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For Better for Worse
A New York Times bestselling author offers a tale of three couples whose love is sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Nick parades his affairs in front of Fern even as he taunts her about his despised stepbrother--her forbidden love. Eleanor seems to have it all, but suddenly her life and her happy new marriage to Marcus begin unraveling. Zoe and Ben are exact opposites, but together they make a perfect team . . . until the unforeseen happens.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,133 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 23, 2022
All you need to read are the first 2 or 3 chapters and the last 3 and epilogue.
December 29, 2017
Imagine you have a coworker who does nothing but complain every single day—from the weather to their tiny salary raise to the watery coffee from the office pantry to the meeting room's thermostat setting—as soon as they step in at work until the end of their shift. Imagine you have a roommate who reads way too many issues of Cosmo and loves to analyze every single thing her asshole boyfriend has done since the conception of their relationship on Thanksgiving of 2008, loudly, in the living room or kitchen, obliging you to listen to her pseudo Freudian monologues every evening. Now, imagine that for some reason you're snowed in with both your negative Nancy coworker AND that boring ass roommate over a loooooong weekend. That's what reading this book feels like.
I mean holy shit do these characters never end with their unnecessary drama. These three couples and their ensemble of supporting characters are totally unlikeable, by the time I reached the predictably happy ending(s) it seemed improbable that any of these ungrateful little shits are capable of being normal and nice to each other. 400+ pages of bitching and negativity leads to a farcical epilogue of domestic harmony.
The only character I like is Cressy (who appears on ten pages total?) and I probably have a modicum of respect for Valerie who turned out to be a pretty cunning bitch a la Cersei Lannister. And what's up with the author's penchant for the word "frisson"? Frisson this frisson that. Get a vocabulary, woman. If this had been an audio book we could have done a drinking game out of it!
This is not a book I would have picked out for myself. It's a bookcrossing release I found in a cafe. I figured I should probably venture out of my comfort zone and try something I wouldn't normally read. But nah. Big mistake. I'm never reading another Penny Jordan ever.
I mean holy shit do these characters never end with their unnecessary drama. These three couples and their ensemble of supporting characters are totally unlikeable, by the time I reached the predictably happy ending(s) it seemed improbable that any of these ungrateful little shits are capable of being normal and nice to each other. 400+ pages of bitching and negativity leads to a farcical epilogue of domestic harmony.
The only character I like is Cressy (who appears on ten pages total?) and I probably have a modicum of respect for Valerie who turned out to be a pretty cunning bitch a la Cersei Lannister. And what's up with the author's penchant for the word "frisson"? Frisson this frisson that. Get a vocabulary, woman. If this had been an audio book we could have done a drinking game out of it!
This is not a book I would have picked out for myself. It's a bookcrossing release I found in a cafe. I figured I should probably venture out of my comfort zone and try something I wouldn't normally read. But nah. Big mistake. I'm never reading another Penny Jordan ever.
October 5, 2019
3,5/5 αστεράκια.
August 23, 2017
This is not a bad book its just very very long and very very boring. Its about a few couples and their dramas. Fern married Nick but didnt love him and he was abusive but she stayed because "good wives" stay. He cheats all the time and she cheated once( did not see that coming of Fern) Nick used her cheating against her also. It was sad and i felt sad for her buf i hated how submisive she was. In the end she Nick leaves her and she end up with nicks brother whom she always loved. Nick ends up being boy toy cuckold without knowing it. That part was good.
Then there is the marrird couple with blended family going with mid life crisis. He thinks about a young chick form work and she thinks about a house that would fix every thing. He does not have an affair they get a different house and all is well with his neglected daughter.
And then you have my least favorite couple that is Ben and Zoe. Ben was raised poor and Zoe waz not si ofcourse to Ben Zoe doesnt get his problems. She gets pregnant by accident and thinks he wont want the baby because he was pissed that his 16 year old sister got pregnant and he said he wouldnt want kids. She finds out anx makes plans to get it taken care of all thr while resenting Ben for not guessinh whats happening. I felt bad for Ben. Hd feels something is wrong and asks but she doesnt say anything and resents him for not guessing or asking more questions.
All in all not bad but all thr problems should have been resolved by a talk. Just a talk. It makes no sense writing about relationships wuth people that live together for a while and still make not talking and issue.
Then there is the marrird couple with blended family going with mid life crisis. He thinks about a young chick form work and she thinks about a house that would fix every thing. He does not have an affair they get a different house and all is well with his neglected daughter.
And then you have my least favorite couple that is Ben and Zoe. Ben was raised poor and Zoe waz not si ofcourse to Ben Zoe doesnt get his problems. She gets pregnant by accident and thinks he wont want the baby because he was pissed that his 16 year old sister got pregnant and he said he wouldnt want kids. She finds out anx makes plans to get it taken care of all thr while resenting Ben for not guessinh whats happening. I felt bad for Ben. Hd feels something is wrong and asks but she doesnt say anything and resents him for not guessing or asking more questions.
All in all not bad but all thr problems should have been resolved by a talk. Just a talk. It makes no sense writing about relationships wuth people that live together for a while and still make not talking and issue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2012
I read this December 2011 and just read it again now to review it. Gods it was an annoying and pathetic type book, at least for the characters. There was crap loads of drama and out of the stories and characters Fern annoyed me the worse but that's also what made me love her. She was such a submissive little thing taking abuse from her husband until Venice took control and took her hubby away from her. I laughed at that point and was pretty happy that Fern married Adam afterwards. The other characters weren't as well written in my opinion but the book was okay.
April 6, 2022
For Better For Worse was about three separate couples: First was Nick and Fern, then there was Eleanor "Nell" and Marcus, followed by Zoe Clinton and Benedict "Ben" Fraser. I'll try to write the review as best I can, giving all due diligence to each couple.
Side Note: It seems as if all three couples' relationships somehow revolved around one thing: a piece of prominent property called the Broughton House that was for sale. For Fern, it was a home that she adored and had always hoped to one day live in. For Eleanor, it had the potential to become a home big enough for her blended family to move into so they had more room to accommodate them all. For Zoe and Ben, it was a property that could potentially house their new business.
With the story of three separate couples combined into one, the author started telling the tale from one couple's perspective, then switched to the next, doing a mix-master of them so you couldn't read one at a time, then move on to another, like you would as if reading three different books. That made for a difficult time in keeping the storylines straight. That, at the very beginning of the book, caused a great deal of frustration for the reader...and it didn't stop till the very last word.
Marcus and Eleanor, together for 3 years, plus married for one, each brought children into their relationship. Eleanor had two sons: Gavin, aged 11, and 13-year-old Tom. Marcus had a daughter, Vanessa, age 14. But Vanessa didn't like Eleanor and, it seemed, the boys struggled to like Marcus. Also, there was something going on with Louise, Eleanor's business partner that didn't seem to be right, which also put stress on Nell’s marriage. And then, Marcus met a transfer student at work who...sexually excited him. Oh boy.
Fern and Nick's relationship was horrible. Nick, who was a manipulative b*st*rd, had one affair after another, and he constantly belittled Fern, even saying that she was to blame for him cheating on her. He went so far in his ill-treatment of her as to alienate her from any and all friends she used to have. I loved when the scales finally fell from her eyes and she finally saw Nick for who and what he truly was. Apparently, before they married, he had done everything he could to keep her from the man she truly loved...his stepbrother, Adam Wheelwright.
Ben and Zoe had, what she thought, was a very loving relationship. But then something in Ben's life threw a monkey wrench into the works and all hell broke loose. Ben's true thoughts and feelings about women, relationships, and babies came out in an angry, cruel flood of words, all hurled at Zoe, who had only been trying to offer him comfort. The struggles this couple endured were difficult to read, even more so than the other two couples. Though young and unmarried, their decisions, choices, and battles were what many unwed men and women dread, as well as grapple with.
You read the words before starting this book: "A compelling novel". There was nothing "compelling" about this diatribe in any way, shape, or form. It was pure, unadulterated vitriol of the worst kind. This book wasn't just about romance, passion, or chemistry, but rather about what couples from all walks of life have to endure on a daily basis. It wasn't a pretty story, that's for certain. A "hard read" doesn't even come close to describing what it was like. Agony? Torture? Perhaps. Whatever word you can choose to describe it still might not cover it all. It was worse than having teeth pulled without the added comfort of having the mouth numbed before the dentist started work.
I wanted to hate this book. I seriously did. In fact, I started out hating it. It was rough going, and I had to walk away from it more often than usual. But then something changed. I started reading it with my eyes wide open, not closing off to the nuances and harsh realities it portrayed. I didn't know where the author was heading with these stories. I mean, really? Who, in their right mind, writes a story that goes three different directions...but had one common thread...a piece of prime property? At first, it didn't make one iota of sense...not forgetting to mention just how ugly some of the characters were...and they WERE ugly.
The characters were all over the place. As previously stated, Nick was a right b*st*rd and that never changed. Fern seemed to be a doormat at first...well honestly for nearly the entire story...until she grew a backbone. Nell was a tough b*tch, but then, she pretty much had to be. Marcus was a hard a$$, in a big way. Of all the characters, he was the oldest and did not want to change from his familiar habits. Ben was...well the male version of a prude. This guy had so many hangups that he could have been considered a moralistic prig. Zoe, on the other hand, was more like a flower child from the 1960s. She definitely was not inhibited and had no problems sharing her feelings.
The emotions were all over the place, and the angst and drama were molten lava spewing miles into the atmosphere. The storyline was different than most novels of this genre, which was both a good thing as well as a bit disconcerting. Three romances woven into one book with one common thread is no easy task but was surprisingly well-done. Also surprising is the fact that the book merited a five-star rating and a place with the rest of my Keeper for the Shelves collection.
Side Note: It seems as if all three couples' relationships somehow revolved around one thing: a piece of prominent property called the Broughton House that was for sale. For Fern, it was a home that she adored and had always hoped to one day live in. For Eleanor, it had the potential to become a home big enough for her blended family to move into so they had more room to accommodate them all. For Zoe and Ben, it was a property that could potentially house their new business.
With the story of three separate couples combined into one, the author started telling the tale from one couple's perspective, then switched to the next, doing a mix-master of them so you couldn't read one at a time, then move on to another, like you would as if reading three different books. That made for a difficult time in keeping the storylines straight. That, at the very beginning of the book, caused a great deal of frustration for the reader...and it didn't stop till the very last word.
Marcus and Eleanor, together for 3 years, plus married for one, each brought children into their relationship. Eleanor had two sons: Gavin, aged 11, and 13-year-old Tom. Marcus had a daughter, Vanessa, age 14. But Vanessa didn't like Eleanor and, it seemed, the boys struggled to like Marcus. Also, there was something going on with Louise, Eleanor's business partner that didn't seem to be right, which also put stress on Nell’s marriage. And then, Marcus met a transfer student at work who...sexually excited him. Oh boy.
Fern and Nick's relationship was horrible. Nick, who was a manipulative b*st*rd, had one affair after another, and he constantly belittled Fern, even saying that she was to blame for him cheating on her. He went so far in his ill-treatment of her as to alienate her from any and all friends she used to have. I loved when the scales finally fell from her eyes and she finally saw Nick for who and what he truly was. Apparently, before they married, he had done everything he could to keep her from the man she truly loved...his stepbrother, Adam Wheelwright.
Ben and Zoe had, what she thought, was a very loving relationship. But then something in Ben's life threw a monkey wrench into the works and all hell broke loose. Ben's true thoughts and feelings about women, relationships, and babies came out in an angry, cruel flood of words, all hurled at Zoe, who had only been trying to offer him comfort. The struggles this couple endured were difficult to read, even more so than the other two couples. Though young and unmarried, their decisions, choices, and battles were what many unwed men and women dread, as well as grapple with.
You read the words before starting this book: "A compelling novel". There was nothing "compelling" about this diatribe in any way, shape, or form. It was pure, unadulterated vitriol of the worst kind. This book wasn't just about romance, passion, or chemistry, but rather about what couples from all walks of life have to endure on a daily basis. It wasn't a pretty story, that's for certain. A "hard read" doesn't even come close to describing what it was like. Agony? Torture? Perhaps. Whatever word you can choose to describe it still might not cover it all. It was worse than having teeth pulled without the added comfort of having the mouth numbed before the dentist started work.
I wanted to hate this book. I seriously did. In fact, I started out hating it. It was rough going, and I had to walk away from it more often than usual. But then something changed. I started reading it with my eyes wide open, not closing off to the nuances and harsh realities it portrayed. I didn't know where the author was heading with these stories. I mean, really? Who, in their right mind, writes a story that goes three different directions...but had one common thread...a piece of prime property? At first, it didn't make one iota of sense...not forgetting to mention just how ugly some of the characters were...and they WERE ugly.
The characters were all over the place. As previously stated, Nick was a right b*st*rd and that never changed. Fern seemed to be a doormat at first...well honestly for nearly the entire story...until she grew a backbone. Nell was a tough b*tch, but then, she pretty much had to be. Marcus was a hard a$$, in a big way. Of all the characters, he was the oldest and did not want to change from his familiar habits. Ben was...well the male version of a prude. This guy had so many hangups that he could have been considered a moralistic prig. Zoe, on the other hand, was more like a flower child from the 1960s. She definitely was not inhibited and had no problems sharing her feelings.
The emotions were all over the place, and the angst and drama were molten lava spewing miles into the atmosphere. The storyline was different than most novels of this genre, which was both a good thing as well as a bit disconcerting. Three romances woven into one book with one common thread is no easy task but was surprisingly well-done. Also surprising is the fact that the book merited a five-star rating and a place with the rest of my Keeper for the Shelves collection.
October 12, 2023
3 couples? 4?
This was a good book but there were too many characters and couples and the back and forth was tiring. However, the author is a talented writer and the plot was a good one. I did enjoy the book.
This was a good book but there were too many characters and couples and the back and forth was tiring. However, the author is a talented writer and the plot was a good one. I did enjoy the book.
May 15, 2013
liked the book, but it was jarring at times keeping the three spate stories that somewhat interacted straight. Hated several characters , loved others.... the book divided between three separate couples and the stage they were in , in their relationships... 1 a remarried couple who had children from previous marriages, a new couple beginning a relationship, and a married for a couple of years but unhappy.... a little something for all... if you can keep them straight..lol
May 13, 2013
I found this book to be a slow read and I found the characters to be annoying.
October 25, 2014
I hate this book.It is boring and the print in the book is so small I could barely see it.I don't recommend this book unless you want to be put to sleep.
June 11, 2016
Three interesting stories that eventually inter twine to show how all lives are connected. Three women must decide if their marriages are what they really want. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews