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Escape from Desire
A holiday romance with a difference, might describe Tamara's involvement with Zachary Fletcher. They might have met on a romantic island in the Caribbean, but there was nothing romantic about the frightening experience of being kidnapped by terrorists and kept prisoner by them. Thanks to Zachary, they managed to escape - and as a result, not surprisingly perhaps, Tamara realized she had fallen in love with him. But, as so often happens with more normal holiday romances, when it was all over Zachary just didn't want to know about her any more...
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1969
13 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,131 books672 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 27, 2019
Heroine is engaged to a dry stick and is vacationing on her own in a Caribbean Island country. Army colonel hero/deep undercover guy is recovering from his wounds from a mission that went wrong. They are kidnapped together during a tourist walk in the rain forest.
They fall in love and have sex after their escape from the kidnappers/terrorist/rebels, but before reaching civilization. Heroine is bit by a spider and almost dies.
Heroine breaks it off with her fiancé when she returns but has to play the part for a weekend house party -which the hero attends.
From there, the story goes downhill as the heroine refuses to tell the hero she broke off her engagement or later on, that she is pregnant. Hero is now writing a novel and requests the heroine for his secretary. He overworks her and is mean because he thinks the baby is the fiancé’s. It gets ridiculous after awhile because the heroine just won’t tell him the truth.
I enjoyed all of this until the heroine turned into a close-mouthed ninny. Just one too many misunderstandings for me before the hero finally wearing her down after PJ ran out of page count.
They fall in love and have sex after their escape from the kidnappers/terrorist/rebels, but before reaching civilization. Heroine is bit by a spider and almost dies.
Heroine breaks it off with her fiancé when she returns but has to play the part for a weekend house party -which the hero attends.
From there, the story goes downhill as the heroine refuses to tell the hero she broke off her engagement or later on, that she is pregnant. Hero is now writing a novel and requests the heroine for his secretary. He overworks her and is mean because he thinks the baby is the fiancé’s. It gets ridiculous after awhile because the heroine just won’t tell him the truth.
I enjoyed all of this until the heroine turned into a close-mouthed ninny. Just one too many misunderstandings for me before the hero finally wearing her down after PJ ran out of page count.
March 21, 2021
Zachary assumed the worst about Tamara, questioning her intentions like an interrogator waiting to be deployed to Guantanamo Bay. We later discover that these misunderstandings were a protective mechanism to shield himself from hurt. Isn't it always?
In spite of his behavior, I didn't hate Zach. His character was so over the top that it became comical to see what he would say or do next, so his behavior came off as more high-handed rather than cruel. Tamara didn't seem to suffer from this treatment and it was obvious Zach was smitten with her, particularly after reuniting.
The story improved a lot for me once the setting moved to England. Tamara lost some of her annoying traits and Zack also downshifted his alphahole shtick. And, yay, no more cheesy characterizations of the rebels! (They'd taken Zach and Tamara's tourist group hostage on the Carribbean island they'd been vacationing on).
This was an entertaining read especially if one doesn't find bodice rippers with overbearing heroes offensive.
In spite of his behavior, I didn't hate Zach. His character was so over the top that it became comical to see what he would say or do next, so his behavior came off as more high-handed rather than cruel. Tamara didn't seem to suffer from this treatment and it was obvious Zach was smitten with her, particularly after reuniting.
The story improved a lot for me once the setting moved to England. Tamara lost some of her annoying traits and Zack also downshifted his alphahole shtick. And, yay, no more cheesy characterizations of the rebels! (They'd taken Zach and Tamara's tourist group hostage on the Carribbean island they'd been vacationing on).
This was an entertaining read especially if one doesn't find bodice rippers with overbearing heroes offensive.
May 18, 2015
Hero and heroine have a holiday fling but heroine is engaged. When she gets back home she breaks her engagement cause she realizes her feelings for hero run deep. Her ex fiance asks her to accompany him to his parents house and she accepts. There she meets Zachary again. But he doesn't know that Tamara ended her engagement, that she is in love with him or that she is pregnant with his child.
Angsty, very enjoyable read. Tamara is very sweet and Zachary a smitten alpha male. Loved their HEA and hero's jealousy and possessiveness.
Angsty, very enjoyable read. Tamara is very sweet and Zachary a smitten alpha male. Loved their HEA and hero's jealousy and possessiveness.
March 18, 2019
Penny Jordan’s “Escape from Desire” was for me a very satisfying read. Tamara is on vacation on the island of St. Stephen, all by herself as her stuffy fiancé has no time for frivolities like lounging in the sun. Tamara is typical of Penny Jordan heroines, slightly repressed due to an overbearing aunt who raised her. But as she sunbathes on the beach, Tamara’s doubts about her engagement come to a head. While Malcolm is everything Tamara thought she wanted in a husband--staid, unemotional, professional--she recalls the happy, loving marriage of her parents and ponders if she can go through a loveless union, so different than that of her deceased parents.
Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger on the beach admires her bikini-clad body with his eyes. When notices her engagement ring, he’s cruel to her, thinking she’s just out in the Caribbean for one last hurrah.
To take her mind off her worries Tamara signs up for a jungle trek, when who should show up, but the mysterious stranger from the beach, our hero Zach Fletcher. However, what should have been a three-hour tour turns into a nightmare when the guide lures them into a trap. Rebels armed with Ak-47s take the group hostage for the usual political reasons. Zach manages to convince the terrorists to release all the hostages except himself. The terrorists, thinking Tamara is Zach’s woman, demand Tamara stay as well.
Days pass and eventually when the terrorists make a supply run, leaving behind just one man to guard the pair, Zach makes his move. Zach is no run-of-the-mill Harlequin Present m/billionaire hero; he’s a member of Special Air Service of the British Army and had been recently scarred by a melee in Africa. As their captor attempts to force himself on Tamara, Zach stabs him dead, and the couple flees through the jungle.
The near-death/near-rape experience is traumatizing for Tamara, and for Zach, and they make love. Zach is shocked to find that she’s a virgin, but rather than handling the situation with normal, human-like emotions (This is, after all, a Penny Jordan HP), he accuses her of having held on to her virginity to tease her fiancé. On their march through the rainforest, Tamara gets bitten by a lethal spider, and she awakens in a hospital, safe and sound, but dismayed to hear that Zach hightailed it back to England.
The life-and-death trauma awakens something in Tamara, and she vows to change her repressed ways, first by getting a makeover and then by dumping her stuffed-shirt fiancé. But as I said, this being a Penny Jordan HP, normal human-like behavior is not be expected, so instead of breaking up with her boyfriend ASAP, Tamara waits until they’re on a weekend trip at his parents home in the Cotswolds. To save face, Malcolm asks Tamara to temporarily pretend their engagement is still on, when who should show up but Malcolm’s parents’ new neighbor…Zach!
Zach is disgusted with Tamara and accuses her being a slut. Sure, she was a virgin when she slept with Zach, but now that she’s not a virgin, certainly she’s sharing all her newfound sexuality with her fiancé. (None of this sounds like standard human thinking, but something like Tommy Wiseau would come up with.)
Tamara goes on with her life, as an assistant to an editor, when she finds out that she is pregnant. She’s delighted by the fact but vows never to let Zach know the truth. Why? I don’t know, Zach was mean to her, and that’s reason enough to hide her child’s parentage.
But Zach is still not out of her life, because in coincidence number #2 who should be the secret client her boss has been trying to lure? Why it’s Zach of course! Zach’s writing a book and demands Tamara as his secretary. Unfortunately Tamara’s morning sickness is of the virulent type, and Zach realizes she’s pregnant. With her fiancé's child, of course, the slut! Sure, she was a virgin up until she met Zach, but virginity was only a tool to get her fiancé. Then after Zach initiated Tamara in the ways of love, she used that knowledge to dig her claws into her fiancé some more. And now she’s utilizing the oldest trick in the book to keep her fiancé. The tramp!
Despite it all, Zach can’t keep his hands off Tamara, who he believes is engaged and pregnant with another man's child. And Tamara loves Zach, but she can’t let him know, because reasons. Will these two crazy kids ever get over their hangups, and just be honest with each other? Sure, they could, but it’s more dramatic when a letter reveals all the truths, because communication is for human adults on Planet Earth not for our heroes and heroines of HPlandia.
3 ½ stars rounded up to 4
Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger on the beach admires her bikini-clad body with his eyes. When notices her engagement ring, he’s cruel to her, thinking she’s just out in the Caribbean for one last hurrah.
To take her mind off her worries Tamara signs up for a jungle trek, when who should show up, but the mysterious stranger from the beach, our hero Zach Fletcher. However, what should have been a three-hour tour turns into a nightmare when the guide lures them into a trap. Rebels armed with Ak-47s take the group hostage for the usual political reasons. Zach manages to convince the terrorists to release all the hostages except himself. The terrorists, thinking Tamara is Zach’s woman, demand Tamara stay as well.
Days pass and eventually when the terrorists make a supply run, leaving behind just one man to guard the pair, Zach makes his move. Zach is no run-of-the-mill Harlequin Present m/billionaire hero; he’s a member of Special Air Service of the British Army and had been recently scarred by a melee in Africa. As their captor attempts to force himself on Tamara, Zach stabs him dead, and the couple flees through the jungle.
The near-death/near-rape experience is traumatizing for Tamara, and for Zach, and they make love. Zach is shocked to find that she’s a virgin, but rather than handling the situation with normal, human-like emotions (This is, after all, a Penny Jordan HP), he accuses her of having held on to her virginity to tease her fiancé. On their march through the rainforest, Tamara gets bitten by a lethal spider, and she awakens in a hospital, safe and sound, but dismayed to hear that Zach hightailed it back to England.
The life-and-death trauma awakens something in Tamara, and she vows to change her repressed ways, first by getting a makeover and then by dumping her stuffed-shirt fiancé. But as I said, this being a Penny Jordan HP, normal human-like behavior is not be expected, so instead of breaking up with her boyfriend ASAP, Tamara waits until they’re on a weekend trip at his parents home in the Cotswolds. To save face, Malcolm asks Tamara to temporarily pretend their engagement is still on, when who should show up but Malcolm’s parents’ new neighbor…Zach!
Zach is disgusted with Tamara and accuses her being a slut. Sure, she was a virgin when she slept with Zach, but now that she’s not a virgin, certainly she’s sharing all her newfound sexuality with her fiancé. (None of this sounds like standard human thinking, but something like Tommy Wiseau would come up with.)
Tamara goes on with her life, as an assistant to an editor, when she finds out that she is pregnant. She’s delighted by the fact but vows never to let Zach know the truth. Why? I don’t know, Zach was mean to her, and that’s reason enough to hide her child’s parentage.
But Zach is still not out of her life, because in coincidence number #2 who should be the secret client her boss has been trying to lure? Why it’s Zach of course! Zach’s writing a book and demands Tamara as his secretary. Unfortunately Tamara’s morning sickness is of the virulent type, and Zach realizes she’s pregnant. With her fiancé's child, of course, the slut! Sure, she was a virgin up until she met Zach, but virginity was only a tool to get her fiancé. Then after Zach initiated Tamara in the ways of love, she used that knowledge to dig her claws into her fiancé some more. And now she’s utilizing the oldest trick in the book to keep her fiancé. The tramp!
Despite it all, Zach can’t keep his hands off Tamara, who he believes is engaged and pregnant with another man's child. And Tamara loves Zach, but she can’t let him know, because reasons. Will these two crazy kids ever get over their hangups, and just be honest with each other? Sure, they could, but it’s more dramatic when a letter reveals all the truths, because communication is for human adults on Planet Earth not for our heroes and heroines of HPlandia.
3 ½ stars rounded up to 4
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2021
This was angsty , the H Zachary was possessive and jealous man but in a sexy way ( I liked him alot) the h Tamara is a sweet kind Innocent woman I found their story adorable and very enjoyable I was so excited to see how they gonna solve the misunderstandings and the secrets ( her secrets) , loved them together and the ending was cute
September 27, 2022
Rating 3.5
August 17, 2023
Don’t know how many times I will read this book. An obsessive indulgence that hits many feelings. Deeeeep sighs.
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What a fab find from PJ! I’ve read it twice in a go before I bothered to come here. One of the deeply satisfying HQs that are sadly rare to come by.
Tamara is on a sole getaway Far East without her fiancé. She meets a group of other britishers and they all hang out together. One of them is the brooding, ex-army H. They’re off on a hiking trip one day when they’re kidnapped by some disgruntled militia in exchange for their men held hostage by the British government.
The H convinces them to let everyone go and they almost agree. Tamara is to stay back with Zach so he can’t escape as easy as a sole prisoner.
Zach is the ultimate alpha dream boat of a man. Having served in the army he knows how to traverse a jungle or even use a knife to put someone down. I died several times with Zach’s tlc for Tamara. He was tough with her as they needed to get out but totally on his knees when she couldn’t take it anymore.
They depart eventually and the h has to remind herself that she can’t be falling for a man while she’s already engaged to another.
This book had some serious surprises. I couldn’t quite guess how the h and H would re-unite for their HEA. That scene where the H is in the h’s bedroom when her fiancé walks in put my heart in my throat but Zach was no easy rival! He was a total bully and won’t let the h get away so easy.
There is a beautiful HEA. Wish there was an epilogue. This will be a forever favourite!
————————————————————————
What a fab find from PJ! I’ve read it twice in a go before I bothered to come here. One of the deeply satisfying HQs that are sadly rare to come by.
Tamara is on a sole getaway Far East without her fiancé. She meets a group of other britishers and they all hang out together. One of them is the brooding, ex-army H. They’re off on a hiking trip one day when they’re kidnapped by some disgruntled militia in exchange for their men held hostage by the British government.
The H convinces them to let everyone go and they almost agree. Tamara is to stay back with Zach so he can’t escape as easy as a sole prisoner.
Zach is the ultimate alpha dream boat of a man. Having served in the army he knows how to traverse a jungle or even use a knife to put someone down. I died several times with Zach’s tlc for Tamara. He was tough with her as they needed to get out but totally on his knees when she couldn’t take it anymore.
They depart eventually and the h has to remind herself that she can’t be falling for a man while she’s already engaged to another.
This book had some serious surprises. I couldn’t quite guess how the h and H would re-unite for their HEA. That scene where the H is in the h’s bedroom when her fiancé walks in put my heart in my throat but Zach was no easy rival! He was a total bully and won’t let the h get away so easy.
There is a beautiful HEA. Wish there was an epilogue. This will be a forever favourite!
January 18, 2019
"Escape from Desire" is the story of Tamara and Zach.
Our h Tamara is an orphan, raised by her religious aunt and engaged to the stuffy and snooty Malcolm. When she decides to go on an impromptu vacation, she never expects to meet, or be enchanted by a man as brooding as ex military Zach, neither does she expect to be kidnapped by rebels!
An escape attempt in the jungle leads to a night of passion, after which the couple part ways But as Tamara breaks up her engagement and realizes she might be pregnant, Zach re-enters her life. Will she confess the truth to him?
A shy, independent heroine with occasional bursts of spunk- ✓
An obsessive, jealous hero- ✓
Loads of bruising kisses- ✓
Sizzling passion- ✓
A douchy fiance and family- ✓
Angst- ✓
HEA- ✓
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Safe
4/5
Our h Tamara is an orphan, raised by her religious aunt and engaged to the stuffy and snooty Malcolm. When she decides to go on an impromptu vacation, she never expects to meet, or be enchanted by a man as brooding as ex military Zach, neither does she expect to be kidnapped by rebels!
An escape attempt in the jungle leads to a night of passion, after which the couple part ways But as Tamara breaks up her engagement and realizes she might be pregnant, Zach re-enters her life. Will she confess the truth to him?
A shy, independent heroine with occasional bursts of spunk- ✓
An obsessive, jealous hero- ✓
Loads of bruising kisses- ✓
Sizzling passion- ✓
A douchy fiance and family- ✓
Angst- ✓
HEA- ✓
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Safe
4/5
February 27, 2019
3,5 stars
January 15, 2013
Another Mills and Boon by my favourite M&B author Penny Jordan. Once more, in this offering, Jordan proves that she's so much more than your average M&B author with a novel which not only has a really sweet heroine but a storyline which is packed full of drama, incidence and even comedy moments.
Tamara Forbes, the heroine, is really very likeable indeed, but (and it's a big BUT considering the genre here), she has TERRIBLE taste in men. At the beginning of the story, she is engaged to the insufferable "Malcolm", a stuffy country gent-type who expects to inherit the country pile very shortly. Malcolm doesn't really get much of an outing in the story, but what we do see of him is enough to know that you'd probably willingly embrace celibacy rather than get stuck with him. Indeed, this is a large part of the reasoning behind why Tamara wants to marry him - she's just not all that into sex. UNTIL, that is, she gets kidnapped by terrorists whilst on holiday and held prisoner with the hero of the tale, Zachary Fletcher.
Zachary is once more not your average M&B hero. Tall, dark and handsome he is - but this time he's an ex-soldier with a soft side (it is later revealed that his life's dream is to open a home for wayward boys in the Gloucestershire countryside); so not the normal billionaire captain of industry who can only work alone, like they usually are. Needless to say, Tamara falls for him, and thanks to some very dilatory terrorists, Zach even manages to deflower her in the jungle.
Tamara then (possibly the unluckiest girl to ever go on holiday in the Carribean) manages to get bitten by a poisonous spider and nearly dies (if it was me, I'd be writing a strongly worded letter to Thomson by this point). Fortunately, Zach saves the day by carrying her to the nearest hospital and dumping her there, before legging it.
Tamara, once safely back in London (and probably resolved never to venture further than Cleethorpes ever again) then runs into Zach again, and, it turns out, he's a right bastard. From this point, the story gets a little hard to comprehend from a reader's point of view - he's harsh, he's critical, he's deliberately taunting and cruel. He manages to manouevre himself into her workplace and begins working her so hard she ends up on the point of collapse. He's really not very nice, but Tamara, in her wisdom (and possibly still suffering the effects of the spider toxins) decides she's in love with him. And, obviously, he, in turn decides he loves her too. I'm not really penning any spoilers when I say they decide to get married (once Malcolm is safely ditched and out of the way) - it's a Mills and Boon, after all - what did you expect?
Zach's obvious character flaws aside (and the rather off-putting fact that the book cover illustrator has made him look a bit like Sean Connery in his 007 days) the other characters in the book are fantastic. Tamara, as I have already said, is very sweet and likeable. Her boss, Nigel, is adorable. Malcolm and his parents and Karen (the girl they really want him to marry being as she's already in the county-set and can ride) are fantastic caricatures of the English upper class and made me laugh a lot.
In short, I would recommend this book - it's got a bit more about it than your average Mills and Boon and it makes for an entertaining quick read.
Tamara Forbes, the heroine, is really very likeable indeed, but (and it's a big BUT considering the genre here), she has TERRIBLE taste in men. At the beginning of the story, she is engaged to the insufferable "Malcolm", a stuffy country gent-type who expects to inherit the country pile very shortly. Malcolm doesn't really get much of an outing in the story, but what we do see of him is enough to know that you'd probably willingly embrace celibacy rather than get stuck with him. Indeed, this is a large part of the reasoning behind why Tamara wants to marry him - she's just not all that into sex. UNTIL, that is, she gets kidnapped by terrorists whilst on holiday and held prisoner with the hero of the tale, Zachary Fletcher.
Zachary is once more not your average M&B hero. Tall, dark and handsome he is - but this time he's an ex-soldier with a soft side (it is later revealed that his life's dream is to open a home for wayward boys in the Gloucestershire countryside); so not the normal billionaire captain of industry who can only work alone, like they usually are. Needless to say, Tamara falls for him, and thanks to some very dilatory terrorists, Zach even manages to deflower her in the jungle.
Tamara then (possibly the unluckiest girl to ever go on holiday in the Carribean) manages to get bitten by a poisonous spider and nearly dies (if it was me, I'd be writing a strongly worded letter to Thomson by this point). Fortunately, Zach saves the day by carrying her to the nearest hospital and dumping her there, before legging it.
Tamara, once safely back in London (and probably resolved never to venture further than Cleethorpes ever again) then runs into Zach again, and, it turns out, he's a right bastard. From this point, the story gets a little hard to comprehend from a reader's point of view - he's harsh, he's critical, he's deliberately taunting and cruel. He manages to manouevre himself into her workplace and begins working her so hard she ends up on the point of collapse. He's really not very nice, but Tamara, in her wisdom (and possibly still suffering the effects of the spider toxins) decides she's in love with him. And, obviously, he, in turn decides he loves her too. I'm not really penning any spoilers when I say they decide to get married (once Malcolm is safely ditched and out of the way) - it's a Mills and Boon, after all - what did you expect?
Zach's obvious character flaws aside (and the rather off-putting fact that the book cover illustrator has made him look a bit like Sean Connery in his 007 days) the other characters in the book are fantastic. Tamara, as I have already said, is very sweet and likeable. Her boss, Nigel, is adorable. Malcolm and his parents and Karen (the girl they really want him to marry being as she's already in the county-set and can ride) are fantastic caricatures of the English upper class and made me laugh a lot.
In short, I would recommend this book - it's got a bit more about it than your average Mills and Boon and it makes for an entertaining quick read.
July 24, 2020
At some point of the book I thought to give it 3.5 stars, but I changed my mind 😐
The story was promising, and I really enjoyed how they met, and the days they had to be together to survive.
When Tamara returned to her normal life, she was more sure of herself, physically and mentally, she started to change her fashion style, bought new clothes and learnt how apply makeup on herself. She was brought up by an aunt that abused her emotionally, in my opinion.
Then came the part when h and H reunited after the days they were in the Caribbean. I didn't enjoy this part too much. Even if there were a lot of misunderstanding between them, the angst and the s*exual tension started to fade. I liked Tamara's boss and friend too (Nigel). He was very kind and protective with her.
Other things I didn't like were,
The story was promising, and I really enjoyed how they met, and the days they had to be together to survive.
When Tamara returned to her normal life, she was more sure of herself, physically and mentally, she started to change her fashion style, bought new clothes and learnt how apply makeup on herself. She was brought up by an aunt that abused her emotionally, in my opinion.
Then came the part when h and H reunited after the days they were in the Caribbean. I didn't enjoy this part too much. Even if there were a lot of misunderstanding between them, the angst and the s*exual tension started to fade. I liked Tamara's boss and friend too (Nigel). He was very kind and protective with her.
Other things I didn't like were,
June 10, 2017
Dramatic start, a holiday hike arranged for hotel guests turns into a kidnapping for H and h. They escape through the talents of H an ex-soldier and of course enjoy cosing it up in the midst of the jungle.
Hero is a total heart-stopper. Brave, gorgeous, trying to build a better world for children who suffer from the effects of war. He had me from the start with his limp and scars and being a man of few words.
Heroine is stuck in a passionless engagement but breaks it off after her little adventure with H.
They meet again in the real world and after a few hiccups have their HEA.
It lagged at some points and heroine was a little melodramatically annoying with keeping her pregnancy a secret from H but all in all still a satisfying Penny J romp.
Hero is a total heart-stopper. Brave, gorgeous, trying to build a better world for children who suffer from the effects of war. He had me from the start with his limp and scars and being a man of few words.
Heroine is stuck in a passionless engagement but breaks it off after her little adventure with H.
They meet again in the real world and after a few hiccups have their HEA.
It lagged at some points and heroine was a little melodramatically annoying with keeping her pregnancy a secret from H but all in all still a satisfying Penny J romp.
July 27, 2020
This book was written in 1982. It’s yet another example of the difference between older HPs and the new stuff. There was a lot on plot. Not two or three super long scenes complete with super long sex scenes plus a whole bunch of introspection which is what current HPs consist of. “Action people, action is what we like.”
So this book has a kidnapping followed by escape through the jungle plus a couple of months of fairly angsty (for the heroine anyway) meetings before the HEA. The whole thing held together pretty well and was a nice vintage HP read.
So this book has a kidnapping followed by escape through the jungle plus a couple of months of fairly angsty (for the heroine anyway) meetings before the HEA. The whole thing held together pretty well and was a nice vintage HP read.
avoid
July 24, 2020Cheating...
The heroine is engaged to another while she met and fall in love with the hero. They have sex and later she got pregnant. This little bit info is enough for me to shelve it on the Avoid list.
Check StMargarets's Review- 👇
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The heroine is engaged to another while she met and fall in love with the hero. They have sex and later she got pregnant. This little bit info is enough for me to shelve it on the Avoid list.
Check StMargarets's Review- 👇
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
wishlist
December 18, 2015"Escape al deseo"
March 11, 2018
Just Amazing!Exciting as hell...what are better than a romance in the jungle with an sexy warrior who are your protecter..and lover.
That is what the lively and beautiful heroine Tamara go through,a dangerous adventure through the jungle with the irresistable ex-soldier Zach Fletcher.How i love they way they meet,and their scenes when they were captured by terrorists and managed to escape them.They fell secretly in love..and the story just go on...
Just love the hero and heroine in this one so much.Adored them so much,they were so perfect together.I want a love-story like theirs on my own..(sulk)..haha.
"Escape from Desire" are another unforgettable 5-star read by PJ..!
" It's primitive and old-fashioned, and if you'd asked me six months ago I'd have said I didn't give a damn about virginity and certainly never expected it in my wife—and I still think it's morally wrong for any man to expect a standard of behaviour from a woman that he hasn't held to himself, but as I said, taking you, knowing that I was the first, teaching you to respond to me, touched something elemental deep inside me, inside most men, I suppose; something that goes way beyond civilisation and logic. I love you,' he whispered huskily, 'and I can't think of anything my life has held that means more to me than loving you."
That is what the lively and beautiful heroine Tamara go through,a dangerous adventure through the jungle with the irresistable ex-soldier Zach Fletcher.How i love they way they meet,and their scenes when they were captured by terrorists and managed to escape them.They fell secretly in love..and the story just go on...
Just love the hero and heroine in this one so much.Adored them so much,they were so perfect together.I want a love-story like theirs on my own..(sulk)..haha.
"Escape from Desire" are another unforgettable 5-star read by PJ..!
" It's primitive and old-fashioned, and if you'd asked me six months ago I'd have said I didn't give a damn about virginity and certainly never expected it in my wife—and I still think it's morally wrong for any man to expect a standard of behaviour from a woman that he hasn't held to himself, but as I said, taking you, knowing that I was the first, teaching you to respond to me, touched something elemental deep inside me, inside most men, I suppose; something that goes way beyond civilisation and logic. I love you,' he whispered huskily, 'and I can't think of anything my life has held that means more to me than loving you."
June 8, 2021
When Tamara's Caribbean holiday turned into a nightmare, there was only one man she could turn to—Zach Fletcher! With their lives in jeopardy, in the heat of the jungle, Zach took Tamara's innocence for his own. They escaped from danger—but not from the consequences of their passion!
Neither of them could know that their heated fling would leave Tamara pregnant. Reunited in London, Tamara is reminded of the claim Zach has on her body. And he'll do anything to prove their chemistry means more than just an affair
Neither of them could know that their heated fling would leave Tamara pregnant. Reunited in London, Tamara is reminded of the claim Zach has on her body. And he'll do anything to prove their chemistry means more than just an affair
February 9, 2012
3.5 stars. Pretty typical older Penny Jordan novel. Lots of silliness -- making out WHILE they're being held captive in a cave, then losing virginity in a jungle while they're escaping kidnappers, you know, totally realistic stuff. And then multiple improbable coincidences throwing them back together when they return to London. Still, an ok read if you like this kind of thing.
February 8, 2017
I first read this when I was a teenager in the 1980s. I glad I'm able to read it again in 2017. It's one of those stories, for me at least that I'll always remember. Thank you, Penny Jordan for the wonderful memories.
September 5, 2020
Finally found it, I have read it in Arabic in my teens, it was amazing.. Will download it in English and read it again
July 9, 2013
Review: Escape from Desire by Penny Jordan
Rating = 4/5
Caliber SEAL: GREAT READ!
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, July 11, 2013!
Rating = 4/5
Caliber SEAL: GREAT READ!
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, July 11, 2013!
May 22, 2023
Is it a Harlequin Romance if I don't immediately forget what happened once I'm done reading it? Well, all I know is that I had a great time reading it but that's pretty much it.
April 30, 2023
This was quite entertaining, because we have some of the usual PJ tropes, as a big huge misunderstanding and a heroine who is masochist and pretends to be what she's not, that is a slut.
PJ heroines are not only never ever sluts, but also they are quite repressed and frustrated and it's impossible to mistake them for sluts.
This one is an icy and aloof beauty that is engaged to a cold fish of a man who doesn't even desire her a bit.
He's really annoying and I don't really know why a woman, any woman, should feel an ounce of desire to marry such an unfeeling and un-charming man.
The heroine feels at ease with him because of this, because there's not any desire between them.
She grew up with the usual spinster aunt who told her that desire is evil and sex is for satanists.
She goes to holiday to the Caribbean by herself and is the only one in the island to wear a one piece swimsuit of a blue navy color that a nun would refuse to wear.
One day she's tempted by the devil ( that is a middle age tourist who's married for 25 years) to buy a very daring bikini of a very daring bright color and the day she decides to wear it she meets the hero, another tourist who's always alone and apparently belongs to a cult where women who wear bikinis are all whore. Of course he insults her and accuses her of trying to trap him with her big boobs and bed eyes.
The frigid heroine is so ashamed of herself that she decides to throw away the offending bikini and to wash herself with a iron brush to punish her weak flesh.
During a tour of the island she and the hero are kidnapped by a band of communists (PJ holds a grudge against communist) and of course sparks shine and when they manage to escape they eventually have sex.
The heroine was a virgin of course, and the hero (and me too) is appalled that she could betray her fiancè giving away her virginity to basically a stranger.
So a slut she is, actually.
Since she's a PJ heroine and very honest but not smart at all, she decides she will jilt her cold fish but she doesn't tell the hero because she doesn't want him to think she wants to trap him into marriage.
(I will never understand how the mind of PJ'heroine works)
Back in England, she waits for her fiancè to come back so she can tell him it's over.
The fiancè asks her to pretend for a couple of day since his parents have asked their new neightbour to dinner.
Guess who's the new neighbour?
The hero of course, who is appalled to see that she's still engaged to her fiancè and understands immediately she's pregnant.
Smart of him but not enough, since he thinks the child it's the fiancè.
(Meeting cold fish and knowing she was a virgin when they had sex the first time you wonder how he wasn't able to add 2 and 2 and ask her the infamous question: is it mine?)
Some weeks later we have another accidental meeting, where the heroine's boss asks her to stay with the hero as his secretary while he's writing his book.
The heroine doesn't want to tell him she left her cold fish and the child she's carrying is the hero's.
And this was so stupid and annoying that I couldn't even feel an ounce of compassion for her when the hero slut shamed her and made her life difficult.
He also invites a woman, a friend of his, to stay with him while the heroine is in his house.
I suppose they didn't have sex since he's so clearly besotted and enflamed by the heroine that this new woman is obviously there only to make him jealous.
The heroine leaves the hero and refuses to go back to work for him and eventually the man goes to her office where he asks her boss for some explanations.
The fact that it's her boss to reveal that she's not been engaged to om for months was quite annoying, I was angry because the heroine was really unresonable and didn't want to tell the hero she was pregnant with his child.
Really?
He was with her when this happened and he obviously didn't use precautions of sort.
Eventually all is well and the hero reveals he's been suffering for weeks and couldn't let the heroine marry her cold fish.
This hero was clearly besotted with the heroine since the start and he was even more so after they had sex and the heroine was the most insecure and frustrating woman ever.
Angsty but not so much. Celibacy of the hero was unclear but it is very likely he was celibate during their separation because he only used ow to make the heroine jealous and he admitted it.
PJ heroines are not only never ever sluts, but also they are quite repressed and frustrated and it's impossible to mistake them for sluts.
This one is an icy and aloof beauty that is engaged to a cold fish of a man who doesn't even desire her a bit.
He's really annoying and I don't really know why a woman, any woman, should feel an ounce of desire to marry such an unfeeling and un-charming man.
The heroine feels at ease with him because of this, because there's not any desire between them.
She grew up with the usual spinster aunt who told her that desire is evil and sex is for satanists.
She goes to holiday to the Caribbean by herself and is the only one in the island to wear a one piece swimsuit of a blue navy color that a nun would refuse to wear.
One day she's tempted by the devil ( that is a middle age tourist who's married for 25 years) to buy a very daring bikini of a very daring bright color and the day she decides to wear it she meets the hero, another tourist who's always alone and apparently belongs to a cult where women who wear bikinis are all whore. Of course he insults her and accuses her of trying to trap him with her big boobs and bed eyes.
The frigid heroine is so ashamed of herself that she decides to throw away the offending bikini and to wash herself with a iron brush to punish her weak flesh.
During a tour of the island she and the hero are kidnapped by a band of communists (PJ holds a grudge against communist) and of course sparks shine and when they manage to escape they eventually have sex.
The heroine was a virgin of course, and the hero (and me too) is appalled that she could betray her fiancè giving away her virginity to basically a stranger.
So a slut she is, actually.
Since she's a PJ heroine and very honest but not smart at all, she decides she will jilt her cold fish but she doesn't tell the hero because she doesn't want him to think she wants to trap him into marriage.
(I will never understand how the mind of PJ'heroine works)
Back in England, she waits for her fiancè to come back so she can tell him it's over.
The fiancè asks her to pretend for a couple of day since his parents have asked their new neightbour to dinner.
Guess who's the new neighbour?
The hero of course, who is appalled to see that she's still engaged to her fiancè and understands immediately she's pregnant.
Smart of him but not enough, since he thinks the child it's the fiancè.
(Meeting cold fish and knowing she was a virgin when they had sex the first time you wonder how he wasn't able to add 2 and 2 and ask her the infamous question: is it mine?)
Some weeks later we have another accidental meeting, where the heroine's boss asks her to stay with the hero as his secretary while he's writing his book.
The heroine doesn't want to tell him she left her cold fish and the child she's carrying is the hero's.
And this was so stupid and annoying that I couldn't even feel an ounce of compassion for her when the hero slut shamed her and made her life difficult.
He also invites a woman, a friend of his, to stay with him while the heroine is in his house.
I suppose they didn't have sex since he's so clearly besotted and enflamed by the heroine that this new woman is obviously there only to make him jealous.
The heroine leaves the hero and refuses to go back to work for him and eventually the man goes to her office where he asks her boss for some explanations.
The fact that it's her boss to reveal that she's not been engaged to om for months was quite annoying, I was angry because the heroine was really unresonable and didn't want to tell the hero she was pregnant with his child.
Really?
He was with her when this happened and he obviously didn't use precautions of sort.
Eventually all is well and the hero reveals he's been suffering for weeks and couldn't let the heroine marry her cold fish.
This hero was clearly besotted with the heroine since the start and he was even more so after they had sex and the heroine was the most insecure and frustrating woman ever.
Angsty but not so much. Celibacy of the hero was unclear but it is very likely he was celibate during their separation because he only used ow to make the heroine jealous and he admitted it.
March 31, 2021
It’s a good read, but I didn’t have the feeling that he was really smitten by her.
He doesn’t pursue her. Their encounters after they are back from their holiday are just coincidences. She meets him again because he is by coincidence the neighbour of the parents of her fiancé.
He isn’t obsessed by her. He doesn’t want to see her every day like a typical smitten H does. He doesn’t go out of his way to get her. Yes, he thinks she is engaged but an alpha male H would do anything to win her over and break off her engagement with that other man.
And what I found so strange: he arranges that she stays with him in his house and then he asks another woman to come and stay too. Huh? You would think that he would take that chance to be alone with her.
I have the feeling that he isn’t crazy in love. In the end he admits to being in love with her, but he could have fooled me. Therefore 3 stars.
He doesn’t pursue her. Their encounters after they are back from their holiday are just coincidences. She meets him again because he is by coincidence the neighbour of the parents of her fiancé.
He isn’t obsessed by her. He doesn’t want to see her every day like a typical smitten H does. He doesn’t go out of his way to get her. Yes, he thinks she is engaged but an alpha male H would do anything to win her over and break off her engagement with that other man.
And what I found so strange: he arranges that she stays with him in his house and then he asks another woman to come and stay too. Huh? You would think that he would take that chance to be alone with her.
I have the feeling that he isn’t crazy in love. In the end he admits to being in love with her, but he could have fooled me. Therefore 3 stars.
October 3, 2024
Do you know what...I'm feeling in a good mood so I'm rounding up this 3.5 read to a 4.
Did I love this book? No.
Did I hate this book? No.
Did it change my life in some definable way? Also no.
Did I find it different then any other PJ book I've read so far? Yes!
I think maybe I'm also just a hoe for a fictional army man 😂. This reminded me of DP's Soliders of Fortune and I was digging it. h drove me crazy with how long she kept the charade going. There were at least 3 different times when I expected the big showdown to happen and then when it finally did (with 3 pages left of the book!!!) it was pretty anticlimactic. Still enjoyed it though and wouldn't be surprised if I add it to the reread pile lol.
Did I love this book? No.
Did I hate this book? No.
Did it change my life in some definable way? Also no.
Did I find it different then any other PJ book I've read so far? Yes!
I think maybe I'm also just a hoe for a fictional army man 😂. This reminded me of DP's Soliders of Fortune and I was digging it. h drove me crazy with how long she kept the charade going. There were at least 3 different times when I expected the big showdown to happen and then when it finally did (with 3 pages left of the book!!!) it was pretty anticlimactic. Still enjoyed it though and wouldn't be surprised if I add it to the reread pile lol.
March 6, 2020
The H is a throwback to Cro-Magnons with the worst case of misogyny and bullying on top of it. Literally every conversation the h and H have some offensive sexual remark or an unwarranted pass made by him. The h is an idiotic virgin who has a severe case of Stockholm syndrome except the H isn't the captor but a fellow captive who helps h escape but behaves more like a captor than rescuer. Having lost her virginity, she falls pregnant promptly and realizes she is in love with her caveman bully and then keeps meeting H repeatedly at the most unexpected circumstances that is more about plot convenience than anything else.
August 25, 2019
The H is by no means perfect but very likable.
June 10, 2021
4*
A re-read and I still like it.
A re-read and I still like it.
December 27, 2021
3.5 stars
June 29, 2022
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews