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no gentle possession
She thought she'd put the past behind herKaren Sinclair was deeply ashamed of her brief, inglorious love affair with Alexis Whitney seven years earlier. Since then she'd settled down--with an interesting job and a steady boyfriend.Everything was so calm and pleasant that when Alexis unexpectedly came back into her life, Karen was shocked to realize she still found him disturbingly attractive.But Alexua hadn't been the least bit interested in marriage all those years ago. And with his beautiful stepmother, Michelle, around, why should he be interested now...?
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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103 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mather
799 books360 followersAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 7, 2021
Anne Mather’s No Gentle Possession consists of two plot points she’s employed many times in her works: separated lovers and cheating.
The Plot
Well, in this book, it wasn’t so much a case of separated lovers as two people who briefly dated in the past. The heroine broke it off with the hero when she thought his relationship with his young stepmother was a bit too close for comfort and creepy.
Karen Sinclair likes her life just how it is. She has a job and a boyfriend and lives in a nice little town. Sure she’s not wealthy like some other families in town, but she’s happy. What more could she ask for? To her shock and dismay, she meets up again with Alexis Whitney, a man from a well-heeled family she’d been involved with years earlier and never forgot. For Alexis, however, their relationship hadn’t been significant (they didn’t have sex), so he doesn’t even remember Karen.
Karen’s pride is a bit wounded, although she tries to put on a brave face. While Alexis may not recall their time together, he seeks to remedy that by starting a new relationship. So he begins pursuit of Karen, which baffles and insults her while intriguing her at the same time. But she has that steady boyfriend who’s a better suit for her than the love-them-and-leave-them type. Besides, Alexis’s stepmother is still in the picture and still seems to have an unseemingly interest in him.
Nevertheless, Alexis always seems to be wherever she goes, and soon enough, Karen is having those old feelings for him. Despite her commitment to her current boyfriend, she finds it hard to resist Alexis’s aggressive passes at her. I sort of wanted to give Karen a good kick in the rear to get her to wake up; she’s so inconsistent in her feelings. Even so, I like Alexis as a hero. He was an arrogant douchebag, but an arrogant douche bag with style and charisma.
Fun Fact:
No Gentle Possession was—like many other HPs—offered free with dish detergent.
Anne Mather must have been the bomb back in the 1970s and early 1980s. Her books were often reprinted to great success, and one of her Harlequins, Leopard in the Snow, was made into a movie starring Mr. 2001 Space Odyssey Canadian cutie, Keir Dullea. Despite being a box-office failure, it was quite a big deal for a little category romance to be made into a major motion picture.
Final Analysis of No Gentle Possession
Anne Mather was one of Harlequin Presents most popular authors, especially in the line’s early years. She rarely disappointed, and No Gentle Possession is a good oldie romance. There are a few loose ends with the stepmother, and the conclusion is a bit abrupt, but all in all, I liked this one.
3 1/2 stars
The Plot
Well, in this book, it wasn’t so much a case of separated lovers as two people who briefly dated in the past. The heroine broke it off with the hero when she thought his relationship with his young stepmother was a bit too close for comfort and creepy.
Karen Sinclair likes her life just how it is. She has a job and a boyfriend and lives in a nice little town. Sure she’s not wealthy like some other families in town, but she’s happy. What more could she ask for? To her shock and dismay, she meets up again with Alexis Whitney, a man from a well-heeled family she’d been involved with years earlier and never forgot. For Alexis, however, their relationship hadn’t been significant (they didn’t have sex), so he doesn’t even remember Karen.
Karen’s pride is a bit wounded, although she tries to put on a brave face. While Alexis may not recall their time together, he seeks to remedy that by starting a new relationship. So he begins pursuit of Karen, which baffles and insults her while intriguing her at the same time. But she has that steady boyfriend who’s a better suit for her than the love-them-and-leave-them type. Besides, Alexis’s stepmother is still in the picture and still seems to have an unseemingly interest in him.
Nevertheless, Alexis always seems to be wherever she goes, and soon enough, Karen is having those old feelings for him. Despite her commitment to her current boyfriend, she finds it hard to resist Alexis’s aggressive passes at her. I sort of wanted to give Karen a good kick in the rear to get her to wake up; she’s so inconsistent in her feelings. Even so, I like Alexis as a hero. He was an arrogant douchebag, but an arrogant douche bag with style and charisma.
Fun Fact:
No Gentle Possession was—like many other HPs—offered free with dish detergent.
Anne Mather must have been the bomb back in the 1970s and early 1980s. Her books were often reprinted to great success, and one of her Harlequins, Leopard in the Snow, was made into a movie starring Mr. 2001 Space Odyssey Canadian cutie, Keir Dullea. Despite being a box-office failure, it was quite a big deal for a little category romance to be made into a major motion picture.
Final Analysis of No Gentle Possession
Anne Mather was one of Harlequin Presents most popular authors, especially in the line’s early years. She rarely disappointed, and No Gentle Possession is a good oldie romance. There are a few loose ends with the stepmother, and the conclusion is a bit abrupt, but all in all, I liked this one.
3 1/2 stars
October 4, 2016
A nice read from 1980.
Karen makes such a big deal out of this affair years earlier but they had only dated and kissed. She calls a halt to their relationship before their weekend alone. Alexis' womanizing rep and stepmother's flirting give her doubts as to how serious he is.
Years pass and Alexis comes back but has forgotten her. Which kind of erks her. But he seems determined to start something again even with the presence of her steady man. He keeps seaking her out and before long she is dreaming of him.
The sparks they share are spicy, his desire to change is wonderful, and her desire is sweet. But all her back and forth and making everything such an epic event was annoying.
Karen makes such a big deal out of this affair years earlier but they had only dated and kissed. She calls a halt to their relationship before their weekend alone. Alexis' womanizing rep and stepmother's flirting give her doubts as to how serious he is.
Years pass and Alexis comes back but has forgotten her. Which kind of erks her. But he seems determined to start something again even with the presence of her steady man. He keeps seaking her out and before long she is dreaming of him.
The sparks they share are spicy, his desire to change is wonderful, and her desire is sweet. But all her back and forth and making everything such an epic event was annoying.
April 12, 2018
2.75🌟
Slow moving story especially the middle the story lost steam. This was story where couple reunite but there is no detailed account in terms of flashback for example about their past , only a reference but it made the story incomplete.
Slow moving story especially the middle the story lost steam. This was story where couple reunite but there is no detailed account in terms of flashback for example about their past , only a reference but it made the story incomplete.
August 12, 2021
She thought she'd put the past behind her.
Karen Sinclair was deeply ashamed of her brief, inglorious love affair with Alexis Whitney seven years earlier. Since then she'd settled down--with an interesting job and a steady boyfriend.
Everything was so calm and pleasant that when Alexis unexpectedly came back into her life, Karen was shocked to realize she still found him disturbingly attractive.
But Alexua hadn't been the least bit interested in marriage all those years ago. And with his beautiful stepmother, Michelle, around, why should he be interested now...?
Karen Sinclair was deeply ashamed of her brief, inglorious love affair with Alexis Whitney seven years earlier. Since then she'd settled down--with an interesting job and a steady boyfriend.
Everything was so calm and pleasant that when Alexis unexpectedly came back into her life, Karen was shocked to realize she still found him disturbingly attractive.
But Alexua hadn't been the least bit interested in marriage all those years ago. And with his beautiful stepmother, Michelle, around, why should he be interested now...?
August 14, 2012
The hero and heroine had a brief affair but when the heroine realized the relationship was going no where and the heroes stepmother was making sexual advances towards the hero, the heroine broke it off. Now the heroine is settling down, she has a great job and boyfriend but the hero shows up and begins to destroy everything the heroine thought she wanted.
July 4, 2013
Boring, I love old harlequin and understand they are a little slower than more current books. But having said that it was still really boring
February 15, 2020
The title was more exciting than the story.
September 20, 2017
No Gentle Possession
This was about two people who were born in the same village, but grew up differently. He had money and moved to London and was a rake. She stayed and became a teacher. Their paths cross several time before the last time. That's when the story starts. His father had remarried a year after his mother died. To a much younger woman. She gave U a hard time, by wanting him. But when he has h help things get dicey. What happens next is the rest of the story.
This was about two people who were born in the same village, but grew up differently. He had money and moved to London and was a rake. She stayed and became a teacher. Their paths cross several time before the last time. That's when the story starts. His father had remarried a year after his mother died. To a much younger woman. She gave U a hard time, by wanting him. But when he has h help things get dicey. What happens next is the rest of the story.
March 16, 2023
Karen at 17 has a short love experience with very rich Alexis Whitney...now she is with a very steady, somewhat dull man, Ray...a teacher in the same school.
She meets Alexis again in Austria at a ski resort...he doesn't recognize her but she does know who he is....they meet again in England wheh Alexis becomes a manager in a mill where Karen's father is also in management.
Of course, the story ends happily but not before a lot of misunderstandings and second thoughts.
She meets Alexis again in Austria at a ski resort...he doesn't recognize her but she does know who he is....they meet again in England wheh Alexis becomes a manager in a mill where Karen's father is also in management.
Of course, the story ends happily but not before a lot of misunderstandings and second thoughts.
October 14, 2023
What a crap
It was all drama, how and when people fall in and out of love
Stupidity
Melodramatic h with bout of rash decisions, playboy H, not sure how long will he stay true to her.
It was all drama, how and when people fall in and out of love
Stupidity
Melodramatic h with bout of rash decisions, playboy H, not sure how long will he stay true to her.
September 25, 2024
Enjoyed reading this book
November 2, 2019
Karen met Alexis at college when she was seventeen and was about to embark in an affair with him for two weeks when her father discovered this and brought her back home. She never forgot Alexis for years, but it seems he did since he didn't recognize her at their second meeting after seven long years which really infuriated her and intrigued him!
The story starts interestingly, but fails to grab the attention for long. No suspense, angst or anything! a plain old story.
The story starts interestingly, but fails to grab the attention for long. No suspense, angst or anything! a plain old story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 3, 2009No stars for this high-school potboiler. I was able to pickup this book for "free?" thanks to my purchase of Ivory Soap. This is the first book in a Harlequin series that I have ever read and now that I'm older, I find that it is definitely a book that you read when you are very young and basically naive about the ways of men and women. The plot: lower working class teacher, Karen Sinclair, falls for wealthy upper working class rake, Alexis Whitney. She's 24 and acts 15; he's near 30. Lust/feelings are rekindled during a chance encounter at an Austrian ski resort. They get back to Wakeley and realize that they need to pickup where they left off seven year prior.
Read
July 1, 2018She thought she'd put the past behind her.
Karen Sinclair was deeply ashamed of her brief, inglorious love affair with Alexis Whitney seven years earlier. Since then she'd settled down--with an interesting job and a steady boyfriend.
Everything was so calm and pleasant that when Alexis unexpectedly came back into her life, Karen was shocked to realize she still found him disturbingly attractive.
But Alexis hadn't been the least bit interested in marriage all those years ago. And with his beautiful stepmother, Michelle, around, why should he be interested now...?
Karen Sinclair was deeply ashamed of her brief, inglorious love affair with Alexis Whitney seven years earlier. Since then she'd settled down--with an interesting job and a steady boyfriend.
Everything was so calm and pleasant that when Alexis unexpectedly came back into her life, Karen was shocked to realize she still found him disturbingly attractive.
But Alexis hadn't been the least bit interested in marriage all those years ago. And with his beautiful stepmother, Michelle, around, why should he be interested now...?
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews