending time with the heroine at least twice a week and scaring off men interested in her. Tells the heroine he’s decided he’s going to be her lover. (Shoot me now).
The blurb was completely misleading IMO.
DNF!!!
A loving arrangement:
3.5 stars
Wasn’t a huge fan of the hero at times - autocratic manwhore lol. But the ending was good when the heroine showed some spine, even though it didn’t last 😂.
Ooh this is the kind of romantic novel I despise. Heroine basically a virgin (a single bad experience in her life), completely naive about sex and basic physical attraction, who acts like a repressed teenager who can’t get over past slights and is blindly committed to seeking petty revenge from a man from her past who doesn’t even matter.
The hero is a widower who dearly loved his deceased wife (ugh), who since turned into a huge slut (double ugh), who has had many many women and even a mistress that he recently dumped, all while spending time with the heroine at least twice a week and scaring off men interested in her. Tells the heroine he’s decided he’s going to be her lover. (Shoot me now).
The blurb was completely misleading IMO.
DNF!!!
A loving arrangement:
3.5 stars
Wasn’t a huge fan of the hero at times - autocratic manwhore lol. But the ending was good when the heroine showed some spine, even though it didn’t last 😂.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2024
i read this through my local library leaning program ... i read 3 of Diana's book this time. i always trying to find that to occur but a lot of the times you can not do that ..not sure why they only have a few of the authors books and whatnot??! no clue.
i read these as well:
Long, Tall Texans: Justin
Denim and Lace
i really enjoyed these read ... which did i prefer of the 3??! i think i did enjoy "Denim and Lace" a bit more ...but don't think i didn't enjoy the other 2. but i was just saying which i preferred a bit more. get to reading folks. i will read more from Diana soon. rainy here in VA ...wish it was snow but rain it is. bye.
i read these as well:
Long, Tall Texans: Justin
Denim and Lace
i really enjoyed these read ... which did i prefer of the 3??! i think i did enjoy "Denim and Lace" a bit more ...but don't think i didn't enjoy the other 2. but i was just saying which i preferred a bit more. get to reading folks. i will read more from Diana soon. rainy here in VA ...wish it was snow but rain it is. bye.
April 27, 2019
Any Man of Mine is by Diana Palmer. It is actually two novels in one. The first is A Waiting Game and the second is A Loving Arrangement. Both novels are wonderful and easy to read. As usual, Diana manages to create characters who seem to come out of the pages and sit beside you as you read about them. The books are easy to read and you can read them each in a sitting, although a lengthy one. It is difficult to put the books down, especially the first one. Both novels are about finding love in unexpected places and with unexpected people.
February 3, 2019
Hoarder challenge: #8 fave genre-romance
2.5 stars
this is a reissued diana palmer-2 stories: (so it was a little dated)
1. A waiting game:
ok. usual diana rythm which i like. clever sexual banter.
good chemistry.
2. loving arrangement:
not as good as the first story. both are quick reads.
you root for the relationship to work out. steamy sexual tension.
2.5 stars
this is a reissued diana palmer-2 stories: (so it was a little dated)
1. A waiting game:
ok. usual diana rythm which i like. clever sexual banter.
good chemistry.
2. loving arrangement:
not as good as the first story. both are quick reads.
you root for the relationship to work out. steamy sexual tension.
February 24, 2019
While I absolutely adore 90% of Diana Palmers books, this one seemed to lack the regular Palmer fire. A waiting game was rushed and almost boring. A waiting game was the same. Also, how is an old ex she chose to date while he was married considered a dangerous ex?? You mean he was a mistake she chose to make? B
February 4, 2019
2 Excellent re-releases that were originally written in the early Eighties so need to be taken in that context but apart from that they Diana Palmer's stories always bring that intense brooding hero still worth a read.
September 24, 2022
A Waiting Game was good. Not my favorite, but reasonably good.
A Loving Arrangement I didn't like very well. I didn’t like the "hero." He was just so arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, from beginning to end. What did the girl see in him?
A Loving Arrangement I didn't like very well. I didn’t like the "hero." He was just so arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, from beginning to end. What did the girl see in him?
July 16, 2024
Needs updating
These books need updating. Electric typewriters and smoking on planes?? The books need to come in the 21st century. The guys were way too old for the women in the books. There are too many things wrong to make the stories flow.
These books need updating. Electric typewriters and smoking on planes?? The books need to come in the 21st century. The guys were way too old for the women in the books. There are too many things wrong to make the stories flow.
May 31, 2019
I read this book when it first came out in 1982. And I knew after I'd read the first 5 pages that I had already read it.
January 23, 2019
Any Man of Mine
Two releases Diana Palmer books are better than one. Since she is and has been in of my favorite authors, I can only say Yipee.
Two releases Diana Palmer books are better than one. Since she is and has been in of my favorite authors, I can only say Yipee.
January 23, 2019
It was okay. They were not my favorite stories by her.
January 28, 2019
Two stories from the early 1980's. Incredibly dated, I wasn't impressed with either.
February 8, 2019
Great Book. Great Author
All of her books are great!!! You cannot put the books down once you start reading them. A Great Author!!!!
All of her books are great!!! You cannot put the books down once you start reading them. A Great Author!!!!
March 17, 2019
These were enjoyable stories, but not my favorite of her stories. I prefer the Texans.
April 4, 2019
Great Read.
This is a great book. A lot of unexpected twists. It keeps you wanting more. You can't wait for the next book.
This is a great book. A lot of unexpected twists. It keeps you wanting more. You can't wait for the next book.
September 1, 2019
As long as you remember these stories are from the early 80's, they are good old fashioned brain fluff from Diana Palmer.
September 8, 2019
Two stories in one binding. Older men, naive girls, work relationships and denial of feelings are ramp-id in both stories. Great romance stories.
October 3, 2019
2 short stories in this book
1. A waiting game
2. A loving arrangement
1. A waiting game
2. A loving arrangement
April 17, 2020
Typical smut but a light read
July 9, 2020
enjoyed both of these older romances
October 9, 2021
I've got to say, I positively loved this book. Both stories got to my heart.
October 14, 2021
did not care for the first story at all....had a hard time getting through it. the second story was just okay.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews