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Fire In The Blood
Nadine had learned to cope with the rigors of a new life in the world of television. But after one chance meeting with Sean—a year after their divorce—peace had fled and excitement flared dangerously. He knew it. too...and was ruthlessly prepared to use Nadine's weakness against her.
Their marriage had been a battleground of mistrust and anger; his fame as a producer had come between them...and so had hers as a model. Would the unresolved desires that held past, present and future at hay seduce her into something she knew spelled disaster?
Their marriage had been a battleground of mistrust and anger; his fame as a producer had come between them...and so had hers as a model. Would the unresolved desires that held past, present and future at hay seduce her into something she knew spelled disaster?
123 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1993
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Sandra Smith
151 books18 followersThis is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Sandra Smith
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Did Not Finish
January 4, 2018In my opinion, the rat-bastard "hero" just wanted to bang the hot, redheaded actress he'd been working with so he concocted the fantasy that his wife (heroine) had cheated on him. Puleeze. He was so jealous of heroine's supposed affair that he divorced heroine, AND then immediately started banging dating the OW afterwards? Without any concrete evidence other than she was close friends with her photographer colleague?
In fact, heroine had more cause to believe hero had likely cheated on her with the OW because he'd talked about his colleague all the time and didn't deny he was cheating when she'd asked him. Maybe he didn't deny it just to make her jealous, but he didn't imply that was the case either. So, where was the love?
P.S. This all happened before the present timeline, told via conversations or introspections.
In fact, heroine had more cause to believe hero had likely cheated on her with the OW because he'd talked about his colleague all the time and didn't deny he was cheating when she'd asked him. Maybe he didn't deny it just to make her jealous, but he didn't imply that was the case either. So, where was the love?
P.S. This all happened before the present timeline, told via conversations or introspections.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2015
Re Fire in the Blood - Charlotte Lamb tries to revive the obsessive Alpha Bully H of her early days with this HP outing.
While this H is indeed a whacked out mess of jealous obsession and sheer obstinance in his domineering intractability to utterly own the h, the HP higher powers demanded a 1994 muted version of her epic HP Standard Old Skool H and the book suffers for it. There are some glimpses of old skool CL tho and some really humorous black moments as you ponder what HP editor actually called this a romance.
The 26 yr h in this one is a model, she has been divorced for over a year from the H and separated for some time before that. Her famous movie director H is around 30 and acts like he is three and has never grown out of the petty temper tantrum stage.
Their marriage disintegrated between his unreasonable jealousy and possessiveness, mainly directed at the h's long time photographer, and then when the H met a fabulous actress for one of his blockbuster movies, he became obsessed with the woman.
He pretty much abandoned the h because he couldn't control her and the h wanted to focus on her own career growth before she got too old to continue modeling. The H's actress, on the other hand, was more than willing to get her career jump started by doing whatever the H wanted.
( The h always wanted to be an actress, but she can't act and this is a serious bugaboo on her side of the relationship destruction stakes.)
When the book starts the h is up for a TV host position and it looks like she is going to get her new career started, so she is very excited about it.
The interesting thing about this book is the H claims that they broke up because the h was having an affair with her photographer, whom she had worked with for years and who gave her a start in modeling.
What CL implies tho, is that the H really was having an affair with the actress, since she was far more compliant with the H's wishes in her bid for fame and fortune and the h finally tired of the whole farce and left the H. However, the H and h NEVER discuss his affair between them, indeed the h believes the H is going to marry the actress until the third chapter.
(This h obviously feels that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is the best policy for her peace of mind - she did ask the H if he was having an affair and the H did not deny it. Later on in the book, she just seems to take his infidelity as a given she will have to live with.)
Then the h discovers that the H's latest big time TV miniseries with the actress is a flop, he is losing money left and right and bankruptcy for his studio is on the horizon. The actress, now that she knows just what kind of serious control freak the H is and now that he can't help her career anymore, takes herself off to the States and dumps the H.
This leaves the H with a problem. The h invested a lot of her modeling money in the H's company when they married and she had a significant portion of the shares. In the divorce settlement, the H's control freak took over and bought the h's shares out for cash. So now the H needs money and he knows he can manipulate the h.
So his game plan is to berate, bully and roofie kiss the h into bed and back into a relationship and get the money he gave her in the divorce back. He is hoping for the added bonus of trampling the h into being the little woman at home and loading her down with a few kids in the country, while he goes back to his lady obsessing ways during his film making.
The h is a nice person and offers the money back as a gift. The H however doesn't want that. So when the h takes herself off to for a tropical island with painting/beach loafing vacation, the H follows her to harass her back into a relationship with him. He lies and tells everyone they are still married and the h is having to fight both her Treacherous Body Syndrome and the rage that the H induces every time he tries to control her life.
She does worry about the H and his company tho and it is with some incredulity that the H tells her he will take her money, but only if she submits to an affair with him. He has no plans to remarry her, he will just put her in country home and tell everyone she is his wife and pound a few mini H's into her oven during his little lurve club sessions.
The H and h have a sandy lurve club encounter on the beach after the H has stalked, roofie kissed, and had jealous tantrums over the men looking at her for the three or four days she is actually on the island. Finally, the h escapes when her new boss arranges for her to fly to Miami for some pre-publicity about her new show and a TV interview.
She meets her old photographer in Miami, he is being interviewed too, and we get some Key West travelogue and a bit of food porn CL style. When the h flies back to England, the H is waiting at the airport and then stalks off when he sees the h with her photographer buddy.
Then the H's partner in his film studio calls the h and needs some immediate cash to pay of a thug who rented them lighting. The h comes through with the cash and is talking to the H's partner about a loan, when the H returns. He has a big hissy snot fit and then he admits that he can't control his possessiveness cause his beautiful mummy abandoned him and his dad as a child and now he thinks the h will do the same.
The H is scared he will be like his doormat dad and so CL implies that the H either gets obsessed with someone else or does whatever he can to berate and bully the h into doing what he wants, just like his abandoning mother. The h explains that marriage is a partnership and she promises to give her new career a year and then pop out the rug rats, if the H wants it.
The H seems to be okay with that, he is getting the h's money and her body, as well as a new partner to finance his films, (he made a deal with an old friend.) So when we leave them agreeing to try again, probably without an actual remarriage, it is under the assumption that the H will soon have control of the h's finances, her career will be destroyed and she will be trapped into eternal bondage with an H who has less self control than a chocoholic in the Godiva factory.
The h seems to be happy with what she is going to be getting and resigned to the fact that she is going to be acting as the H's mommy/brood mare/caretaker until the H gets bored or frustrated and goes off again, (or he murders her and dumps the body to make it look like an accident for the insurance payout.)
This is not CL's best book in either her vintage early HP style or in her more modern adaptations later on. But it is probably one of the most whacktastic and for that, I give it a read this because of the absurd wreckiness endorsement.
While the HEA is practically non-existent and you will shake your head over the h's utter idiocy in taking this H back, the book is very readable and will definitely appeal to those HP voyagers who have a dark streak of very black humor as you read about the H and h's various antics.
We can leave this one as a be happy the h is happy and give thanks that CL will make her h drink the kool-aid to keep the pillars of HPlandia standing firm. I recommend copious consults with the Captain and a fairly dark sense of humor for this one, but if that is your cuppa, it is a moderately entertaining HP venture.
While this H is indeed a whacked out mess of jealous obsession and sheer obstinance in his domineering intractability to utterly own the h, the HP higher powers demanded a 1994 muted version of her epic HP Standard Old Skool H and the book suffers for it. There are some glimpses of old skool CL tho and some really humorous black moments as you ponder what HP editor actually called this a romance.
The 26 yr h in this one is a model, she has been divorced for over a year from the H and separated for some time before that. Her famous movie director H is around 30 and acts like he is three and has never grown out of the petty temper tantrum stage.
Their marriage disintegrated between his unreasonable jealousy and possessiveness, mainly directed at the h's long time photographer, and then when the H met a fabulous actress for one of his blockbuster movies, he became obsessed with the woman.
He pretty much abandoned the h because he couldn't control her and the h wanted to focus on her own career growth before she got too old to continue modeling. The H's actress, on the other hand, was more than willing to get her career jump started by doing whatever the H wanted.
( The h always wanted to be an actress, but she can't act and this is a serious bugaboo on her side of the relationship destruction stakes.)
When the book starts the h is up for a TV host position and it looks like she is going to get her new career started, so she is very excited about it.
The interesting thing about this book is the H claims that they broke up because the h was having an affair with her photographer, whom she had worked with for years and who gave her a start in modeling.
What CL implies tho, is that the H really was having an affair with the actress, since she was far more compliant with the H's wishes in her bid for fame and fortune and the h finally tired of the whole farce and left the H. However, the H and h NEVER discuss his affair between them, indeed the h believes the H is going to marry the actress until the third chapter.
(This h obviously feels that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is the best policy for her peace of mind - she did ask the H if he was having an affair and the H did not deny it. Later on in the book, she just seems to take his infidelity as a given she will have to live with.)
Then the h discovers that the H's latest big time TV miniseries with the actress is a flop, he is losing money left and right and bankruptcy for his studio is on the horizon. The actress, now that she knows just what kind of serious control freak the H is and now that he can't help her career anymore, takes herself off to the States and dumps the H.
This leaves the H with a problem. The h invested a lot of her modeling money in the H's company when they married and she had a significant portion of the shares. In the divorce settlement, the H's control freak took over and bought the h's shares out for cash. So now the H needs money and he knows he can manipulate the h.
So his game plan is to berate, bully and roofie kiss the h into bed and back into a relationship and get the money he gave her in the divorce back. He is hoping for the added bonus of trampling the h into being the little woman at home and loading her down with a few kids in the country, while he goes back to his lady obsessing ways during his film making.
The h is a nice person and offers the money back as a gift. The H however doesn't want that. So when the h takes herself off to for a tropical island with painting/beach loafing vacation, the H follows her to harass her back into a relationship with him. He lies and tells everyone they are still married and the h is having to fight both her Treacherous Body Syndrome and the rage that the H induces every time he tries to control her life.
She does worry about the H and his company tho and it is with some incredulity that the H tells her he will take her money, but only if she submits to an affair with him. He has no plans to remarry her, he will just put her in country home and tell everyone she is his wife and pound a few mini H's into her oven during his little lurve club sessions.
The H and h have a sandy lurve club encounter on the beach after the H has stalked, roofie kissed, and had jealous tantrums over the men looking at her for the three or four days she is actually on the island. Finally, the h escapes when her new boss arranges for her to fly to Miami for some pre-publicity about her new show and a TV interview.
She meets her old photographer in Miami, he is being interviewed too, and we get some Key West travelogue and a bit of food porn CL style. When the h flies back to England, the H is waiting at the airport and then stalks off when he sees the h with her photographer buddy.
Then the H's partner in his film studio calls the h and needs some immediate cash to pay of a thug who rented them lighting. The h comes through with the cash and is talking to the H's partner about a loan, when the H returns. He has a big hissy snot fit and then he admits that he can't control his possessiveness cause his beautiful mummy abandoned him and his dad as a child and now he thinks the h will do the same.
The H is scared he will be like his doormat dad and so CL implies that the H either gets obsessed with someone else or does whatever he can to berate and bully the h into doing what he wants, just like his abandoning mother. The h explains that marriage is a partnership and she promises to give her new career a year and then pop out the rug rats, if the H wants it.
The H seems to be okay with that, he is getting the h's money and her body, as well as a new partner to finance his films, (he made a deal with an old friend.) So when we leave them agreeing to try again, probably without an actual remarriage, it is under the assumption that the H will soon have control of the h's finances, her career will be destroyed and she will be trapped into eternal bondage with an H who has less self control than a chocoholic in the Godiva factory.
The h seems to be happy with what she is going to be getting and resigned to the fact that she is going to be acting as the H's mommy/brood mare/caretaker until the H gets bored or frustrated and goes off again, (or he murders her and dumps the body to make it look like an accident for the insurance payout.)
This is not CL's best book in either her vintage early HP style or in her more modern adaptations later on. But it is probably one of the most whacktastic and for that, I give it a read this because of the absurd wreckiness endorsement.
While the HEA is practically non-existent and you will shake your head over the h's utter idiocy in taking this H back, the book is very readable and will definitely appeal to those HP voyagers who have a dark streak of very black humor as you read about the H and h's various antics.
We can leave this one as a be happy the h is happy and give thanks that CL will make her h drink the kool-aid to keep the pillars of HPlandia standing firm. I recommend copious consults with the Captain and a fairly dark sense of humor for this one, but if that is your cuppa, it is a moderately entertaining HP venture.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2017
QUESTION: Did Charlotte Lamb convince me that the second chance romance between a hysteric heroine and her insanely-to-the-point-of-murder-suicide-jealous ex-husband was a good turn of events?
ANSWER: Nope!
ANSWER: Nope!
May 16, 2021
A not-so-convincing second chance story. H/h are divorced. Heroine is an aging model who can't act (ask her director ex-husband) and is looking to expand her career as a chat show host. Hero runs a studio and needs the heroine's shares in his company to stave off bankruptcy.
That's really the whole story. Even when the heroine offers to hand over the shares with no strings, hero decides he needs her back to salve his ego. Heroine just spends her time fending him off until the page count is met. I found them both uninteresting.
Thankfully, Boogenhagen wrote a detailed review so I don't have to.
That's really the whole story. Even when the heroine offers to hand over the shares with no strings, hero decides he needs her back to salve his ego. Heroine just spends her time fending him off until the page count is met. I found them both uninteresting.
Thankfully, Boogenhagen wrote a detailed review so I don't have to.
July 24, 2021
Not Charlotte Lamb’s best effort.
He’s a manipulative, jealous fool and she allows herself to be dragged along with him.
Their marriage broke up because his jealous behavior, accusing her of cheating when he was more than likely the cheater (second book I’ve read with an OW named Fenella). Their divorce has left him financially strapped and his production company is in trouble.
Now, he believes she didn’t cheat but is still jealous of any man that looks at her. She’s a model, men are looking, and he’s a nasty bully about it.
She offers to loan him the money from the divorce settlement. His response… He’ll take the money if she comes with the it. Huh? What type of weird blackmail is that?
He finds his funding and convinces the heroine his jealousy issues stem from his childhood, and apparently she can accept that. Talk of HEA and babies.
The end.
He’s a manipulative, jealous fool and she allows herself to be dragged along with him.
Their marriage broke up because his jealous behavior, accusing her of cheating when he was more than likely the cheater (second book I’ve read with an OW named Fenella). Their divorce has left him financially strapped and his production company is in trouble.
Now, he believes she didn’t cheat but is still jealous of any man that looks at her. She’s a model, men are looking, and he’s a nasty bully about it.
She offers to loan him the money from the divorce settlement. His response… He’ll take the money if she comes with the it. Huh? What type of weird blackmail is that?
He finds his funding and convinces the heroine his jealousy issues stem from his childhood, and apparently she can accept that. Talk of HEA and babies.
The end.
March 13, 2013
Why? Why would anyone want this H? I just don't see it! Nothing likable or redeemable about him. His jealousy was over the top, it destroyed their marriage the first time around and he hadn't changed. AT. ALL. UGH. Pure crap.
April 10, 2012
Sean and Nadine are divorced. His friend/business partner comes to her asking if she knows where Sean is and telling her that they need money for their struggling company. Some things are revealed in the conversation. No, Nadine had never been involved w/ OM, and surely Sean wasn’t involved w/ the OW. (but we don’t ever really know) Nadine goes off on her little vacation and soon Sean shows up in her room because of the revelations told to him by his buddy. He never believed Nadine when she denied an affair w/ OM, but he will believe his buddy who got the word from her! Of course, Sean still doesn’t fully trust that she wasn’t w/ the OM or any other after their divorce.
They also had other problems in their marriage: he wanted her to give up her work and have babies while she wasn’t ready to do that yet. Sean was over the top w/ his jealousy and he still can’t seem to trust her. However, Nadine seems to trust him when he denies an affair w/ OW during their marriage.
This one left me w/ one glaring question and prevented me from truly enjoying the book. Yes, I even wore my rose colored glasses, but they didn’t help either. The question of the OW was never fully answered. Nadine’s thoughts had Sean being obsessed w/ OW, always talking about her. She believed he left her for OW and he and OW were together for several months. Larry, Sean’s friend, states that Sean didn’t leave Nadine for OW that their marriage broke up over OM. Nadine says that Sean lied and that she had asked Sean outright if he was having an affair w/ OW and he did NOT deny it! So was he? Did he later after the divorce? What was going on? Other than that one question that was never fully solved for me, their r/s was very enjoyable to read about. I just didn’t like his possessiveness and whole jealousy of her and the OM’s working r/s while he went on about OW and worked away from home a lot. The way Sean constantly accused Nadine of being unfaithful reeked of him projecting on to her.
They also had other problems in their marriage: he wanted her to give up her work and have babies while she wasn’t ready to do that yet. Sean was over the top w/ his jealousy and he still can’t seem to trust her. However, Nadine seems to trust him when he denies an affair w/ OW during their marriage.
This one left me w/ one glaring question and prevented me from truly enjoying the book. Yes, I even wore my rose colored glasses, but they didn’t help either. The question of the OW was never fully answered. Nadine’s thoughts had Sean being obsessed w/ OW, always talking about her. She believed he left her for OW and he and OW were together for several months. Larry, Sean’s friend, states that Sean didn’t leave Nadine for OW that their marriage broke up over OM. Nadine says that Sean lied and that she had asked Sean outright if he was having an affair w/ OW and he did NOT deny it! So was he? Did he later after the divorce? What was going on? Other than that one question that was never fully solved for me, their r/s was very enjoyable to read about. I just didn’t like his possessiveness and whole jealousy of her and the OM’s working r/s while he went on about OW and worked away from home a lot. The way Sean constantly accused Nadine of being unfaithful reeked of him projecting on to her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
Lamb must have had an "I don't care" sort of day with this one. She doesn't resolve the issue of whether the H had an affair with the OW during their marriage. Not clearly. I disliked that post-divorce the H did have affairs (well, technically since they're kaputz it's not cheating) but I guess what I DID really dislike rather was that the h did NOT have any other guys. I really hate in stories where the h stays celibate while the H does not. Other than that the writing felt disjointed and bounced around abruptly like miles of rough road.
Tangent: when I think of an H who does stay celibate post-divorce, I have to give a shout out to Sherry Thomas' Not Quite a Husband. Loved it. And guess what? It didn't make the story dull so you know, take note future authors. It's not necessary to keep a reader on edge using that tactic...
Still. It's Lamb and I love her books. They're basically on the other end of the literary candy spectrum from Betty Neels which makes it awesome bouncing between the 2.
Tangent: when I think of an H who does stay celibate post-divorce, I have to give a shout out to Sherry Thomas' Not Quite a Husband. Loved it. And guess what? It didn't make the story dull so you know, take note future authors. It's not necessary to keep a reader on edge using that tactic...
Still. It's Lamb and I love her books. They're basically on the other end of the literary candy spectrum from Betty Neels which makes it awesome bouncing between the 2.
avoid
March 11, 2023Cheating H
August 6, 2019
Nadine had learned to cope with the rigors of a new life in the world of television. But after one chance meeting with Sean -- a year after their divorce -- peace had fled and excitement flared dangerously. He knew it,too... and was ruthlessly prepared to use Nadine"s weakness against her. Their marriage had been a battleground of mistrust and anger; his fame as a producer had come between them... and so had hers as a model. Would the unresolved desires that held past, present and future at bay seduce her into something she knew spelled disaster? (
July 11, 2026
Maybe an alternate title should have been "Be Careful of Those Ultraviolet Rays", because for a top fashion model whose looks are her priority, this h spends way too much time lying around in the sun!
And that's not the only thing that didn't make sense! The couple sure didn't! I didn't get any love vibe from either of them, just an urge to get naked, which was all their pathetic marriage amounted to. In other novels, when the H and h are divorced, you get the impression (no matter how deep in denial they pretend to be) that they still love each other and that they should have resolved whatever it was that kept them apart, but with these two all you feel is that they miss each other's bodies, and since the H was apparently getting naked with the (unseen but just mentioned) OW, he couldn't have been all that horny!
As for the h, I've noticed that reviewers tend to get huffy whenever the H sleeps with someone else while the h doesn't, but all she actually said was that she didn't sleep with the OM, she didn't say she didn't sleep with any other guy. Since she apparently went to a lot of parties for a while when they were first divorced (both she and the H were well acquainted with the jet set), and, being a fashion model, she had guys coming onto her all the time, who knows what she did, or who she did or how many she did? Unlike other h's whose introspection usually has them mentioning they weren't with anyone else, her musings never said that, so perhaps she indulged in a ONS or two, or three, or four??? But if so, she had no business being jealous of the H and OW. However, since some readers seem to want the h to hit the sheets with another man, perhaps this idea will make them feel better?
But in any case, this couple did NOT belong together! The H had too many anger issues, was almost pathologically jealous and seemed to be in a state of arrested adolescence, not to mention that his hair trigger temper made him pick a fight with a guy who was getting flirty with the h (he was drunk and was just being a bit silly) and nearly choke his friend/business partner when the guy was only trying to help get their production company started again by asking the h for capital. (He was a nice guy, a bit impulsive, but a good friend to the H, and did NOT deserve that!) And to top it off, the H has the cojones to order the guy out of his own office so that he can talk with the h alone! This was too much! (And the dumbo leaves when he should have called security and had the H thrown out!) The H needed serious help, not a reconciliation! Even as a friend he was dangerous!
And all that jealousy over the h being a model and guys looking at her, and HATING her modeling, when meanwhile she was a model when he met her and he still married her! If she had started that career after they got married and he got blindsided, I could understand, but he knew what he was getting when he proposed, so it was just so DUMB!!
Besides, plenty of women were attracted to him and openly flirted and while the h didn't like it and got jealous too, she didn't go berserk or make public scenes about it.
Another thing: if you want your ex-wife back, acting like a mature man might do the trick, rather than behaving like a horndog teenager who follows her everywhere and practically begs for it!
As for the h, she wasn't without faults. While I can understand her not wanting to get pregnant right away (she was only about 23 or 24 when they got married and at the height of her modelling career), she did get pretty "my way or the highway" about it, not wanting to compromise by agreeing to have a baby in about a year and hire a nanny to help out. No, she wants to take care of the baby herself, but that has to be when she wants it, and she's not ready yet, etc. etc.! I was waiting for the "my body my choice" trope, and while pregnancy and childbirth is no picnic, it also makes you realize that men do have it kind of tough in some ways. Who knows if this h perhaps made "her choice" and never bothered to tell the H anything? Wouldn't surprise me!
It's also silly how the H believed the h was sleeping with the OM, the h believed the H was sleeping with the OW, and then they get divorced and the H has an affair with the OW almost immediately, while the h may not have slept with the OM but sure spent a lot of time socializing with him, so it's no wonder they both thought they were right about the other's apparent infidelity.
And so many things are left dangling. How did he h's new career prospect (co-host on a talk show) turn out? Did the island artist ever finish his portrait of her? Was the h's miniseries a hit after all? Did he have to work with the OW again? (He was the director/producer, she was the leading actress.) Did the h ever progress in her own artistic aspirations?
And one other interesting thing: the H had accused the h of using men to get ahead in her career (the OM/photographer when she started modeling, and the H/director when she wanted to be an actress) and it was a good point but never discussed later. How come???
BTW: it seems both the H and h weren't too talented when it came to acting; her aspirations in that direction never got off the ground, while his were mediocre at best. So they had something in common: failure! So was their relationship!
A lot of times, I say how I think the story should have been written so it would have worked out better, but not this time! Nothing could make this work!
And that's not the only thing that didn't make sense! The couple sure didn't! I didn't get any love vibe from either of them, just an urge to get naked, which was all their pathetic marriage amounted to. In other novels, when the H and h are divorced, you get the impression (no matter how deep in denial they pretend to be) that they still love each other and that they should have resolved whatever it was that kept them apart, but with these two all you feel is that they miss each other's bodies, and since the H was apparently getting naked with the (unseen but just mentioned) OW, he couldn't have been all that horny!
As for the h, I've noticed that reviewers tend to get huffy whenever the H sleeps with someone else while the h doesn't, but all she actually said was that she didn't sleep with the OM, she didn't say she didn't sleep with any other guy. Since she apparently went to a lot of parties for a while when they were first divorced (both she and the H were well acquainted with the jet set), and, being a fashion model, she had guys coming onto her all the time, who knows what she did, or who she did or how many she did? Unlike other h's whose introspection usually has them mentioning they weren't with anyone else, her musings never said that, so perhaps she indulged in a ONS or two, or three, or four??? But if so, she had no business being jealous of the H and OW. However, since some readers seem to want the h to hit the sheets with another man, perhaps this idea will make them feel better?
But in any case, this couple did NOT belong together! The H had too many anger issues, was almost pathologically jealous and seemed to be in a state of arrested adolescence, not to mention that his hair trigger temper made him pick a fight with a guy who was getting flirty with the h (he was drunk and was just being a bit silly) and nearly choke his friend/business partner when the guy was only trying to help get their production company started again by asking the h for capital. (He was a nice guy, a bit impulsive, but a good friend to the H, and did NOT deserve that!) And to top it off, the H has the cojones to order the guy out of his own office so that he can talk with the h alone! This was too much! (And the dumbo leaves when he should have called security and had the H thrown out!) The H needed serious help, not a reconciliation! Even as a friend he was dangerous!
And all that jealousy over the h being a model and guys looking at her, and HATING her modeling, when meanwhile she was a model when he met her and he still married her! If she had started that career after they got married and he got blindsided, I could understand, but he knew what he was getting when he proposed, so it was just so DUMB!!
Besides, plenty of women were attracted to him and openly flirted and while the h didn't like it and got jealous too, she didn't go berserk or make public scenes about it.
Another thing: if you want your ex-wife back, acting like a mature man might do the trick, rather than behaving like a horndog teenager who follows her everywhere and practically begs for it!
As for the h, she wasn't without faults. While I can understand her not wanting to get pregnant right away (she was only about 23 or 24 when they got married and at the height of her modelling career), she did get pretty "my way or the highway" about it, not wanting to compromise by agreeing to have a baby in about a year and hire a nanny to help out. No, she wants to take care of the baby herself, but that has to be when she wants it, and she's not ready yet, etc. etc.! I was waiting for the "my body my choice" trope, and while pregnancy and childbirth is no picnic, it also makes you realize that men do have it kind of tough in some ways. Who knows if this h perhaps made "her choice" and never bothered to tell the H anything? Wouldn't surprise me!
It's also silly how the H believed the h was sleeping with the OM, the h believed the H was sleeping with the OW, and then they get divorced and the H has an affair with the OW almost immediately, while the h may not have slept with the OM but sure spent a lot of time socializing with him, so it's no wonder they both thought they were right about the other's apparent infidelity.
And so many things are left dangling. How did he h's new career prospect (co-host on a talk show) turn out? Did the island artist ever finish his portrait of her? Was the h's miniseries a hit after all? Did he have to work with the OW again? (He was the director/producer, she was the leading actress.) Did the h ever progress in her own artistic aspirations?
And one other interesting thing: the H had accused the h of using men to get ahead in her career (the OM/photographer when she started modeling, and the H/director when she wanted to be an actress) and it was a good point but never discussed later. How come???
BTW: it seems both the H and h weren't too talented when it came to acting; her aspirations in that direction never got off the ground, while his were mediocre at best. So they had something in common: failure! So was their relationship!
A lot of times, I say how I think the story should have been written so it would have worked out better, but not this time! Nothing could make this work!
May 21, 2012
3.5 stars
March 4, 2016
There was no chemistry between the characters. The h was self-centered and boring. The H was no better. Story sucked.
February 25, 2023
If I could I’d rate this book minus 10000.
I can’t even know where to begin.
I haven’t yet seen this much male chauvinism and gaslight and bullshit all in one book and all in one person that is the hero.
- he is a failure of a producer who became famous thanks to the money of his model wife the heroine, that he continuously and for all the duration of their marriage and afterwards he kept slut shaming and demeaning, telling her she was a ho who only wanted to have other mens attention and a wanna be actress without any talent.
Then he got infatuated with another actress with whom I can bet my skinny ass he was having at least an emotional affair when he was still married with the heroine, and made a serial just Made for her, which was a failure and got him financially ruined.
So, after the heroine divorced him and he gave her an allowance, since she basically kept him and sponsored him for years, he had an affair with the actress while of course the heroine stayed celibate and sad.
When he’s ruined, and his serial with the mistress actress resulted in a failure after which the mistress dumped him, he went back to the heroine because he wanted her, and her allowance, back.
All the time he kept slut shaming her while it was him who was a manho after the divorce and maybe even before.
And of course he blames the heroine again, because she married him to become an actress and when she didn’t succeed she left him.
Basically this useless excuse of a man who doesn’t even have the benefit of being the usual hp billionaire, (at least let’s make them rich pleas, if they don’t have any other uses! ) wanted a slutty doormat wife who pleased him in bed when he was alone, cooked his meal, gave him the money she gained with her work, so he could throw them away while screwing other women on the side.
And the saddest part is that eventually she took him back because she never stopped loving him.
Aaaaaaaaaaaargggggggghhhhhh!
Give me my UZI please!
I have some hp heroes to kill!
Please listen to my advice, don’t waste your time and don’t read this book.
It’s definitely the worst one I’ve read in some time.
I can’t even know where to begin.
I haven’t yet seen this much male chauvinism and gaslight and bullshit all in one book and all in one person that is the hero.
- he is a failure of a producer who became famous thanks to the money of his model wife the heroine, that he continuously and for all the duration of their marriage and afterwards he kept slut shaming and demeaning, telling her she was a ho who only wanted to have other mens attention and a wanna be actress without any talent.
Then he got infatuated with another actress with whom I can bet my skinny ass he was having at least an emotional affair when he was still married with the heroine, and made a serial just Made for her, which was a failure and got him financially ruined.
So, after the heroine divorced him and he gave her an allowance, since she basically kept him and sponsored him for years, he had an affair with the actress while of course the heroine stayed celibate and sad.
When he’s ruined, and his serial with the mistress actress resulted in a failure after which the mistress dumped him, he went back to the heroine because he wanted her, and her allowance, back.
All the time he kept slut shaming her while it was him who was a manho after the divorce and maybe even before.
And of course he blames the heroine again, because she married him to become an actress and when she didn’t succeed she left him.
Basically this useless excuse of a man who doesn’t even have the benefit of being the usual hp billionaire, (at least let’s make them rich pleas, if they don’t have any other uses! ) wanted a slutty doormat wife who pleased him in bed when he was alone, cooked his meal, gave him the money she gained with her work, so he could throw them away while screwing other women on the side.
And the saddest part is that eventually she took him back because she never stopped loving him.
Aaaaaaaaaaaargggggggghhhhhh!
Give me my UZI please!
I have some hp heroes to kill!
Please listen to my advice, don’t waste your time and don’t read this book.
It’s definitely the worst one I’ve read in some time.
November 12, 2023
2,25⭐
An extremely unconvincing HEA.
The two MCs have been divorced for a year due to numerous misunderstandings/jealousies and suspicions of affairs between them.
The heroine has been celibate throughout the separation (of course 🙄), while the hero not only had a relationship with the OW, whom the heroine distrusted when they were married, but the hero and the OW were about to get married until she dumped him because he was on the verge of bankruptcy!
And that's when the hero reappears in the heroine's life and decides to get her back 🤡.
Throughout the book I kept waiting for an explanation for this; how are we supposed to believe that the hero doesn't come back into the heroine's life simply because he's been dumped by his fiancée ??
The subject is never mentioned again, and despite his obsession and incessant jealousy of any man who comes near the heroine, I can't help thinking that the hero wouldn't have come back into the heroine's life if he hadn't been dumped, not to mention the fact that he made no attempt to get her back for a year.
Safety/ Spoilers
- No cheating
(but I'm not totally convinced that there was no emotional cheating from the H)
- OW drama : Hero had a relationship with the OW while he was separated from the heroine. But it's only mentioned at the beginning.
- OM drama: H is jealous of any man who talks to or shows any interest in the heroine, and is also convinced that she was having an affair with her agent during their marriage.
An extremely unconvincing HEA.
The two MCs have been divorced for a year due to numerous misunderstandings/jealousies and suspicions of affairs between them.
The heroine has been celibate throughout the separation (of course 🙄), while the hero not only had a relationship with the OW, whom the heroine distrusted when they were married, but the hero and the OW were about to get married until she dumped him because he was on the verge of bankruptcy!
And that's when the hero reappears in the heroine's life and decides to get her back 🤡.
Throughout the book I kept waiting for an explanation for this; how are we supposed to believe that the hero doesn't come back into the heroine's life simply because he's been dumped by his fiancée ??
The subject is never mentioned again, and despite his obsession and incessant jealousy of any man who comes near the heroine, I can't help thinking that the hero wouldn't have come back into the heroine's life if he hadn't been dumped, not to mention the fact that he made no attempt to get her back for a year.
Safety/ Spoilers
- No cheating
(but I'm not totally convinced that there was no emotional cheating from the H)
- OW drama : Hero had a relationship with the OW while he was separated from the heroine. But it's only mentioned at the beginning.
- OM drama: H is jealous of any man who talks to or shows any interest in the heroine, and is also convinced that she was having an affair with her agent during their marriage.
February 27, 2022
This hero is the biggest sexist chauvinistic jerk. The poor heroine did not deserve to be paired up with someone like him. The MCs are a divorced couple of one year when they run into each other at a studio. The hero follows the heroine to the West Indies where she has gone to vacation after working non-stop following the divorce as a coping mechanism. On the island, he follows her around and fights with men who hit on her. They argue about the reasons they divorced and I don't think she was wrong to leave him. Each thought the other was having an affair. The heroine denies having an affair, the hero never does. The hero also wanted the heroine to give up her career and start a family right away and when she didn't, he pulled away and became obsessed with the OW. Post-divorce, he took up with the OW for a year long relationship.
Nadine deserved so much better than this tool.
Nadine deserved so much better than this tool.
February 14, 2023
It’s Charlotte Lamb, so can’t hate it. The H is her typical jealous, possessive alpha. The h is her typical deer on the run for the alpha.
It was dumb when she offered him her shares for free and he only wanted to accept it if she came along with the shares. 🙄
It was dumb when she offered him her shares for free and he only wanted to accept it if she came along with the shares. 🙄
May 12, 2019
The H was borderline demented but I liked that about him. :D
October 21, 2019
Ihana ja jännittävä :)
December 16, 2022
Leisure read. I liked the book as it was themed on second chances. I did like the plot.
April 10, 2023
Not one of author’s good stories, in fact it’s awful. H acts like a future ax murderer and CL can’t make him behave for a semi plausible redemption/HEA. He’s too awful with no exit.
November 26, 2014
This one was actually pretty good until the end. When I got to the last page I had one of those... "wait, that's it?!" moments. They resolve nothing! They never talk about the OW, though they spend endless pages assuring the reader that the h has had no other relationships, It didn't feel like they sorted out any of the problems that led to their divorce so their HEA was bewildering to me.
October 12, 2015
Not a favourite of mine but an okay read.
January 26, 2016
Om discussed repeatedly but issue with OW never discussed at all.
March 15, 2021
3.5/5 η βαθμολογία του!
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