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Now and Forever

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Lutecia Peacock was at her wit's end! And it was all due to Russell Currie. The sexy-as-all-get-out farmer who had helped raise Lutecia after her father died refused to see that she was a grown-up now-and a pretty sensational looking one at that. What was more, he flat-out rejected the fact that she was desperately in love with him-had been for years! There was only one thing ot do: turn up the Georgia heat full steam and show Russell that she was the woman for him-now and forever!

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 31, 1979

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About the author

Diana Palmer

991 books3,104 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.

(1)romance author
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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5 stars
203 (34%)
4 stars
173 (29%)
3 stars
144 (24%)
2 stars
50 (8%)
1 star
21 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Vintage.
2,729 reviews738 followers
May 18, 2020
I think this may be Diana Palmer's first book. No McGuireville, or Secret Service or drug runners or whatever, but he is mean, thinks he's awesome at sex, and smokes a lot so, yep, Diana Palmer.

No evil OW to humiliate the heroine, but there are a couple wannabes waiting in the wings.

Too many mocking laughs from the hero. Plus I hate to be one to say it, he is just one big tease. He is constantly planting one on the heroine, and then pushing the her away with another slut shaming mocking warning.

I guess I should mention the heroine. Young and quivers in fear, or maybe lust, of the the hero.

She perfects her mean, hairy, smoking formula later.
Profile Image for *CJ*.
5,191 reviews640 followers
October 27, 2017
“Poison,” he whispered against her lips, “damn you, like poison in my bloodstream until I can’t breathe! Eyes like November rain, and I see them in my sleep….”

Now and Forever is the story of Russ and Tish.
When 8 year old Tish's sharecropper father dies in a freak accident, a young 21?22?23? (The age difference is referenced differently throughout the book as 13-14-15..Im guessing the author just kept wanting to increase it LOL) year old rancher Russ takes her into his shield. The protector-ward relationship grows, until Tish goes off to college, and their feelings start to change...
She comes back home, a new man in tow, but can she ever really get over her feelings for her one true love?
Typical DP May-December trope with a cruel scarred hero, virgin heroine, and loads of bruising kisses and unresolved feelings. I adored the love between the family in this one, and that the h and H didn't push each other away a lot. Lisa was just an addition!
Of course, it would'nt be a complete trope unless the couple behaved childishly and wasted time, but all's well that ends well.
SWE
4/5
Profile Image for Kay.
1,956 reviews125 followers
March 1, 2012
4 Stars! ~ Our heroine Lutecia Peacock is an orphan taken in by the Currie family after witnessing her father's death in a tradgic farm accident. Russell, then a young man, had simply whisked the then 8 year old Tish into his arms, carried her home and announced to his parents that she belonged to him. And as Tish grew up, Russ was her best friend. Now almost 21, Tish struggles to understand why she's always at war with him.

These few words from a scene with Tish's stepfather (Russ' Dad) say so much...
“Coward.”
“I sure am,” she replied. “I’m afraid of him. I always have been, a little. He’s so…abrasively masculine, Baker. He makes me churn inside.”
One dark eyebrow went up with a corner of Baker’s thin mouth. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “That’s what a woman should feel with a man.”

I've gotten so used to reading romances where we are given the hero's POV, but in these older romances we are given only what the author offers in how the characters interact and what the secondary characters reveal. And personally loving alpha heroes, and very recently read over 15 Lora Leigh books where the heroes are ubber alpha, allowed me to thoroughly embrace our hero Russell in this book. He's used to getting what he wants on his terms. And as a Palmer alpha hero, Russ can be brutally cruel with his remarks; he's the first to admit his temper runs hot and quick but just as quickly blows over. And Tish, in her inexperience, knows how to press Russ' hot buttons! The HEA was a bit rushed, and though Russ did eat a bit of crow, I'd have loved for him to have a larger helping! ;)

Originally published in 1979, some of the content is dated, however in classic Diana Palmer style this is a page turner and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Kace | The Booknerd .
1,452 reviews69 followers
September 13, 2021
READ: JANUARY 2014
RE-READ: JANUARY 2015

A typical Diana Palmer's hero. Alpha male, possessive, arrogant, with an "i-don't-want-you-close-but-i-want-you" attitude, and when he fell, he fell hard. It was an easy read. It reminded me of Calhoun and Abby's story.

Tish was an orphan and taken by Russell when she was 8. He announced that she belonged to him. She was his baby. Russell was very protective of Tish. But when she turned 21 and noticed that she was no longer an 8-year-old girl but a woman, now all bets are off.

I loved how their love story slowly unfolded. Tish struggled when she recognized that she was in love with Russell. You can really feel her confusion and sadness because of her unrequited love. And as for Russell, well, he was very concerned with their age gap, and he fought hard his feelings for her by throwing some cruel words, but in the end, he couldn't stay away. Because when Palmer's heroes fell in love, they fell hard.

I did enjoy the book immensely. I will definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Margo.
2,118 reviews129 followers
December 25, 2020
This is a complicated mess of a book with a lot of really uncomfortable undertones since the H raised the h since the age of 8. There is a misunderstanding that is equally uncomfortable that is left unresolved for far too long.
Profile Image for Pam.
526 reviews3 followers
December 3, 2017
love love loved it. Even though the Hero was a super JERK. and did not grovel enough nor did explain enough about the kid. I still liked him he was just too tough.
Profile Image for amanda s..
3,131 reviews95 followers
May 29, 2013
I enjoyed the ending. Very much.

When Tish was 8 years old, alone and poor, Russell, 15 years older, swept her off her feet and tell his family that she's "his" then taking care everything about her. And from that moment Tish's clinging to him like a bee. Not that she know that Russell's in love with her when she turn 17. And when now she's 20, Russell can't handle himself. He's fall for her, hard, and apparently the feelings are mutual..

There are moments when I crooked my eyebrows and have this urge to smack Russell's head. Diana Palmer always put his Hero on extreme up-and-down, one moment he's sweet & tender but in a blink of an eye, BAM! He's an asshole. And that's Russell. He's in love with her but he still refusing her even though he knew that she feels the same way. *sigh*

What a mess.

And Tish, I've never been this "content" with the heroine when I read Diana Palmer's book. Even though she's kind of weak and cry-baby, I'm glad that she ran from him and push him to chase her. Uwuwuwwu! :))))

Not exactly my favorite but I do enjoyed this one. Whoop!
Profile Image for Dewanna Coleman.
3 reviews
June 13, 2013
I liked the story it was typical Diana Palmer but it wrapped up a little too abruptly. I believe it should've at least had a small epilogue
51 reviews
October 14, 2019
Classic Palmer. I like everything she writes. Tough hero brought down by young innocent women. What's not to love?
Profile Image for CANDEN333.
450 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2024
I enjoyed this story a lot…BUT…

Keep in mind that it was published in like 1979 originally. The Svengoli factor of this guy raising this girl in his family since age 8 or 10, then wanting her as his own was probably not as creepy as it is today. It was probably thought of as pretty sexy by many women.

The heroine honestly seemed too naive but I could feel her confusion and heartbreak. The hero confused even me with his whiplash of emotions! He’s almost a split personality!
Having him have an “illegitimate” daughter about the same age as the heroine was when he found her—that was by far the strangest thing in the book!
But the angst in this book is phenomenal! When they have their stolen kisses you can feel the anguish!
DP rewrites this story several times in other books. She takes out the ick factor in those. But they somehow lose all the emotion that makes this book really good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bea Tea.
1,257 reviews
December 26, 2023
One of those ward/age gap romances that has a frisson of the taboo about it since we are repeatedly told that the H raised the h like she was his daughter. Ohhhher. It's the sort of dodgy ground that was all the rage in mainstream category romances in the 60s and 70s but these days is to be found tipping the wink to readers in the shadowy corners of the daddy/brat sub-romance categories. No sex scene in this one, which in itself is rather shocking for a DP book.

Why did I give it five stars? Because I'm a dodgy perve myself I guess. I rather enjoyed how uber authoritarian the H was, and how utterly drippy and stupid the h was. It's got that old school Diana Palmer feel about it, before she went off the rails and filled her books with a million cast members who all stand about talking about military history or XBox.
16 reviews
August 24, 2021
This book had a very innocent female lead character. Diana wrote Tish as if being young or sexually inexperienced that you some how don't know your in love. An Russell should have told her what he felt for het instead of using bullying and age to keep her at bay. I did not like how she introduced the two black characters. She wrote them as if they were right out of Gone with the wind.
Profile Image for Elgyn.
3,160 reviews39 followers
April 16, 2018
Autorka se jako každovečerně točí v kruhu chci tě/jsem starý/nechci tě/chci tě..., ale navzdory tomu je moc hezká. I když přiznání hrdiny na konci, že již rok má pro hrdinku připravený svatební prsten... to bylo moc i na brakovku.

Má problémy s časem a logikou.

Tish kvůli Frankovi, se kterým má podivný nedlouhý platonický vztah, a týdenní dovolené s jeho matkou a sestrou u moře přeruší na semestr školu. Když Frank vycouvá z jejich vztahu, protože se dozví, že Tish nebude dědit, nechá ji to chladnou, protože ho vlastně nemiluje. Frank se během pár dnů zamiluje do její bohaté přítelkyně a Tish jim to upřímně přeje.
Navzdory citlivému tématu si nemyslím, že by Tish, která žila v rodině přes deset let, ani netušila, že Russell má osmiletou dceru.

A neustále jí po tvářích stékají slzy.

Tish se vrací domů a po 2/3 týdnech za ní přijede její přítel Frank, který v sousedství renovuje dům.
Když se vrátí Tish (s. 30) řeší se „sucho a dlouho horko“. Zatímco na s. 84 po necelých třech týdnech si Frank stěžuje, že opravy jdou Pomalu. Déšť je na dlouho zabrzdil.

s. 48 budeš tu jen dva měsíce Tedy do Vánoc.
Zhruba po měsíci si Tish zlomí nohu a dvě žebra, ale ještě před Díkůvzdáním je jako nová a normálně chodí, tančí, jezdí na koni...

s. 9 třeba jako právě teď, navzdory luxusní růžové blůzce a drahým džínům
s. 6 „V tomhle?“ ukázala na své světle modré tričko a džínsy


s. 12 a v její bleděmodré oči se tvářily vyčítavě
s. 24 Když skončil, třásla jako lístek ve větru
s. 44 měří přes meter osmdesát
s. 47 a nůžu ho mít
s. 65 a vnik do nich
s. 82 že jí Taylerovi, jakkoli jí lezly na nervy
s. 116 Co jsme se s Mindy vrátily [on a Mindy]
s. 125 Tak mu vyklop, jako to bylo
s. 149 koně měly
s. 166 Jenž Russell jako by jí dával najevo
s. 168 Prohlížela si své oválné nehty, nalakované průhledným lakem, jako by byla ta nejdůležitější věc na světě
s. 171 božohodového

ji/jí - s. 114, 161
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Consuela Rossetto.
502 reviews12 followers
November 28, 2015
Tish Peacock, ventun anni, lunghi capelli neri, affascinante (ma non lo sa!), era una bimbetta magra e scontrosa quando, orfana, era stata adottata dalla famiglia Currie. Istruita in un collegio di classe, rifiuta ora le sue origini contadine e accetta la corte di Frank Tyler, un ingegnere attratto dalla sua bellezza ma anche della ricchezza dei Currie.

Ma il giorno in cui Frank viene informato delle vere origini di Tish, la ragazza si ritrova sola, trascurata anche dal suo fratello adottivo - Russel Currie; detto il Grande Ranchero Bianco - adorato dalle donne e legato a una certa Lisa. Tish torna tristemente nel collegio, ma per poco, perché divampa all'improvviso un amore travolgente troppo a lungo represso...
Profile Image for Veri.
107 reviews22 followers
July 22, 2013
Diana Palmer is usually hit or miss ... this was a miss. hero was a jerk that had a child, heroine didn't know about so she mistakenly thought his visits were to another woman not his child. therefore there's drama from him because he thinks the contempt she expresses is for his child , when in reality heroines contempt is for the imagined other woman. Hero is standard Palmer hero- in that he's domineering and cruel to heroine. overall did not enjoy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Charlie.
375 reviews
June 25, 2014
This book has been my least favourite of diana palmers books I have read so far. I thought the storyline was a bit tedious and weren't over keen on the characters. Like the rest of her books it was fast paced however so was easy to read and finish.
Profile Image for Jenny.
3,163 reviews564 followers
March 1, 2014
Heroine was extremely annoying and infuriating. Plus the ending was very abrupt!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews