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The Thistle and the Rose
Once back at her job in Brussels, Helen told herself, she'd be able to forget the barbaric Scotsman who had stripped her entire being of dignity. And to think she had once imagined herself in love with him!
To spend a lifetime with a man as impossible as Damon Murray, a woman would need to be insensitive, uncaring and hard.
Why, then, did she feel so miserable about leaving him?
To spend a lifetime with a man as impossible as Damon Murray, a woman would need to be insensitive, uncaring and hard.
Why, then, did she feel so miserable about leaving him?
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published August 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 19, 2018
Old Skool story about a English hating Scottish laird and a sneaky, revenge seeking sister going waaaay too far to get even for her reckless brother. There were nasty quotes slung aplenty and much bamboozling on both sides throughout much of the book. How either one will ever be able to trust the other would have to be seen. And then there’s that little issue of him hating her beloved brother. Wouldn’t end well in real life but got a cackle out of me a time or two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2022
I was so hopeful when this opened with the weak-willed half-brother showing up and whining about how he lost a job with a Highland laird who is just The Worst. Modern category romances seem to have mostly done away with the "I will sacrifice myself for my idiot sibling who cannot tie his own shoes without 'accidentally' embezzling millions" heroine and I kind of miss them? I don't know. The modern heroines' motivations for sacrifice are all "small children" and "siblings with extremely expensive medical issues" and there's just something satisfying about being able to feel totally unsympathetic to the heroine as she swans around pursuing a vendetta against the hero for something that was actually her brother's fault.
Anyway, the heroine here does in fact pursue a vendetta against the hero for something that was actually her brother's fault, but the novel was a complete mess, and not the enjoyable kind. The hero is a jerk, but not in any way that makes sense; the hero and heroine both seesaw between loathing the other and actually being in love with the other; there's a lot of to-do made over how the hero can't trust The Untrustworthy English; and the plot just kind of trundles along, with one thing happening and then another thing happening. There's really no overarching plot, maybe that's my issue: the heroine has no actual plans for revenge, just a vague sense that she should use her month of holiday to somehow get revenge... by applying for a month-long temp job at the hero's remote castle as his temporary secretary and then just, I don't know, playing it by ear? It's both hard to have sympathy for her and hard to actually care about what she's doing one way or the other, because she's not really doing anything. Add in an assortment of cardboard secondary characters and really, really clunky dialogue, and it was all just a big meh.
Anyway, the heroine here does in fact pursue a vendetta against the hero for something that was actually her brother's fault, but the novel was a complete mess, and not the enjoyable kind. The hero is a jerk, but not in any way that makes sense; the hero and heroine both seesaw between loathing the other and actually being in love with the other; there's a lot of to-do made over how the hero can't trust The Untrustworthy English; and the plot just kind of trundles along, with one thing happening and then another thing happening. There's really no overarching plot, maybe that's my issue: the heroine has no actual plans for revenge, just a vague sense that she should use her month of holiday to somehow get revenge... by applying for a month-long temp job at the hero's remote castle as his temporary secretary and then just, I don't know, playing it by ear? It's both hard to have sympathy for her and hard to actually care about what she's doing one way or the other, because she's not really doing anything. Add in an assortment of cardboard secondary characters and really, really clunky dialogue, and it was all just a big meh.
May 7, 2017
Quite enjoyable if you get past the first two boring chapters and make abstraction of the awful male attitude, only bearable in fiction, and fiction of that times.
March 18, 2020
Once back at her job in Brussels, Helen told herself, she'd be able to forget the barbaric Scotsman who had stripped her entire being of dignity. And to think she had once imagined herself in love with him!
To spend a lifetime with a man as impossible as Damon Murray, a woman would need to be insensitive, uncaring and hard.
Why, then, did she feel so miserable about leaving him?
To spend a lifetime with a man as impossible as Damon Murray, a woman would need to be insensitive, uncaring and hard.
Why, then, did she feel so miserable about leaving him?
November 11, 2018
Why anyone goes to that extent to take revenge on behalf of an ungrateful and deceitful half brother?
May 13, 2024
"The Thistle and the Rose" is the story of Helen and Damon.
You know what, I've enjoyed it!
The heroine's weak brother is fired from his job, and she blames the recluse hero for it. Planning deception, she takes a job as his secretary, and soon things take a turn.
This one has a disabled hero, a family curse, a molded castle, medicine vs superstition, jealous fits, angry kisses and a very Jane Eyre ending.
Safe
3.5/5
You know what, I've enjoyed it!
The heroine's weak brother is fired from his job, and she blames the recluse hero for it. Planning deception, she takes a job as his secretary, and soon things take a turn.
This one has a disabled hero, a family curse, a molded castle, medicine vs superstition, jealous fits, angry kisses and a very Jane Eyre ending.
Safe
3.5/5
June 21, 2024
It was leamimg towards 3 stars but then I got tired of all the drama.
I love a devious and plotting h.
Helen comes to Scotland to avenge the wrong done to her stepbrother by the local lord. At one point of time she decides to start using feminine wiles. But then she's not the only one there playing games.
I love a devious and plotting h.
Helen comes to Scotland to avenge the wrong done to her stepbrother by the local lord. At one point of time she decides to start using feminine wiles. But then she's not the only one there playing games.
October 23, 2022
R in my A-Z romance read. Honestly it was bonkers, with one of those double Betrayal story lines, lots of deceit and lies which I usually hate but today I was feeling it.
Read
July 27, 2024not memorable oh well
May 29, 2025
They hated each other until they loved each other. Go figure
March 7, 2023
A terrible book, weak characters, poor dialogue and a very weak storyline.
Would not recommend!!!
Period
Would not recommend!!!
Period
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews