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Blithe Images
Beautiful, independent-minded Hillary Baxter was only twenty-one when she swapped the fields of rural Kansas for the bright lights of New York City. Three years later she is a successful model and proud to have made it on her own terms. Now a chance encounter with Bret Bardoff, the charismatic owner of Mode magazine, might just send her career into the stratosphere. But at what cost?
Bret is famed for being strong-willed, demanding . . . and brilliant. As Hillary spends more time with him she begins to discover another, softer side to his character. Hillary knows she should keep her distance - with the frosty Charlene Mason on his arm, Bret is very much spoken for. But it's much easier to strike a pose than it is to control your heart . . .
Bret is famed for being strong-willed, demanding . . . and brilliant. As Hillary spends more time with him she begins to discover another, softer side to his character. Hillary knows she should keep her distance - with the frosty Charlene Mason on his arm, Bret is very much spoken for. But it's much easier to strike a pose than it is to control your heart . . .
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
500 people are currently reading
1652 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,473 books58.8k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
November 28, 2018
I am a fairly big Nora Roberts fan, but am realizing I'm really a fan of her later writing ... when she dropped a lot of the flat-out stereotypes of male/female relationships. I also realize I haven't read much of her straight out romance books; I prefer the romantic suspense stories with a plot that goes beyond whether the two main characters strike up a relationship. In this book, I can't stand the two main characters! The male is flat out domineering, arrogant, and the epitome of white male privilege that borders on (barrels right into?) sexual harassment and it's hard to read. And the female character seems to just fall prey and allow it, helpless to do anything else. BLECH. Give me her later books and characters in which the woman are strong, smart, and don't put up with the nonsense!
March 6, 2021
“Frânturi de fericire” este o lectură simplă, ușoară, plină de emoții. O carte care te relaxează și-ți bucură sufletul.
Bret este cel care deține o mare revistă de modă și cel care-i propune lui Hillary un contract pe șase luni: să fie fotografiată în diferite ipostaze caracteristice femeii, pentru a ilustra complexitatea acesteia.
Hillary este încântată de contract, conștientă că o va lansa cu adevărat la un alt nivel.
Nici o secundă nu îi trece prin minte că Bret va reuși să îi dea viața peste cap și să o destabilizeze emoțional. Tânăra are planurile sale, iar dragostea încă nu își află locul în ele. Dar atracția fulgerătoare pe care o simte pentru șeful ei o ține ca pe jar de câte ori se întâlnesc.
Bret este șocat de-a dreptul când descoperă că tânăra de 24 de ani de care este atras iremediabil este pură. Nu-și explică cum de nici un bărbat nu a văzut-o până acum...
Avem parte atât de momente pline de umor, cât și de clipe tensionate, neînțelegeri, și gama emoțiilor pe care le trăim citind această carte poate continua.
Hillary este o tânără care este deturnată de la planul ei de viață bine stabilit de dragoste, care i s-a arătat sub forma uniri ochi de furtună care i-au rămas întipăriți în suflet.
Bineînțeles că nu decurge totul simplu și ușor. O să aibă parte de neînțelegeri, de suferință și durere.
O poveste de dragoste perfectă pentru un weekend relaxant.
Bret este cel care deține o mare revistă de modă și cel care-i propune lui Hillary un contract pe șase luni: să fie fotografiată în diferite ipostaze caracteristice femeii, pentru a ilustra complexitatea acesteia.
Hillary este încântată de contract, conștientă că o va lansa cu adevărat la un alt nivel.
Nici o secundă nu îi trece prin minte că Bret va reuși să îi dea viața peste cap și să o destabilizeze emoțional. Tânăra are planurile sale, iar dragostea încă nu își află locul în ele. Dar atracția fulgerătoare pe care o simte pentru șeful ei o ține ca pe jar de câte ori se întâlnesc.
Bret este șocat de-a dreptul când descoperă că tânăra de 24 de ani de care este atras iremediabil este pură. Nu-și explică cum de nici un bărbat nu a văzut-o până acum...
Avem parte atât de momente pline de umor, cât și de clipe tensionate, neînțelegeri, și gama emoțiilor pe care le trăim citind această carte poate continua.
Hillary este o tânără care este deturnată de la planul ei de viață bine stabilit de dragoste, care i s-a arătat sub forma uniri ochi de furtună care i-au rămas întipăriți în suflet.
Bineînțeles că nu decurge totul simplu și ușor. O să aibă parte de neînțelegeri, de suferință și durere.
O poveste de dragoste perfectă pentru un weekend relaxant.
February 11, 2017
I found this book to be a total joke. Totally unbelievable storyline, characters and situations. It was irritating at times even!!!
Read
August 30, 2021I actually liked the story. But the characters…Ergh.
Bret was so damned misogynistic and patronizing I wanted to punch him in the mouth. Hillary was kind, but I wanted to see a backbone in her! Reading these characters was…a bit rough. It’s a Nora Roberts so the romance was on point, but this old school romance did not age so well in Bret’s character.
I’m usually not one to harp upon feminist principles, I adore a dominant male and a good power imbalance. But it’s one thing to choose inequality with the partner acknowledging and *knowing* you’re equal, than to truly be thought lesser of because of your gender. So, yeah, this story was a bit irksome to me.
Bret was so damned misogynistic and patronizing I wanted to punch him in the mouth. Hillary was kind, but I wanted to see a backbone in her! Reading these characters was…a bit rough. It’s a Nora Roberts so the romance was on point, but this old school romance did not age so well in Bret’s character.
I’m usually not one to harp upon feminist principles, I adore a dominant male and a good power imbalance. But it’s one thing to choose inequality with the partner acknowledging and *knowing* you’re equal, than to truly be thought lesser of because of your gender. So, yeah, this story was a bit irksome to me.
May 18, 2019
Sweet h ... older, experienced and over bearing H who knew he was majorly attracted to h but instead of chasing and making her his, seemed to spend a large amount of his time running around with wannabe OW and using her to jerk h around like a puppet ....
This book also showed the world of modelling before social media ... before it became a murky world of very high expectations ... I loved to see h seriously pursuing her profession, professional photographer and all ... a much kinder profession than what it is now ....
This book also showed the world of modelling before social media ... before it became a murky world of very high expectations ... I loved to see h seriously pursuing her profession, professional photographer and all ... a much kinder profession than what it is now ....
January 12, 2019
Nota: 6'5
Segundo libro escrito por Nora Roberts. Se nota mucho en el estilo la época en el que fue escrito, es muy una novela romántica de los 80.
Para mi gusto le falta chispa. Está bien, es entretenido y se deja leer fácil, pero le faltan conversaciones bonitas o un poco de pasión. Por eso, se queda en un "bien".
Segundo libro escrito por Nora Roberts. Se nota mucho en el estilo la época en el que fue escrito, es muy una novela romántica de los 80.
Para mi gusto le falta chispa. Está bien, es entretenido y se deja leer fácil, pero le faltan conversaciones bonitas o un poco de pasión. Por eso, se queda en un "bien".
January 30, 2013
Hated this one. The "hero" here had no endearing qualities whatsoever. He was a jerk throughout the book, and why he was this way was never resolved. I can't imagine why a self-respecting woman would fall in. love with a bossy creep like that. Not good enough.
May 23, 2023
"No matter how many images you can slip on and off, you're still the same underneath."
December 20, 2011
I'm not really sure I can say that I loved this one by Nora. I'm a big fan and normally love her books, but this early work by her wasn't for me. I didn't get the connection between Hillary and Brett. I thought he was a chauvinist and kind of a jerk. I felt he definitely lead Hillary on in the beginning and gave her very mixed signals. Hillary just seemed weak to me. She was supposed to be a confident, successful woman, yet she let Brett walk all over her. Instead of confronting him about his maybe ex-girlfriend who constantly seemed to be around, she chose to wallow in self pity and be depressed. That just seemed contradictory to me. I couldn't understand how a few steamy kisses turned into love for her. The HEA wasn't believable to me.
One thing that it did have going for it was that despite the references to typewriters and smoking, this one didn't feel totally dated to me. I think that it would still be relevant to today. Blithe Images is also one of the cleanest romances by Ms. Roberts that I have read. There was really no sex in it, other than some kisses and a few gropes. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a good job.
One thing that it did have going for it was that despite the references to typewriters and smoking, this one didn't feel totally dated to me. I think that it would still be relevant to today. Blithe Images is also one of the cleanest romances by Ms. Roberts that I have read. There was really no sex in it, other than some kisses and a few gropes. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a good job.
December 2, 2013
Small town girl Hilary Baxter is making a great life for herself in New York City. She has a successful model career which is rising, a plethora of friends, and a beautiful apartment. Romance was not exactly something she was looking for, as she always assumed that she would be just fine on her own. So when magazine tycoon Bret Bardoff begins to pursue her, Hilary continously shuts him down to keep him away from her heart and out of her mind. But the mutual magnetism that is between them cannot be denied, espescially when Hilary begins to realize that she is falling in love with him.
This was a short and sweet little romance story that completely stole my heart! I loved how Bret was such an alpha male but whenever he was around Hilary he became so sweet and emotional. She completely got under his skin and turned his life all around, which was fun to watch unfold. I loved how the tension between Hilary and Bret continued to grow until it felt ready to snap. It was a little shorter than most of the other novels that I have read by this author so far, but I still felt like I got to know the characters very well and the story and romance was resolved beautifully.
This was a short and sweet little romance story that completely stole my heart! I loved how Bret was such an alpha male but whenever he was around Hilary he became so sweet and emotional. She completely got under his skin and turned his life all around, which was fun to watch unfold. I loved how the tension between Hilary and Bret continued to grow until it felt ready to snap. It was a little shorter than most of the other novels that I have read by this author so far, but I still felt like I got to know the characters very well and the story and romance was resolved beautifully.
July 24, 2016
:( epá eu já me tinha convencido que não era para ler historias dos anos 80!
não de todo!!
a trama é característica dessa época, super cliché o que torna a leitura meio sonsa e sem apelativo.
mesmo sendo NR, esta é uma historia que não trás nada de novo em termos de características de personagens assim como da trama em geral.
não de todo!!
a trama é característica dessa época, super cliché o que torna a leitura meio sonsa e sem apelativo.
mesmo sendo NR, esta é uma historia que não trás nada de novo em termos de características de personagens assim como da trama em geral.
December 6, 2009
I'm a sucker for romance novels, and really enjoy 95% of all Nora Roberts books. The male role in the book 'Bret' was just not like able. He was almost chauvinistic, and not very well developed otherwise. That said, I got almost exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, an easy read with an "awww" factor.
April 10, 2012
I usually like Nora Roberts - nearly anything she does but this one was different. I'm wondering if it was one of her first books, as it read like it may have been. The dialogue was very elementary and I just didn't find the couple believable. The female lead was whiny and naive and the male was mean and somewhat aggressive. Not a favorite.
December 21, 2009
Review haiku:
Virginal model
Dislikes millionaire mogul,
Then falls for him, duh!
Virginal model
Dislikes millionaire mogul,
Then falls for him, duh!
October 26, 2019
Como uma pessoa muda de opinião em quatro anos. De quatro estrelas passei para duas.
March 19, 2020
In the beginning I thought standard (for the time it was published in) category romance. Also, the heroine is a model, and models/beautiful women who all the men are attracted to are not my favorite heroines. But Hillary actually has two men in her life, the photographer she works with and a friend she dates platonically, neither of whom have any romantic designs on her, and it was refreshing. The friend only makes one appearance, but the photographer gets a little romance of his own with the hero's secretary.
There was one scene that gave me pause, and I had to remind myself how old the book is - Hillary and Bret are kissing and one thing starts to lead to another before she stops him, and he gets angry. Really angry, and accuses her of being a tease. Not a scene an author can get away with writing today.
Of course there are misunderstandings and Hillary and Bret are often at odds with one another, as well as Hillary and the Other Woman, who manages to keep driving a wedge between them. But it all comes out right in the end, and I absolutely loved the way Bret finally proposed marriage.
There was one scene that gave me pause, and I had to remind myself how old the book is - Hillary and Bret are kissing and one thing starts to lead to another before she stops him, and he gets angry. Really angry, and accuses her of being a tease. Not a scene an author can get away with writing today.
Of course there are misunderstandings and Hillary and Bret are often at odds with one another, as well as Hillary and the Other Woman, who manages to keep driving a wedge between them. But it all comes out right in the end, and I absolutely loved the way Bret finally proposed marriage.
June 12, 2015
A Harlequin agora anda a publicar todas as estórias da Nora, lançadas nos anos 80.
Percebe-se bem que já são livros antigos. Por muitas capas e títulos contemporâneos que possam por, há pormenores que vão sempre revelar o quanto antigo o livro é.
Depois adiciona-se o facto de ser publicado pela Harlequin, ou seja a edição é de qualidade dúbia e a tradução não é das melhores e duvido que esteja aqui o livro original todo e que não faltem frases ou até mesmo páginas.
A estória é banal e não simpatizem com o casal. O fim é estranho, deixando mesmo a ideia que havia mais texto, pois acaba mesmo muito abruptamente.
Percebo que estes livros foram dos primeiros que a autora lançou, mas tendo lido já dezenas de livros bem melhores, estes últimos lançamentos da Harlequin sabem sempre a pouco e nem aquecem e nem arrefecem!
Percebe-se bem que já são livros antigos. Por muitas capas e títulos contemporâneos que possam por, há pormenores que vão sempre revelar o quanto antigo o livro é.
Depois adiciona-se o facto de ser publicado pela Harlequin, ou seja a edição é de qualidade dúbia e a tradução não é das melhores e duvido que esteja aqui o livro original todo e que não faltem frases ou até mesmo páginas.
A estória é banal e não simpatizem com o casal. O fim é estranho, deixando mesmo a ideia que havia mais texto, pois acaba mesmo muito abruptamente.
Percebo que estes livros foram dos primeiros que a autora lançou, mas tendo lido já dezenas de livros bem melhores, estes últimos lançamentos da Harlequin sabem sempre a pouco e nem aquecem e nem arrefecem!
February 11, 2022
Creo que el libro tenía un buen argumento, pero no tengo ni la menor idea de lo que paso con el contenido del libro. Los protas casi no tenían química, de la nada se enamoraron.
No esperaba darle 5 estrellas, pero no sentí que se enamoraran. No me agradaron ninguno de los dos protagonistas. Necesité más fuerza por parte de la chica y el tipo se comportó como un idiota. Empezó muy bien, pero después de que se conocieron fue cayendo en picada.
Digamos que el único que me gustó fue el amigo fotógrafo. Fue el único que se salvó.
No esperaba darle 5 estrellas, pero no sentí que se enamoraran. No me agradaron ninguno de los dos protagonistas. Necesité más fuerza por parte de la chica y el tipo se comportó como un idiota. Empezó muy bien, pero después de que se conocieron fue cayendo en picada.
Digamos que el único que me gustó fue el amigo fotógrafo. Fue el único que se salvó.
August 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book.
The characters were well written as Nora always does. I liked the fact that the main female character was so strong yet vulnerable. The main male character did something that made me not like him very much but he redeemed himself.
Definitely a lovely book to curl up with on a cold, wet day.
I would recommend.
The characters were well written as Nora always does. I liked the fact that the main female character was so strong yet vulnerable. The main male character did something that made me not like him very much but he redeemed himself.
Definitely a lovely book to curl up with on a cold, wet day.
I would recommend.
January 1, 2018
One of the most unbelievable love stories I've ever read, and the leading man was a real prick.
I know, I know... it's eighties style dimestore romance, but still! Thank God we've moved past these tropes!
I know, I know... it's eighties style dimestore romance, but still! Thank God we've moved past these tropes!
May 20, 2019
The guy is an asshole.
Stupid guy, even stupider woman. No redeeming qualities in either one. Very disappointing book. Some books should be taken out of circulation. This is one of them.
Stupid guy, even stupider woman. No redeeming qualities in either one. Very disappointing book. Some books should be taken out of circulation. This is one of them.
June 12, 2020
Sexist and annoying. Definitely one of NR's early books.
July 31, 2018
Cant believe i am giving the author of in death a two but......
This was not a sweet romance... I don't understand how the two MC'S fell in love, they have nothing in common and never really spoke about anything other than photo shoots and mountains, think maybe the fact he was a millionaire and she was a model played a big role, Hillary always thought he was off with another woman, i mean ex girlfriend c'mon you don't indulge someone that much if your not still doing something.....
And Brett with Charmaine all the time if your interested in someone else let them know your available... I didn't feel the jealousy in this i just though it was really unrealistic....
On top of that there wasn't really a plot other than a model doing a photo shoot falling in love with the millionaire that hires her, and that's it other than Charmaine nothing happens.
Look the book still has Nora Roberts beautiful writing but after starting the in death series i was really looking forward to this and was disappointed.
I think like most celebrity marriages Bret and Hillary wont go past a year.
This was not a sweet romance... I don't understand how the two MC'S fell in love, they have nothing in common and never really spoke about anything other than photo shoots and mountains, think maybe the fact he was a millionaire and she was a model played a big role, Hillary always thought he was off with another woman, i mean ex girlfriend c'mon you don't indulge someone that much if your not still doing something.....
And Brett with Charmaine all the time if your interested in someone else let them know your available... I didn't feel the jealousy in this i just though it was really unrealistic....
On top of that there wasn't really a plot other than a model doing a photo shoot falling in love with the millionaire that hires her, and that's it other than Charmaine nothing happens.
Look the book still has Nora Roberts beautiful writing but after starting the in death series i was really looking forward to this and was disappointed.
I think like most celebrity marriages Bret and Hillary wont go past a year.
May 28, 2020
Ya venía siendo hora de que retome algún romance.
Es una historia de amor clásica, como leí por ahí se nota el año en que fue escrita, pero no por eso pierde su encanto.
Realmente me encontré disfrutándola muchísimo. Gracias a Nora por hacerme sonreír con esta pareja, la culpare por mis altas expectativas y mis ganas de vivir en la granja de Hillary.
Tienen algunas actitudes que por ahí no me terminan de cerrar pero por lo general me gustó como funcionaron. Amo a Bred, me declaro culpable, pero fue su culpa hasta donde permitió que se extienda el malentendido.
Encontré realmente sencilla la prosa de Nora en esta ocasión. Es un libro de ágil lectura, a diferencia de polos opuestos que me llevo más tiempo. Y sí, muy adictivo.
Bueno, después de todo Nora para mí sigue siendo una apuesta segura cuando de pasar un buen rato se trata.
Es una historia de amor clásica, como leí por ahí se nota el año en que fue escrita, pero no por eso pierde su encanto.
Realmente me encontré disfrutándola muchísimo. Gracias a Nora por hacerme sonreír con esta pareja, la culpare por mis altas expectativas y mis ganas de vivir en la granja de Hillary.
Tienen algunas actitudes que por ahí no me terminan de cerrar pero por lo general me gustó como funcionaron. Amo a Bred, me declaro culpable, pero fue su culpa hasta donde permitió que se extienda el malentendido.
Encontré realmente sencilla la prosa de Nora en esta ocasión. Es un libro de ágil lectura, a diferencia de polos opuestos que me llevo más tiempo. Y sí, muy adictivo.
Bueno, después de todo Nora para mí sigue siendo una apuesta segura cuando de pasar un buen rato se trata.
September 25, 2021
I agree with other reviewers. I am usually a big fan of NR and have read most of her books. However this really felt like it was written by someone else especially as I read it back to back with her newest crime thriller writing as JD Robb. The characters are just flat and the book is seriously dated in feel with several really quite un-politically correct behaviours/comments by the main male character that just wouldn’t pass as okay these days. It seems to have been released in 2013 and recently and so much has changed in that short amount of time it wasn’t a comfortable read.
January 10, 2020
Normally I really enjoy Nora Roberts books, but with this one, not so much! Brent was actually flirting with her while he continued to have his gf! I kept waiting for it to be a mistake or at least make it clear he was breaking up, but nope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2023
My beautiful late nan owned every single one of Nora’s books.
So when she moved in with us for her last few years we spent the time reading our way through every single one together.
Granted they are not the type of books I like to read, but they were still really good and sweet.
April 16, 2021
A girl just can't get along with her new boss.
August 13, 2024
Too strong of a male character, but it's probably just me
May 21, 2017
Dated, which is to be expected since it was published in the early 1980s, but still entertaining. And, best of all, I can take it off my TBR shelves now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews