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Marriage Deal
Ashley had put all thoughts of Jago Marrick behind her three years ago when he disillusioned her so totally about his motives for marrying her. She had grown a hard shell and learned how to fight her own battles in the business world and she was proud of her achievements. But now a problem faced her that she couldn’t conquer and it seemed that Jago was the only man prepared to help her - at a price. Every instinct told Ashley not to trust him. But had she really an alternative?
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
6 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Sara Craven
494 books269 followersAnne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 27, 2021
Sara Craven keeps up the intensity in this second chance novel. There are a lot of great reviews, so I won't go into the plot.
Warning: the heroine broke it off the first time when she shows up at the hero's flat to find him drunk in his bathrobe with a blonde cupcake coming out of the bedroom. We later find out he didn't go through with anything - he was feeling down about the heroine continually rejecting his touch during their engagement. He takes full blame for his misjudgment. From what I can tell, he didn't have anyone in the three years they were apart.
So what I liked:
1. The injustice shown toward the heroine by the board members, the hero, the wanna be OW, the housekeeper, her own father. It was all very intense. I don't mean to say I like injustice, but this heroine suffered at the hands of a lot of people and the hero acknowledges this at the end.
2. The heroine really didn't care how she looked most of the time. She cleans up nice, but her focus was always on work. She really doesn't seem to understand her own attractiveness.
3. The hero said I love you first.
4. The heroine wasn't the least bit interested in the "Robert Redford" look alike and could see through his act easily. She had some good comebacks to him.
Warning: the heroine broke it off the first time when she shows up at the hero's flat to find him drunk in his bathrobe with a blonde cupcake coming out of the bedroom. We later find out he didn't go through with anything - he was feeling down about the heroine continually rejecting his touch during their engagement. He takes full blame for his misjudgment. From what I can tell, he didn't have anyone in the three years they were apart.
So what I liked:
1. The injustice shown toward the heroine by the board members, the hero, the wanna be OW, the housekeeper, her own father. It was all very intense. I don't mean to say I like injustice, but this heroine suffered at the hands of a lot of people and the hero acknowledges this at the end.
2. The heroine really didn't care how she looked most of the time. She cleans up nice, but her focus was always on work. She really doesn't seem to understand her own attractiveness.
3. The hero said I love you first.
4. The heroine wasn't the least bit interested in the "Robert Redford" look alike and could see through his act easily. She had some good comebacks to him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2016
Re The Marriage Deal - SC is back with another MOC story - this one has a 22 yr old h unexpectedly capitulated to Chairman of her father's company and a really quite desperate H named Jago, (a Cornish derivative of James, but it can also mean supplanter in Hebrew,) who will basically do anything to have the h.
The book starts with the h being unexpectedly called back from vacation, her father's company that she now controls is in danger of a hostile takeover. Her father's board members are pretty much hidebound misogynists (as they prove multiple times,) and the h hasn't been pulling off the brilliant financial deals that her father was notorious for.
Just to make things clear, the h is NOT a bad business person, she just doesn't have a lot of experience in managing a big company and her board is giving her a lot of problems. (Plus this is an SC book and in SC's vintage HPlandia, unless an h is a model or a housekeeper, she just isn't going to win in the career stakes - it isn't until many, many years later that an SC h will actually be successful in a career of her own.)
So enter the H, who was once engaged to the h, and he is ready to rescue the family firm by marrying the h and taking over as the company chairman. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but the h broke the engagement three years ago because the H appeared to be marrying her to get the company and because she found him drunk and in bed with another woman. The h had long admired and crushed on the H from afar, but when she turned 19 and was out of boarding school, the H began courting her. She fell head over heels, but the H's attempts at passion scared her to death.
The h was told by her father that men did not want passion in a wife, her school was the old fashioned kind and did not do any type of sex ed either. The h was overwhelmed by her physical response to the H's roofie kisses, but was consistently being told by the mentors in her life that response was wrong. The H wasn't very approachable either, instead of actually talking to the h about her reaction, he berates her and calls her a frigid schoolgirl. Which may have been a bit accurate, but was hardly likely to win him any type of warmer response either.
Throw in the manipulative wife of the H's cousin, who hints rather specifically that the H and her are involved in a bit more that cordial family relations and that the H is marrying the h for her father's company but will be having plenty of cake on the side. The whole engagement is on really shaky ground to begin with - then the h finds the H in flagrante delicto and she wisely sends the engagement ring back by messenger and a note kicking the H out of her life permanently.
Three years on the h needs help and the H is willing to provide it. His cousin has died and he has the family estate, along with the cousin's wife as a permanent resident. The h will have to marry him tho, he wants her body more than anything else and he will save the family firm if that is what it takes to get it.
The h is really desperate, the family business was her father's and grandfather's legacy and she realizes that out of respect for them, she needs to hang on to it if she can. (Although if anyone other than the firm that offered for it had been the potential new owners, I am pretty sure the h would have sold it. She doesn't really like the business of property development and she really doesn't like being courted for what she has rather than who she is.)
So the H and h marry and the board members prove to be suitably disgusting once the H takes over and bans her from her own company's boardroom. (I did speculate a bit on the vagueness of the board members being able to manipulate things so easily. SC doesn't get into detail here, but I am pretty sure the h was probably the majority shareholder, the way her father was indicated that he wouldn't have anything less than a majority holding, it is part of the reason the other firm is trying to drive them into near insolvency. Anyways, that really doesn't matter for the relevance of the love story which is why we are reading this to begin with.) The h is understandably upset by the H's and board member's treatment, but she has some defiant moments of her own.
The H does attempt to lurve her up on the wedding night, but the h is remarkably resistant and the cousin's wife calls and manages to interrupt the proceedings. The h and the OW are still at odds, the OW does her best to insinuate that she and the H are making up for lost time. There is also the creepy housekeeper that the h fires, but the H reverses that decision for reasons unknown. The h decides that since she is being mushroomed into darkness and bull fertilizer, she is going to do a bit of self assertion.
The H does force a seduction the next evening, after she and the H had entertained the rival firm's managing director for dinner - but the h doesn't give into the power of the lurve club and the H seems to be rather chagrined that his awesome boudoir skills did not melt the h into a puddle at his feet. The h decides that she is keeping her own little flat, which the H had dictated had to be sold, and she takes it off the market.
The man she was casually dating before the return of the H shows up and while he is trying to kiss her into a fiery response, the H shows up and doesn't take the embrace very well. The h tells him what is good for the gander is also good for the goose, so he has no reason to complain. This leads to another forced seduction with the h responding this time, but while the H is gloating over his superior weaponry, the h deflates his ego by telling him she was pretending he was someone else.
So the h and H are still rather antagonistic to each other and this is compounded when the h goes to lunch the next day with the obnoxious managing director of the firm who is trying to take over her company and sees the H with the cousin's wife OW and they appear to be celebrating.
The H is furious she is out with the smarmy too charming director and the h is pretty irked he is flaunting his affair. The h manages to get the upper hand with the rival company boy, he thinks he is wooing her into an affair and into handing over her company and she lets the man rattle on for a bit, then tells him off and dumps hollandaise sauce all over him - pretty much humiliating him and ruining his plans of afternoon h seduction.
The h and the H have a few acrimonious words and a boudoir bounce interlude before they go off to a dinner party with the h's company's chief accountant. The h is worried that the H is doing some underhanded dealings with the rival company. Earlier she found the bid tender the company was going to submit out in the open where anyone could read it and steal the figures.
Since the h has noticed some malfeasance with past bid tender figures but has no idear who is doing it, this does't reassure her much. The H keeps saying trust him and looking suitably soulful while saying it, but the h just isn't sure and thoughts of who is responsible for the recent company bid losses are preying on her mind. (Just to prove the h isn't totally all about the wife and domestic engineering bit, SC does give the h attempts to grow as a business person, the whole business development is a bit half-hearted, but again this a love story after all.)
During the course of the evening it comes out that the chief accountant has been selling the bid tender figures to the rival firm. The accountant's daughter had gotten into heroin and to be able to afford the treatment, the guy was selling information and being well paid by the rivals. The h and H accept his resignation and the H made sure that the company would win a the big bid tender by adjusting the figures, so it appears the company is now safe.
Now that the H has managed to save the company and gotten the h into bed, he tells her he is leaving for America and another job. The h is thinking of divorce lawyers and asks the H if he is taking the OW with him. He says he actually hates the OW and managed to buy out her interest in his family's manor house, so she is gone from their lives and the h can now fire the housekeeper and get a dog cause the estate is now all hers.
When the h saw them at lunch, it was to finalize the sale of the OW's share of the house. He also confesses that he loves the h and has always been wild about her but he knows that she doesn't love him and only tolerates him in bed.
He seems very dejected that all of his white knighting did not win him the princess and he admits he really never cared about the company. The h's father was obsessed with it and three years earlier had told the H that the h wouldn't go with him when he told her father that he and the h would be moving to America after they married. The father told the H that the h was only marrying him so that the company would have a successor to take over for her father and the H was so upset he went out and got drunk a picked up a girl and then the h found them after talking to the OW.
The H also explains that he never actually slept with the girl the h found him with, he was too drunk, but he liked the fact that she seemed to actually want him when all the h did was run off screaming after he kissed her.
The h explains that she had a very sheltered existence prior to his roofie kisses and that everyone around her told her that her feelings were wrong and he wasn't interested in listening to her. Nor had he ever told her he loved her and they did not seem to communicate very much in their 6 week relationship cause the OW had the h convinced that they were lovers and the H did not seem to be contradicting that.
That makes the H feel terrible and he then begins a huge grovel in SC terms, ( it goes on for almost a whole page and pretty much makes the book - I warn those grovel addicts tho, that it isn't epic in general terms of groveling - however for an SC book, it HUGE and very apparent that the H is really, really, really sorry and takes the whole blame for messing everything up both earlier and now. )
The h confesses she loves him and doesn't want him to go and the H vows to worship at her feet for the rest of their lives and he is really sorry for not making her feel worshiped the first time they were engaged. The h is good with that and the fact that she can fire Mrs. Danvers the third and get a dog (the H did not want to irritate the OW into not selling her share of the house and that is why the housekeeper had to stay until the sale was done,) so they adjourn to the lurve clubbing for the big HEA.
I liked this one, mainly cause the grovel is pretty big for an SC book, plus the h was outmaneuvered a lot through no fault of her own, but she still did her best to make things go her way. The H had some very infatuated moments and his explanation at the end was good enough to call this one a win - if only in the peculiar exotica of HPlandia.
The book starts with the h being unexpectedly called back from vacation, her father's company that she now controls is in danger of a hostile takeover. Her father's board members are pretty much hidebound misogynists (as they prove multiple times,) and the h hasn't been pulling off the brilliant financial deals that her father was notorious for.
Just to make things clear, the h is NOT a bad business person, she just doesn't have a lot of experience in managing a big company and her board is giving her a lot of problems. (Plus this is an SC book and in SC's vintage HPlandia, unless an h is a model or a housekeeper, she just isn't going to win in the career stakes - it isn't until many, many years later that an SC h will actually be successful in a career of her own.)
So enter the H, who was once engaged to the h, and he is ready to rescue the family firm by marrying the h and taking over as the company chairman. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but the h broke the engagement three years ago because the H appeared to be marrying her to get the company and because she found him drunk and in bed with another woman. The h had long admired and crushed on the H from afar, but when she turned 19 and was out of boarding school, the H began courting her. She fell head over heels, but the H's attempts at passion scared her to death.
The h was told by her father that men did not want passion in a wife, her school was the old fashioned kind and did not do any type of sex ed either. The h was overwhelmed by her physical response to the H's roofie kisses, but was consistently being told by the mentors in her life that response was wrong. The H wasn't very approachable either, instead of actually talking to the h about her reaction, he berates her and calls her a frigid schoolgirl. Which may have been a bit accurate, but was hardly likely to win him any type of warmer response either.
Throw in the manipulative wife of the H's cousin, who hints rather specifically that the H and her are involved in a bit more that cordial family relations and that the H is marrying the h for her father's company but will be having plenty of cake on the side. The whole engagement is on really shaky ground to begin with - then the h finds the H in flagrante delicto and she wisely sends the engagement ring back by messenger and a note kicking the H out of her life permanently.
Three years on the h needs help and the H is willing to provide it. His cousin has died and he has the family estate, along with the cousin's wife as a permanent resident. The h will have to marry him tho, he wants her body more than anything else and he will save the family firm if that is what it takes to get it.
The h is really desperate, the family business was her father's and grandfather's legacy and she realizes that out of respect for them, she needs to hang on to it if she can. (Although if anyone other than the firm that offered for it had been the potential new owners, I am pretty sure the h would have sold it. She doesn't really like the business of property development and she really doesn't like being courted for what she has rather than who she is.)
So the H and h marry and the board members prove to be suitably disgusting once the H takes over and bans her from her own company's boardroom. (I did speculate a bit on the vagueness of the board members being able to manipulate things so easily. SC doesn't get into detail here, but I am pretty sure the h was probably the majority shareholder, the way her father was indicated that he wouldn't have anything less than a majority holding, it is part of the reason the other firm is trying to drive them into near insolvency. Anyways, that really doesn't matter for the relevance of the love story which is why we are reading this to begin with.) The h is understandably upset by the H's and board member's treatment, but she has some defiant moments of her own.
The H does attempt to lurve her up on the wedding night, but the h is remarkably resistant and the cousin's wife calls and manages to interrupt the proceedings. The h and the OW are still at odds, the OW does her best to insinuate that she and the H are making up for lost time. There is also the creepy housekeeper that the h fires, but the H reverses that decision for reasons unknown. The h decides that since she is being mushroomed into darkness and bull fertilizer, she is going to do a bit of self assertion.
The H does force a seduction the next evening, after she and the H had entertained the rival firm's managing director for dinner - but the h doesn't give into the power of the lurve club and the H seems to be rather chagrined that his awesome boudoir skills did not melt the h into a puddle at his feet. The h decides that she is keeping her own little flat, which the H had dictated had to be sold, and she takes it off the market.
The man she was casually dating before the return of the H shows up and while he is trying to kiss her into a fiery response, the H shows up and doesn't take the embrace very well. The h tells him what is good for the gander is also good for the goose, so he has no reason to complain. This leads to another forced seduction with the h responding this time, but while the H is gloating over his superior weaponry, the h deflates his ego by telling him she was pretending he was someone else.
So the h and H are still rather antagonistic to each other and this is compounded when the h goes to lunch the next day with the obnoxious managing director of the firm who is trying to take over her company and sees the H with the cousin's wife OW and they appear to be celebrating.
The H is furious she is out with the smarmy too charming director and the h is pretty irked he is flaunting his affair. The h manages to get the upper hand with the rival company boy, he thinks he is wooing her into an affair and into handing over her company and she lets the man rattle on for a bit, then tells him off and dumps hollandaise sauce all over him - pretty much humiliating him and ruining his plans of afternoon h seduction.
The h and the H have a few acrimonious words and a boudoir bounce interlude before they go off to a dinner party with the h's company's chief accountant. The h is worried that the H is doing some underhanded dealings with the rival company. Earlier she found the bid tender the company was going to submit out in the open where anyone could read it and steal the figures.
Since the h has noticed some malfeasance with past bid tender figures but has no idear who is doing it, this does't reassure her much. The H keeps saying trust him and looking suitably soulful while saying it, but the h just isn't sure and thoughts of who is responsible for the recent company bid losses are preying on her mind. (Just to prove the h isn't totally all about the wife and domestic engineering bit, SC does give the h attempts to grow as a business person, the whole business development is a bit half-hearted, but again this a love story after all.)
During the course of the evening it comes out that the chief accountant has been selling the bid tender figures to the rival firm. The accountant's daughter had gotten into heroin and to be able to afford the treatment, the guy was selling information and being well paid by the rivals. The h and H accept his resignation and the H made sure that the company would win a the big bid tender by adjusting the figures, so it appears the company is now safe.
Now that the H has managed to save the company and gotten the h into bed, he tells her he is leaving for America and another job. The h is thinking of divorce lawyers and asks the H if he is taking the OW with him. He says he actually hates the OW and managed to buy out her interest in his family's manor house, so she is gone from their lives and the h can now fire the housekeeper and get a dog cause the estate is now all hers.
When the h saw them at lunch, it was to finalize the sale of the OW's share of the house. He also confesses that he loves the h and has always been wild about her but he knows that she doesn't love him and only tolerates him in bed.
He seems very dejected that all of his white knighting did not win him the princess and he admits he really never cared about the company. The h's father was obsessed with it and three years earlier had told the H that the h wouldn't go with him when he told her father that he and the h would be moving to America after they married. The father told the H that the h was only marrying him so that the company would have a successor to take over for her father and the H was so upset he went out and got drunk a picked up a girl and then the h found them after talking to the OW.
The H also explains that he never actually slept with the girl the h found him with, he was too drunk, but he liked the fact that she seemed to actually want him when all the h did was run off screaming after he kissed her.
The h explains that she had a very sheltered existence prior to his roofie kisses and that everyone around her told her that her feelings were wrong and he wasn't interested in listening to her. Nor had he ever told her he loved her and they did not seem to communicate very much in their 6 week relationship cause the OW had the h convinced that they were lovers and the H did not seem to be contradicting that.
That makes the H feel terrible and he then begins a huge grovel in SC terms, ( it goes on for almost a whole page and pretty much makes the book - I warn those grovel addicts tho, that it isn't epic in general terms of groveling - however for an SC book, it HUGE and very apparent that the H is really, really, really sorry and takes the whole blame for messing everything up both earlier and now. )
The h confesses she loves him and doesn't want him to go and the H vows to worship at her feet for the rest of their lives and he is really sorry for not making her feel worshiped the first time they were engaged. The h is good with that and the fact that she can fire Mrs. Danvers the third and get a dog (the H did not want to irritate the OW into not selling her share of the house and that is why the housekeeper had to stay until the sale was done,) so they adjourn to the lurve clubbing for the big HEA.
I liked this one, mainly cause the grovel is pretty big for an SC book, plus the h was outmaneuvered a lot through no fault of her own, but she still did her best to make things go her way. The H had some very infatuated moments and his explanation at the end was good enough to call this one a win - if only in the peculiar exotica of HPlandia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
avoid
August 25, 2017I don't particularly care if he ACTUALLY went through with the act of cheating or not, but he picked up a random woman to have sex because he wasn't getting any from his fiancée. He didn't go through with it NOT because of morals but because he was TOO DRUNK to do anything meaning if he was sober he would have completed the job and this is while engaged to the h.
This is black and white cheating to me.
This is black and white cheating to me.
January 1, 2022
I'm on a huge "SC" train ride as 2021 closes.
This one is not horrible but geez these two left a lot to be desired. I also didn't like the whole "They won't let me be the head of this company because I am a woman" and the hero having to step in and save the day.
Dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars - for just okay. Original review below.
___________________________________
This is a MOC where the heroine marries hero because her board lacks trust in her as a female CEO. It seems she needs the hero and his reputation in business to stop a takeover attempt. I can't really blame the board for not trusting her, because when it came to business she was definitely dumb as rocks. Come to think of it, she wasn't exactly a "brain surgeon" when it came to personal relationships either. She and hero had been engaged three years ago, but she broke off the engagement when she found him in the sack with another woman two weeks before the wedding. (This was no mistake. He really took the woman back to his apartment with the intent to screw her, except the heroine interrupted him when she knocked on the door) She throws the ring back at him and the next time she sees him is when he offers a MOC to save her company. She agrees to the MOC because he promises no bedroom action. (Liar)
This one is not horrible but geez these two left a lot to be desired. I also didn't like the whole "They won't let me be the head of this company because I am a woman" and the hero having to step in and save the day.
Dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars - for just okay. Original review below.
___________________________________
This is a MOC where the heroine marries hero because her board lacks trust in her as a female CEO. It seems she needs the hero and his reputation in business to stop a takeover attempt. I can't really blame the board for not trusting her, because when it came to business she was definitely dumb as rocks. Come to think of it, she wasn't exactly a "brain surgeon" when it came to personal relationships either. She and hero had been engaged three years ago, but she broke off the engagement when she found him in the sack with another woman two weeks before the wedding. (This was no mistake. He really took the woman back to his apartment with the intent to screw her, except the heroine interrupted him when she knocked on the door) She throws the ring back at him and the next time she sees him is when he offers a MOC to save her company. She agrees to the MOC because he promises no bedroom action. (Liar)
November 19, 2013
4.5 stars
Wow! This one was a rush! Loved every angsty minute of it. A serious angry, cheater story where the heroine, Ashley, catches the hero, Jago, with his pants down mere days/weeks before the nuptials. Oh, but there is always more than one side to a story.
The story starts in the present with the heroine coming home early from a vacation to find out that the company she inherited was in danger of being taken over by a rival. If that wasn't bad enough, she finds out the same day that the H has just returned after a 3 year stint in the states and would be here to snicker at her predicament. If she had married the H, as her daddy had planned (H was daddy’s good buddy), the company would’ve had a big, strong, manly man at the helm and they would never have found themselves in such a mess. But alas...
In flashbacks, we get the h’s POV of how her 17 year old self was paralyzed by fear whenever the H so much as picked lint off her sweater, which led to her to freeze our studly stud out in the cold despite his trembling assurances that he would never hurt her. Feh! Men and their assurances. Besides, Daddy had always warned her how men wanted pure wives, willing to do their duty but with no sexual urges. She would have surely combusted and flew into a million pieces if the H had so much as sniffed her panties, so no doing buddy.
After one particular frosty episode, the H disappears from the face of the earth, so she goes on a manhunt to find out what’s what. She heads over to the H’s cousin’s home (that the H will inherit) and talks to his evil and malicious wife who was more than willing to tell her that good buddy, Jago, is only marrying her in order to get a stake in the company and that he’s out dogging it before he gets strapped into a marriage he would as soon do without. Sounds reasonable. Of course, she sets off in a tizzy to the H’s love nest and, indeed, finds him inebriated and in the company of a naked and amorous lady friend. Wow! Just…wow! Very intense scene.
Understandably, the h wants nothing more to do with him…and she doesn’t. But of course, long story short, she ends up having to marry him in order to save her company. The story then delves into this back and forth between the H & h where he tries to crack her frigid shell and she works desperately to not let him in. This in turn earns her some verbal smack downs for being an ice princess to which she responds, nah, it's just him. I was quite impressed with her power to overcome the standard touch and melt syndrome. To reinforce her shield, she lets him know just how low she thinks he is and how she wouldn’t allow him to touch her with someone else’s ten foot pole. She’s bolstered along with snide comments from the evil OW, whose husband, the cousin, has since croaked, leaving her hot on the H’s trail. The H does nothing alter the conception that the H and the OW have been having a hawt and heavy affair. He almost encourages it actually.
About two-thirds of the way in, the H finally has his wicked way, but has to endure Siberia for the privilege. But once he got an in, it was all downhill for his little friend from there on out. But it’s not the end of the angst or the h’s determination to maintain as much emotional distance despite her realizations that, gasp! she was still in love with the H! Yes, I was surprised too.
Finally, Finally! At almost the end, all those loose ends that you could actually pick up on throughout the story get tied together. The threat to the company is extinguished and we get the heartfelt confession of how much in love the H had been with the h but was just destroyed by her indifference and icy ways. The night of the big uh oh I totally got it and actually understood where the H was coming from at the get-go. So unless you’re of the opinion that there’s only one side, her side, then you can find yourself forgiving the H pretty easily. He was indeed nasty, but she let him have it with both barrels herself. It was great!
Definitely one of the better angry, angsty, alphahole, cheater stories with a legitimate HEA. My opinion, of course.
Wow! This one was a rush! Loved every angsty minute of it. A serious angry, cheater story where the heroine, Ashley, catches the hero, Jago, with his pants down mere days/weeks before the nuptials. Oh, but there is always more than one side to a story.
The story starts in the present with the heroine coming home early from a vacation to find out that the company she inherited was in danger of being taken over by a rival. If that wasn't bad enough, she finds out the same day that the H has just returned after a 3 year stint in the states and would be here to snicker at her predicament. If she had married the H, as her daddy had planned (H was daddy’s good buddy), the company would’ve had a big, strong, manly man at the helm and they would never have found themselves in such a mess. But alas...
In flashbacks, we get the h’s POV of how her 17 year old self was paralyzed by fear whenever the H so much as picked lint off her sweater, which led to her to freeze our studly stud out in the cold despite his trembling assurances that he would never hurt her. Feh! Men and their assurances. Besides, Daddy had always warned her how men wanted pure wives, willing to do their duty but with no sexual urges. She would have surely combusted and flew into a million pieces if the H had so much as sniffed her panties, so no doing buddy.
After one particular frosty episode, the H disappears from the face of the earth, so she goes on a manhunt to find out what’s what. She heads over to the H’s cousin’s home (that the H will inherit) and talks to his evil and malicious wife who was more than willing to tell her that good buddy, Jago, is only marrying her in order to get a stake in the company and that he’s out dogging it before he gets strapped into a marriage he would as soon do without. Sounds reasonable. Of course, she sets off in a tizzy to the H’s love nest and, indeed, finds him inebriated and in the company of a naked and amorous lady friend. Wow! Just…wow! Very intense scene.
Understandably, the h wants nothing more to do with him…and she doesn’t. But of course, long story short, she ends up having to marry him in order to save her company. The story then delves into this back and forth between the H & h where he tries to crack her frigid shell and she works desperately to not let him in. This in turn earns her some verbal smack downs for being an ice princess to which she responds, nah, it's just him. I was quite impressed with her power to overcome the standard touch and melt syndrome. To reinforce her shield, she lets him know just how low she thinks he is and how she wouldn’t allow him to touch her with someone else’s ten foot pole. She’s bolstered along with snide comments from the evil OW, whose husband, the cousin, has since croaked, leaving her hot on the H’s trail. The H does nothing alter the conception that the H and the OW have been having a hawt and heavy affair. He almost encourages it actually.
About two-thirds of the way in, the H finally has his wicked way, but has to endure Siberia for the privilege. But once he got an in, it was all downhill for his little friend from there on out. But it’s not the end of the angst or the h’s determination to maintain as much emotional distance despite her realizations that, gasp! she was still in love with the H! Yes, I was surprised too.
Finally, Finally! At almost the end, all those loose ends that you could actually pick up on throughout the story get tied together. The threat to the company is extinguished and we get the heartfelt confession of how much in love the H had been with the h but was just destroyed by her indifference and icy ways. The night of the big uh oh I totally got it and actually understood where the H was coming from at the get-go. So unless you’re of the opinion that there’s only one side, her side, then you can find yourself forgiving the H pretty easily. He was indeed nasty, but she let him have it with both barrels herself. It was great!
Definitely one of the better angry, angsty, alphahole, cheater stories with a legitimate HEA. My opinion, of course.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2014
I hesitated on the rating between a 3 and 4. My issue is that it's so similar to two other (more recent) Sara Craven books I've read. However, I'm giving this a 4 since it was older and therefore the more recent ones can be considered the copycats.
The bare bones of this plot can be applied to at least 3 of her novels. This one, The Innocent's Surrender, and The Forced Bride.
The 'bare bones' recycled plot is.
It's not a plot I hate, I guess I just need to spread out my consumption of her novels so I don't feel so much deja vu.
This one did have a lot of tension around a woman's place in the workplace and at times I was furious for the h. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't please the men who were on the board of her dead father's company. I've had some of those 'pat her on the head, isn't she so cute' moments before and ARGH!!! I can only imagine what it was like 25+ years ago when this was written.
I was very aggravated with the H for much of the book because I felt he was really being unfair to the h, when the reason they'd broke their engagement 3 years before is because she found him in bed with another woman, then mailed back his engagement ring and told him to leave her alone. Who could blame her? Of course, there were more misunderstandings going on that we didn't learn about until the end that made his actions/reactions more clear.
The bare bones of this plot can be applied to at least 3 of her novels. This one, The Innocent's Surrender, and The Forced Bride.
The 'bare bones' recycled plot is.
It's not a plot I hate, I guess I just need to spread out my consumption of her novels so I don't feel so much deja vu.
This one did have a lot of tension around a woman's place in the workplace and at times I was furious for the h. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't please the men who were on the board of her dead father's company. I've had some of those 'pat her on the head, isn't she so cute' moments before and ARGH!!! I can only imagine what it was like 25+ years ago when this was written.
I was very aggravated with the H for much of the book because I felt he was really being unfair to the h, when the reason they'd broke their engagement 3 years before is because she found him in bed with another woman, then mailed back his engagement ring and told him to leave her alone. Who could blame her? Of course, there were more misunderstandings going on that we didn't learn about until the end that made his actions/reactions more clear.
August 29, 2021
The first romance I ever read, clandestinely, at a beach house. Who knew the journey it would send me on... god bless Jago & his inability to use his big boy words
February 21, 2014
Cheaters, hateful characters.
July 5, 2018
2 and a 1/2 stars rounded to 3. This book featured an ice princess h and a (supposedly) cold hearted and ambitious H trying to get together against the backdrop of some very dirty office politics. The angst was there, but their chemistry wasn't all I hoped it would be and their HEA wasn't very believable either. However, SC's writing style always wins me over, so I managed to overlook most of the flaws in the story. But would I recommend it? probably not.
December 12, 2025
“The Marriage Deal” is the story of Ashley and Jago.
Well, this was frustrating.
Heroine breaks up with her fiancé when she catches him cheating. Three years later, her company is in trouble and the said ex fiancé self inserts himself into her life.
From coercing her into marriage, and then into bed, making her give up her apartment, trashing her autonomy, kicking her out of her own company, partaking in chauvinistic banters, supporting evil ow and housekeeper against the heroine- and the dubcon sex- the hero was a piece of garbage who did nothing right. I don’t care about his climactic confession - the fact that he did take ow home is pure trash. The heroine was a so called “independent” woman- in reality she was a spineless woe is me- doormat- she really frustrated me and what also angered me is that she won zero fights.
The only reason this isn’t a one star is because the ending was a bit unexpected but I didn’t like either of the MCs
Unsafe
1.5/5
Well, this was frustrating.
Heroine breaks up with her fiancé when she catches him cheating. Three years later, her company is in trouble and the said ex fiancé self inserts himself into her life.
From coercing her into marriage, and then into bed, making her give up her apartment, trashing her autonomy, kicking her out of her own company, partaking in chauvinistic banters, supporting evil ow and housekeeper against the heroine- and the dubcon sex- the hero was a piece of garbage who did nothing right. I don’t care about his climactic confession - the fact that he did take ow home is pure trash. The heroine was a so called “independent” woman- in reality she was a spineless woe is me- doormat- she really frustrated me and what also angered me is that she won zero fights.
The only reason this isn’t a one star is because the ending was a bit unexpected but I didn’t like either of the MCs
Unsafe
1.5/5
April 10, 2023
Τι δυναμίτης ήταν αυτός!Συναισθηματική φόρτιση στο full!!
Με κράτησε στην τσίτα από την πρώτη σελίδα!
Η ηρωίδα είχε μια μοναδική προσωπικότητα .
Πάγος έξω - φωτιά μέσα, ήταν πολύ περήφανη για να δείξει οποιοδήποτε συναίσθημα. Τρομακτικό αν αναλογιστείς ότι μπόρεσε να διατηρήσει τόση συναισθηματική απόσταση ακόμη και στις έντονες ερωτικές στιγμές τους!
Ηταν κυρία του εαυτού της, άσχετα αν μέσα της ούρλιαζαν τα πάντα...
Παντα, όμως μα πάντα, σε κάθε ιστορία το νόμισμα έχει δυο όψεις...
ΦΑΝΤΑΣΤΙΚΟ!!!
Με κράτησε στην τσίτα από την πρώτη σελίδα!
Η ηρωίδα είχε μια μοναδική προσωπικότητα .
Πάγος έξω - φωτιά μέσα, ήταν πολύ περήφανη για να δείξει οποιοδήποτε συναίσθημα. Τρομακτικό αν αναλογιστείς ότι μπόρεσε να διατηρήσει τόση συναισθηματική απόσταση ακόμη και στις έντονες ερωτικές στιγμές τους!
Ηταν κυρία του εαυτού της, άσχετα αν μέσα της ούρλιαζαν τα πάντα...
Παντα, όμως μα πάντα, σε κάθε ιστορία το νόμισμα έχει δυο όψεις...
ΦΑΝΤΑΣΤΙΚΟ!!!
April 17, 2018
I have some very mixed feelings about this. It was very emotionally intense, so much so that I needed to something else to calm down, but at the same time, it made me squirm sometimes. Ashley was a very innocent, repressed young lady who had been told by those she trusted that modern men didn't want their women to be anything but pure, so she always felt that she was abnormal when her fiance, Jago, would set her on fire. Jago had no idea what was going on and rather than talk to her or reassure her tried to force the issue.
Not much has been said about the woman Jago picked up in a bar after Ashley ran away from him. Some excuse him by saying that "nothing happened". However, the only reason why "nothing happened" was that he was so drunk he passed out. If he hadn't, he would have been- and tried to be- unfaithful to Ashley.
After they were married, Jago still didn't try to take care of her feelings, making it seem as if the marriage was all about 1) the business and 2) getting physical with his wife- no emotions involved. That is *not* the way to reassure your wife that she is important to you.
The "grovel" was good and I'm glad he said "ILY" first, but I never would have known it through his actions, especially when he was making her feel inferior as a woman, wife and business person.
The writing *was* good and it kept me involved all the way through, but I wish there had been some sign earlier that Jago had cared for Ashley.
Not much has been said about the woman Jago picked up in a bar after Ashley ran away from him. Some excuse him by saying that "nothing happened". However, the only reason why "nothing happened" was that he was so drunk he passed out. If he hadn't, he would have been- and tried to be- unfaithful to Ashley.
After they were married, Jago still didn't try to take care of her feelings, making it seem as if the marriage was all about 1) the business and 2) getting physical with his wife- no emotions involved. That is *not* the way to reassure your wife that she is important to you.
The "grovel" was good and I'm glad he said "ILY" first, but I never would have known it through his actions, especially when he was making her feel inferior as a woman, wife and business person.
The writing *was* good and it kept me involved all the way through, but I wish there had been some sign earlier that Jago had cared for Ashley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2022
I have started the New Year revisiting some of my favorite vintage authors. Another satisfying read by Sara Craven. SC knows how to create some ott in love heroes(with some dubious morals.)
The hero and heroine both love each other. IN fact, they have loved each other since they first met. However, neither one of them bothered to tell the other one that they loved each other. This allowed the pot stirrers time to stir, stir, and stir.
Before I go into spoilers, let me address the elephant in the room.
(Any excuse to post an elephant!)
The cheating…..It’s not what you think. I actually felt bad (i know) for the hero. I will explain that in the spoilers. So without further ado….Here comes the spoilers:
The hero and heroine both love each other. IN fact, they have loved each other since they first met. However, neither one of them bothered to tell the other one that they loved each other. This allowed the pot stirrers time to stir, stir, and stir.
Before I go into spoilers, let me address the elephant in the room. (Any excuse to post an elephant!)
The cheating…..It’s not what you think. I actually felt bad (i know) for the hero. I will explain that in the spoilers. So without further ado….Here comes the spoilers:
July 13, 2021
3.25 ⭐
February 20, 2021
A little too much bickering and verbal sparring for my tastes, but it was an okay read, though. Perfect for a sluggish afternoon.
August 29, 2018
There is almost everything in this book that i love in HPlandia : Angst, blackmail, naive and virgin heroine, arrogant and jealous hero, forced seduction, evil OW and OM.
April 27, 2018
Except for the HEA in the last few pages, the guy and the girl are engaged in a mutual torture fest !! They are for ever sniping, yelling hurtful words.
He calls her frigid but goes on forcing his advances on her, without figuring out what's troubling her. She calls him a two timing #$@#$!! but continues to accept his presence in her life and bed.
All in the name of - "I have always been madly in love with you, dint you know" !!
The story is something about the girl's daddy finding him a suitable successor to his business empire, and getting him engaged to his daughter. And the girl thinks hero is only after the business, not her.
She breaks the engagement as her worst fears come true, apparently. Cut to 3 years later.
Trouble in the business brings him back in picture. The girl is managing after daddy died. But obviously you need a strong male hand for these things !! So enter the hero, and the company is back in business. Of course a marriage of convenience being the condition.
I couldn't relate to their characters much. He was too sexually aggressive. She was supposedly a strong career woman, but in effect was just a prop and a door mat.
He calls her frigid but goes on forcing his advances on her, without figuring out what's troubling her. She calls him a two timing #$@#$!! but continues to accept his presence in her life and bed.
All in the name of - "I have always been madly in love with you, dint you know" !!
The story is something about the girl's daddy finding him a suitable successor to his business empire, and getting him engaged to his daughter. And the girl thinks hero is only after the business, not her.
She breaks the engagement as her worst fears come true, apparently. Cut to 3 years later.
Trouble in the business brings him back in picture. The girl is managing after daddy died. But obviously you need a strong male hand for these things !! So enter the hero, and the company is back in business. Of course a marriage of convenience being the condition.
I couldn't relate to their characters much. He was too sexually aggressive. She was supposedly a strong career woman, but in effect was just a prop and a door mat.
June 30, 2021
DNF 80%: pet peeve
Frigid, weak, boring, dawdy plain Jane h. She doesn’t care about her out outfits, she always looks a mess. This girls so bitter that even when the H blackmails her into bed, continues to think of bad thoughts so she wouldn’t respond and remain rigid. This book is just so negative and cringy,
Cheating H only seems to be after beautiful, leggy blondes while the dull h is a brunette. Her childish personality doesn’t help to create a sense of attraction between the MCs. The Author failed to show me why he would be attracted, maybe he’s attracted to a 22 yr old trying to play a ceo of a huge company? She’s basically telling us that they’re attracted instead of showing why they love or are attracted…. 🙄
Quite honestly, if I were the H I would also cheat on someone this unexciting and cold … 🙄. Even her recent boyfriend seems uninterested in the h….
Frigid, weak, boring, dawdy plain Jane h. She doesn’t care about her out outfits, she always looks a mess. This girls so bitter that even when the H blackmails her into bed, continues to think of bad thoughts so she wouldn’t respond and remain rigid. This book is just so negative and cringy,
Cheating H only seems to be after beautiful, leggy blondes while the dull h is a brunette. Her childish personality doesn’t help to create a sense of attraction between the MCs. The Author failed to show me why he would be attracted, maybe he’s attracted to a 22 yr old trying to play a ceo of a huge company? She’s basically telling us that they’re attracted instead of showing why they love or are attracted…. 🙄
Quite honestly, if I were the H I would also cheat on someone this unexciting and cold … 🙄. Even her recent boyfriend seems uninterested in the h….
November 24, 2013
My review is here: The Marriage Deal
December 22, 2020
The reason we love Sara Craven!
December 29, 2021
The H and h were engaged to be married a few years before. She broke off the engagement because she caught him in his appartment with another woman.
I wondered why a Sara Craven HP h has dark hair. Sara Craven always has very thin, blonde h’s. Then I saw why. This book was published in 1986. Apparently in the early days she did have variety in her h’s. It’s a shame she now always goes for the standard blonde, thin h.
Anyway, I liked this a lot. He made a mistake by cheating on her. From the beginning of the book it is clear he loves her and he wants her back.
His methods to get her into bed with him are harsh, he is not always nice to her and his former (almost) cheating is a big no-no, but somehow, overall, strange as it is: I do believe in his love for her.
I wondered why a Sara Craven HP h has dark hair. Sara Craven always has very thin, blonde h’s. Then I saw why. This book was published in 1986. Apparently in the early days she did have variety in her h’s. It’s a shame she now always goes for the standard blonde, thin h.
Anyway, I liked this a lot. He made a mistake by cheating on her. From the beginning of the book it is clear he loves her and he wants her back.
His methods to get her into bed with him are harsh, he is not always nice to her and his former (almost) cheating is a big no-no, but somehow, overall, strange as it is: I do believe in his love for her.
November 23, 2015
In typical Sara Craven form, the H is a major a-hole, a loveable one nonetheless but still an a-hole.
If you don’t like a forceful H, who would not take no for an answer when it comes to the sex, then this book is not for you. Because yes –spoiler alert- he forces her. I won’t call it book rape, because she doesn’t really fight it. And in her case it is more or less the lady doth protests too much, me thinks.
Personal pros:
I like Jago, I can tell he loves the heroine, he’s an Alpha, just like I like my males.
Perosnal cons:
Heroine is childish, and 3 years did not make her grow up. I’m not sure I liked her very much. She is so weak sometimes, like the ex kiss got on my nerves, if you don’t want it just say no, why let him take liberties you don’t want. We get that you are submissive, but choose who dominates you. A heroine should only be submissive to the one she gave her heart to.
I liked the ending but I thought the separation reasons were too flimsy. Those 2 apparently never talked.
The whole atmosphere of the male- controlled business and the way the female was treated was annoying. As a working girl I felt offended, I know this was in 1986 but still, my mom worked and males in the work place did not treat her this way.
Overall, I liked it and enjoyed it. I like Sara Craven, I like the virgin/Alpha trop, it is why I read Harlequin, so no complaints here, I just wish sometimes her heroes would be more developed, with a voice of their own. A bit like Michelle Reid. That been said I give this book a solid 4 stars because even though some parts annoyed me it was still a very enjoyable read.
If you don’t like a forceful H, who would not take no for an answer when it comes to the sex, then this book is not for you. Because yes –spoiler alert- he forces her. I won’t call it book rape, because she doesn’t really fight it. And in her case it is more or less the lady doth protests too much, me thinks.
Personal pros:
I like Jago, I can tell he loves the heroine, he’s an Alpha, just like I like my males.
Perosnal cons:
Heroine is childish, and 3 years did not make her grow up. I’m not sure I liked her very much. She is so weak sometimes, like the ex kiss got on my nerves, if you don’t want it just say no, why let him take liberties you don’t want. We get that you are submissive, but choose who dominates you. A heroine should only be submissive to the one she gave her heart to.
I liked the ending but I thought the separation reasons were too flimsy. Those 2 apparently never talked.
The whole atmosphere of the male- controlled business and the way the female was treated was annoying. As a working girl I felt offended, I know this was in 1986 but still, my mom worked and males in the work place did not treat her this way.
Overall, I liked it and enjoyed it. I like Sara Craven, I like the virgin/Alpha trop, it is why I read Harlequin, so no complaints here, I just wish sometimes her heroes would be more developed, with a voice of their own. A bit like Michelle Reid. That been said I give this book a solid 4 stars because even though some parts annoyed me it was still a very enjoyable read.
July 21, 2016
it was a gud enough read but ashley's pettiness n childishness was hard 2 get over. it was obvious 2 a blind man dat jago was besotted wid her ! but she was too busy being jealous of erica's blond beauty n being insecure. now come 2 dat, it was entirely jago's fault. after all, she did catch him on the point of fucking another woman 3 years ago. ok we later learned he did not do it, fell unconscious b4 being able 2 fuck her lol:P sry but dats disgusting, dats the kind of adultery i can't condone. he did not give her a chance, just bcoz silas told him ashley was marrying him 4 the company's betterment n he wud talk 2 her abt doing her duty in the marital bed, he had 2 go 2 the nearest bar n pick up some tart !? he wanted some easy n cheap fucking !? why !? as compensation !? the heroine was inexperienced, not sexually aware. when she met jago, she began 2 feel sexual, it disturbed her due 2 her background n morals. jago was much more experienced, an experienced man of the world. surely he cud have guessed dat she was confused n needed more time 4 sex ! or he cud have cleared the air wid her instead of acting like some rampant teenager in the 1st throes of passion !!
November 26, 2025
Well, I've read worse, but I've sure as heck read better! There were things about the H and h that really bugged me, but in his story most of my anger was for the secondary characters.
Let's start with the villain of the story, the rival company who wants to take over the h's family business, by any means. He's not hiding the fact, nor is he hiding his attraction to the h, despite the marriage to the H (since most are aware it's a business arrangement), and makes it clear during a business lunch that he wouldn't mind getting naked with her. I think her dumping half her lunch on him gave him more than a hint of her own feelings about that!
Then there's the OM, who the h had been casually dating before the H came back into her life. She made it clear they were just friends but he (despite him still being hung up on his ex-wife) nonetheless gets butt hurt when he finds out she got married and decides to force kisses on her and grope her breasts! This "nice guy" showed his true colors! (It's too bad the H walked in before the h had a chance to kick the OM where it hurts the most, as she was planning to do!)
There's the OW, in the same league as he OM, as she won't take the hint that the H is not interested and has the nerve to be coming onto him when her husband (the H's cousin) only recently passed away! She also causes trouble by giving the h unwanted advice, the kind that's really telling her to "get lost, he's mine"! She still acts like the lady of the manor, even though the H and h are now living there. And that housekeeper is a real bitch!
But the worst of all was the former business partner of the h's late father, someone she thought of as an uncle, who almost destroyed the company by indulging in corporate espionage, in order to pay for his addict daughter's rehab, without having to involve his wife! This jerk wanted to protect her and keep her illusions alive that they had the perfect family. What a load of poop! That was her daughter too and she had the right to know what was going on and be a part of her rehab, not have everything hidden from her as if she were a child! She was stronger than he thought and if he had confided in her he could have taken out a legitimate loan to pay for the rehab center, instead of resulting to illegal activities to get paid by the rival creep, just so he could keep his wife in the dark. Meanwhile, he wrecked his relationship with the h and took advantage of her trust in him, as well as nearly messing up all the good the H had done when he took over as CEO. This guy deserved a whole bunch of butt kicks, and the H and h and his wife should have taken turns at it!
And before readers start whining that the board of directors resented the h being in charge because she's a woman, keep in mind her age, which was the main factor! She was only 22 and no one that age has any business being a company CEO! True, until she married the H, she had no choice (her dad's rule was a family member had to be in charge) but nonetheless, she didn't have the business acumen at that age to be heading the company. If she were 32 it would be a different story, but no one in their 20's should be in charge of a major company! The board wouldn't have wanted a 22-year-old guy in charge, either.
However, once the H took charge he could have treated her better, instead of keeping her on the outside of too many things. It was, after all, her father's company and her legacy! And his excuse that he suspected her "uncle" of wrongdoing and didn't want her to know until he had proof doesn't cut it. He still should have told her, even if she disagreed, he'd at least be giving her the chance to have some input. Shutting her out was wrong!
So was his not realizing three years ago that, at 19, she wasn't ready to marry him, she had quite a few hangups about sex. mostly thinking she was supposed to be ladylike and not feel anything. (Her father drummed this into her head; maybe he just didn't like the idea of his daughter having sex with a man?) That being the case, she couldn't handle her response to the H, which he misunderstood as not wanting him and that, combined with talking to her father (who may have been great at business but was a dim bulb when it came to people) and being told the marriage would be just a business deal) convinced the H she was only marrying him for the good of the company or she wouldn't consider it, and this made him turn to another woman in drunk self-pity. The h found them together and ended the engagement, covering her broken heart with ice and throwing herself into work for the next three years.
Turns out he was too drunk to get it up and tried to talk to the h, but she sent back her engagement ring and then pride got in the way.
Meanwhile, the h had listened to some (snarky, crappy) advice from the OW, and that didn't help matters, but since she was only 19 that can be excused. The H, however, was older and sophisticated, but apparently no wiser, if he took what the h's dad said at face value instead of talking to the h himself.
The misunderstandings continue when they marry, and the H soon goes back on their bargain by demanding his conjugal rights (like it or not, she's getting naked) and she at first reciprocates by acting like she's made of marble but soon she can't keep up that act and the sex gets HOT, but he's determined to act like he doesn't care beyond the sex, so she hides her true feelings, and on and on it goes.
And then it's all resolved way too fast, and it's HEA and very abrupt. They both say all the things they should have said three years ago all in a minute or two. All the confusion about the OM and OW is cleared up, as well. Everything just falls into place. That was a letdown and not written very well.
This book can be skipped without feeling like you missed anything much.
Let's start with the villain of the story, the rival company who wants to take over the h's family business, by any means. He's not hiding the fact, nor is he hiding his attraction to the h, despite the marriage to the H (since most are aware it's a business arrangement), and makes it clear during a business lunch that he wouldn't mind getting naked with her. I think her dumping half her lunch on him gave him more than a hint of her own feelings about that!
Then there's the OM, who the h had been casually dating before the H came back into her life. She made it clear they were just friends but he (despite him still being hung up on his ex-wife) nonetheless gets butt hurt when he finds out she got married and decides to force kisses on her and grope her breasts! This "nice guy" showed his true colors! (It's too bad the H walked in before the h had a chance to kick the OM where it hurts the most, as she was planning to do!)
There's the OW, in the same league as he OM, as she won't take the hint that the H is not interested and has the nerve to be coming onto him when her husband (the H's cousin) only recently passed away! She also causes trouble by giving the h unwanted advice, the kind that's really telling her to "get lost, he's mine"! She still acts like the lady of the manor, even though the H and h are now living there. And that housekeeper is a real bitch!
But the worst of all was the former business partner of the h's late father, someone she thought of as an uncle, who almost destroyed the company by indulging in corporate espionage, in order to pay for his addict daughter's rehab, without having to involve his wife! This jerk wanted to protect her and keep her illusions alive that they had the perfect family. What a load of poop! That was her daughter too and she had the right to know what was going on and be a part of her rehab, not have everything hidden from her as if she were a child! She was stronger than he thought and if he had confided in her he could have taken out a legitimate loan to pay for the rehab center, instead of resulting to illegal activities to get paid by the rival creep, just so he could keep his wife in the dark. Meanwhile, he wrecked his relationship with the h and took advantage of her trust in him, as well as nearly messing up all the good the H had done when he took over as CEO. This guy deserved a whole bunch of butt kicks, and the H and h and his wife should have taken turns at it!
And before readers start whining that the board of directors resented the h being in charge because she's a woman, keep in mind her age, which was the main factor! She was only 22 and no one that age has any business being a company CEO! True, until she married the H, she had no choice (her dad's rule was a family member had to be in charge) but nonetheless, she didn't have the business acumen at that age to be heading the company. If she were 32 it would be a different story, but no one in their 20's should be in charge of a major company! The board wouldn't have wanted a 22-year-old guy in charge, either.
However, once the H took charge he could have treated her better, instead of keeping her on the outside of too many things. It was, after all, her father's company and her legacy! And his excuse that he suspected her "uncle" of wrongdoing and didn't want her to know until he had proof doesn't cut it. He still should have told her, even if she disagreed, he'd at least be giving her the chance to have some input. Shutting her out was wrong!
So was his not realizing three years ago that, at 19, she wasn't ready to marry him, she had quite a few hangups about sex. mostly thinking she was supposed to be ladylike and not feel anything. (Her father drummed this into her head; maybe he just didn't like the idea of his daughter having sex with a man?) That being the case, she couldn't handle her response to the H, which he misunderstood as not wanting him and that, combined with talking to her father (who may have been great at business but was a dim bulb when it came to people) and being told the marriage would be just a business deal) convinced the H she was only marrying him for the good of the company or she wouldn't consider it, and this made him turn to another woman in drunk self-pity. The h found them together and ended the engagement, covering her broken heart with ice and throwing herself into work for the next three years.
Turns out he was too drunk to get it up and tried to talk to the h, but she sent back her engagement ring and then pride got in the way.
Meanwhile, the h had listened to some (snarky, crappy) advice from the OW, and that didn't help matters, but since she was only 19 that can be excused. The H, however, was older and sophisticated, but apparently no wiser, if he took what the h's dad said at face value instead of talking to the h himself.
The misunderstandings continue when they marry, and the H soon goes back on their bargain by demanding his conjugal rights (like it or not, she's getting naked) and she at first reciprocates by acting like she's made of marble but soon she can't keep up that act and the sex gets HOT, but he's determined to act like he doesn't care beyond the sex, so she hides her true feelings, and on and on it goes.
And then it's all resolved way too fast, and it's HEA and very abrupt. They both say all the things they should have said three years ago all in a minute or two. All the confusion about the OM and OW is cleared up, as well. Everything just falls into place. That was a letdown and not written very well.
This book can be skipped without feeling like you missed anything much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2021
Jago was the only possible solution.
Ashley Landon was desperate. After two years of her best efforts as chairman, her family's business faced either bankruptcy or a takeover. Then Jago Marrick, her ex-fiance, turned up with a hardheaded alternative--marriage.
Ashley's first reaction was shock, but Jago seemed to be the company's only hope. As her husband and the new chairman, Jago's vast business experience could put Landons back on its feet.
Reluctantly Ashley accepted--only to find that he wanted much more from their marriage than she was prepared to give.
Ashley Landon was desperate. After two years of her best efforts as chairman, her family's business faced either bankruptcy or a takeover. Then Jago Marrick, her ex-fiance, turned up with a hardheaded alternative--marriage.
Ashley's first reaction was shock, but Jago seemed to be the company's only hope. As her husband and the new chairman, Jago's vast business experience could put Landons back on its feet.
Reluctantly Ashley accepted--only to find that he wanted much more from their marriage than she was prepared to give.
April 11, 2019
he was horrendous. Worst hero ever. Plot very predictable.
April 9, 2021
H was a complete asshole who basically raped the h. I love angst and a cruel hero but this went beyond.
October 21, 2022
3.5 Another solid Sara Craven. In this the virginal h, Ashley re-encounters her former fiance, Jago. It's one of those h's father has no son to leave his company to so sets his daughter up with a hotshot hunk type of plots.
First time around a lot of misinformation and an infidelity scene scuppers the romance. The second time they actually marry to save her company. The virginity taking is forced so not great but subsequent sex scenes are consensual. There's company espionage and a familial OW plus Danversesque housekeeper to season the romance plot and the H is slightly too cold. So much miscommunication it's laughable really. Nevertheless, SC writes a good tale.
First time around a lot of misinformation and an infidelity scene scuppers the romance. The second time they actually marry to save her company. The virginity taking is forced so not great but subsequent sex scenes are consensual. There's company espionage and a familial OW plus Danversesque housekeeper to season the romance plot and the H is slightly too cold. So much miscommunication it's laughable really. Nevertheless, SC writes a good tale.
May 9, 2022
Just misses 5 stars as the ending's a bit unsatisfactory. I needed grovelling from the H after the stronger-than-usual forced seductions earlier in the book.
Interesting insight to the overt sexism in the workplace at that time.
Interesting insight to the overt sexism in the workplace at that time.
August 6, 2019
With all those tensions, it would have been better if there are more scenes towards the ending. It was a bit abrupt.
Still a good read tho.
Still a good read tho.
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