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Friday's Child
THEIR FIRST MEETING WAS A DISASTERMirry knew it wouldn't be easy to make Jay Elphick feel at home when he came at last to inherit Wenlow Hall --- but she was prepared to try. It was unfortunate that they got off on the wrong foot.Then, too, she had no idea how much bitterness Jay had stored up against her and her family. He held them responsible for preventing the marriage of his father, Sir David, to his mother.With everything stacked against them, it was a wonder they ever got together at all!
- GenresHarlequin Presents
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 15, 2017
Re Friday's Child - Stephanie Wyatt's last outing in HPlandia has an h who is like the rhyme the book is titled after, "Friday's child is loving and giving". Coupled with the usual SW H who needs a skillet or six to be even remotely above nematode level in tact and courtesy.
The h in this book is 23 and currently living at home with her parents. She has five brothers, four are out on their own and very successful. The fifth brother is only a year older than her and when he was at Cambridge, he was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike. The h has been working with him the past two years to get him back to functional. He is a nice guy but he had some brain trauma that is apparent in his movements and his speech. The h is also a helper with the special needs riding therapy program in the neighborhood and an expert restorer of ancient tapestry's and textiles. She was planning on being a design architect, but when her brother got hurt, she left school to help him.
The story opens when the h's godmother, who is also the Lady of the big estate next door, has just lost her husband - who is the H's father in this story. The godmother is in a wheelchair and the son was the result of a brief affair her husband had 30 years earlier. The mother of the H, knowing that the H's father wanted a son, deliberately got preggers and then tried to use the H as a lever to make the H's father divorce his semi paralyzed wife and marry her.
When he wouldn't divorce his wife, the H's mother used the H as a bargaining chip to extort a ton of money from the H's father and then turned the H against the man. The H was raised in pretty bleak circumstances, he was sent to boarding school at eight and went his own way when he turned 18. The godmother and her husband really wanted to the adopt the H formally, but the H's mother wasn't having any of that, she would lose extortion rights.
The godmother is very frail at this point and lets the h know that she is fine with the H inheriting the estate, but she is worried he won't be able to afford the place and she has the h draw up plans to convert the big house into individual flats. The h does the plans, but the godmother dies before she can send them in. Enter the H for the funeral and he is really, really nasty to the h from the start, his mother has really poisoned his mind against the h's family and the h's godmother.
They first meet when the h has been repairing some tapestry couch upholstery and she brings her brother with her. The H thinks they are looting or something and when her brother tries to speak, the H is really, really, really rude and calls him some nasty names that mock his condition. The h tells him off and they leave. Every meeting with the H after that is full of his snide remarks and nasty words, tho the h is pretty patient with him and doesn't react to the jibes.
Everyone thinks they need to feel sorry for a 30 yr company director wealthy guy cause he had a sad upbringing and had to go to boarding school. It is pretty much pounded into the reader's head that this guy is just a sad neglected child really.
The h falls instantly in love of course and then has to watch as the H flirts and charms everyone but her. Finally the H acts interested in the h and he proposes - after giving the flat conversion job to someone else and not bothering to tell the h. She finds out when the design team shows up and the h has to lead them around. It soon becomes clear that this guy has no emotional intelligence, cause he steps all over every little plan and dream the h has and is supremely ignorant he is doing it. Then she marries him cause she thinks they are in love.
In actuality, the H figures she comes from family with five brothers and he wants sons, so the h will make an excellent brood mare. Unfortunately for him the h is adopted, so there may or may not be any joy in that venture. The h has to fret about telling the H for a few chapters and finally the beans are spilled when the H's mercenary and grasping mother shows up to get her share of the H's inheritance. The H isn't sharing tho, so the mother spills the beans about the h being adopted and the H looks appalled and the h does what all good HP h's do in a dramatic moment, she passes out at the dinner table.
When the h comes to she tells her mum that she thinks she is preggers and when the H shows up, he explains he kicked his mother out. The h shares the big baby news and the H has explains that he has finally gotten a clue that he was unkind and he loves her madly but had no way to explain how he felt. They have a happy kissing moment leading up to boudoir bouncing and the h is happy that she can be supportive of the H who still sorta has the emotional depth of a turnip for the HEA.
This one was okay, but kinda dull and the H is fairly rude for half the book and pretty insensitive the other half. The h on the other hand is a throw rug just waiting to be stepped on and I can't help but think that these people are really just visiting HPlandia and SW had already moved her mind to HRtopia when she turned this final voyage in.
The h in this book is 23 and currently living at home with her parents. She has five brothers, four are out on their own and very successful. The fifth brother is only a year older than her and when he was at Cambridge, he was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike. The h has been working with him the past two years to get him back to functional. He is a nice guy but he had some brain trauma that is apparent in his movements and his speech. The h is also a helper with the special needs riding therapy program in the neighborhood and an expert restorer of ancient tapestry's and textiles. She was planning on being a design architect, but when her brother got hurt, she left school to help him.
The story opens when the h's godmother, who is also the Lady of the big estate next door, has just lost her husband - who is the H's father in this story. The godmother is in a wheelchair and the son was the result of a brief affair her husband had 30 years earlier. The mother of the H, knowing that the H's father wanted a son, deliberately got preggers and then tried to use the H as a lever to make the H's father divorce his semi paralyzed wife and marry her.
When he wouldn't divorce his wife, the H's mother used the H as a bargaining chip to extort a ton of money from the H's father and then turned the H against the man. The H was raised in pretty bleak circumstances, he was sent to boarding school at eight and went his own way when he turned 18. The godmother and her husband really wanted to the adopt the H formally, but the H's mother wasn't having any of that, she would lose extortion rights.
The godmother is very frail at this point and lets the h know that she is fine with the H inheriting the estate, but she is worried he won't be able to afford the place and she has the h draw up plans to convert the big house into individual flats. The h does the plans, but the godmother dies before she can send them in. Enter the H for the funeral and he is really, really nasty to the h from the start, his mother has really poisoned his mind against the h's family and the h's godmother.
They first meet when the h has been repairing some tapestry couch upholstery and she brings her brother with her. The H thinks they are looting or something and when her brother tries to speak, the H is really, really, really rude and calls him some nasty names that mock his condition. The h tells him off and they leave. Every meeting with the H after that is full of his snide remarks and nasty words, tho the h is pretty patient with him and doesn't react to the jibes.
Everyone thinks they need to feel sorry for a 30 yr company director wealthy guy cause he had a sad upbringing and had to go to boarding school. It is pretty much pounded into the reader's head that this guy is just a sad neglected child really.
The h falls instantly in love of course and then has to watch as the H flirts and charms everyone but her. Finally the H acts interested in the h and he proposes - after giving the flat conversion job to someone else and not bothering to tell the h. She finds out when the design team shows up and the h has to lead them around. It soon becomes clear that this guy has no emotional intelligence, cause he steps all over every little plan and dream the h has and is supremely ignorant he is doing it. Then she marries him cause she thinks they are in love.
In actuality, the H figures she comes from family with five brothers and he wants sons, so the h will make an excellent brood mare. Unfortunately for him the h is adopted, so there may or may not be any joy in that venture. The h has to fret about telling the H for a few chapters and finally the beans are spilled when the H's mercenary and grasping mother shows up to get her share of the H's inheritance. The H isn't sharing tho, so the mother spills the beans about the h being adopted and the H looks appalled and the h does what all good HP h's do in a dramatic moment, she passes out at the dinner table.
When the h comes to she tells her mum that she thinks she is preggers and when the H shows up, he explains he kicked his mother out. The h shares the big baby news and the H has explains that he has finally gotten a clue that he was unkind and he loves her madly but had no way to explain how he felt. They have a happy kissing moment leading up to boudoir bouncing and the h is happy that she can be supportive of the H who still sorta has the emotional depth of a turnip for the HEA.
This one was okay, but kinda dull and the H is fairly rude for half the book and pretty insensitive the other half. The h on the other hand is a throw rug just waiting to be stepped on and I can't help but think that these people are really just visiting HPlandia and SW had already moved her mind to HRtopia when she turned this final voyage in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2024
I hated, HATED, HATED that the villain of the piece, got zero comeuppance and will stay in h and H's lives :(((
September 24, 2017
Wow this one has some serious angst going on. The H has a proper massive chip on his shoulder after being lied to for years by his mum who is a proper evil witch.
The h is a clarinet playing Pollyanna who really should just wander about been followed by housework doing animals.
The h is a clarinet playing Pollyanna who really should just wander about been followed by housework doing animals.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
June 8, 2020THEIR FIRST MEETING WAS A DISASTER
Mirry knew it wouldn't be easy to make Jay Elphick feel at home when he came at last to inherit Wenlow Hall --- but she was prepared to try. It was unfortunate that they got off on the wrong foot.
Then, too, she had no idea how much bitterness Jay had stored up against her and her family. He held them responsible for preventing the marriage of his father, Sir David, to his mother.
With everything stacked against them, it was a wonder they ever got together at all!
Mirry knew it wouldn't be easy to make Jay Elphick feel at home when he came at last to inherit Wenlow Hall --- but she was prepared to try. It was unfortunate that they got off on the wrong foot.
Then, too, she had no idea how much bitterness Jay had stored up against her and her family. He held them responsible for preventing the marriage of his father, Sir David, to his mother.
With everything stacked against them, it was a wonder they ever got together at all!
March 18, 2021
It’s a sweet romance with a sympathetic h and a hero who is not cruel.
Their romance evolves in a natural vintage order: they get to know each other, they fall in love, they marry, they have sex, she gets pregnant.
Nowadays in HP’s the h and H first have sex, she gets pregnant from that one time sex, she tries to hide her pregnancy but he finds out and only after all that they get to know each other.
The h is a virgin and the H is not a womanizer who has slept with half of the female population.
Just a very nice, warm romance. Many HP h’s are stupid, but this one isn’t.
Their romance evolves in a natural vintage order: they get to know each other, they fall in love, they marry, they have sex, she gets pregnant.
Nowadays in HP’s the h and H first have sex, she gets pregnant from that one time sex, she tries to hide her pregnancy but he finds out and only after all that they get to know each other.
The h is a virgin and the H is not a womanizer who has slept with half of the female population.
Just a very nice, warm romance. Many HP h’s are stupid, but this one isn’t.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews