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Burning Memories
SHE WANTED ALL HIS LOVE.
Nicola's had never been a real marriage; Steve's real wife had been his job, and she only his mistress. He thrived on the dangerous life of a foreign correspondent until one day she gave him a choice: he could keep his career or save his marriage.
He opted for his career, and Nicola convinced herself she wanted the divorce she began seeking. Until one night Steve reappeared, ready to begin anew--in the same old way.
Nicola's head told her not to fall for him again, but how could she fight her heart?
Nicola's had never been a real marriage; Steve's real wife had been his job, and she only his mistress. He thrived on the dangerous life of a foreign correspondent until one day she gave him a choice: he could keep his career or save his marriage.
He opted for his career, and Nicola convinced herself she wanted the divorce she began seeking. Until one night Steve reappeared, ready to begin anew--in the same old way.
Nicola's head told her not to fall for him again, but how could she fight her heart?
- GenresHarlequin Romance
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
About the author
Laura Hardy
8 books3 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2018
Even in 1981, when this was written, I wouldn't have bought the HEA for this marriage in trouble story. Hero is a war correspondent. Heroine also works at the same newspaper as a researcher. Hero is always away from home, so heroine files for divorce and starts dating a wimp.
Hero returns after seeing some sort of massacre and everyone tries to convince the heroine to be nice to the hero because he's been through so much. *rolls eyes*
Heroine is a natural doormat, but she tries to assert herself. It doesn't work too well. She ends up ironing the hero's pants even as she's trying to kick him out of their apartment.
I will give her credit for not falling into bed with the hero until the second to the last chapter. Well done, doormat!
It's interesting how they finally solved their problems. Time was on the heroine's side. Hero was tired of traveling, he didn't want to upgrade to a career wife (the wannabe OW), and he finally got the editorial position he wanted. He was already married to the doormat of his dreams and now that she was pregnant, he could keep her contentedly at home while he played big bad editor.
There was absolutely no personal growth for either character. There were two OMs and one OW who were used and discarded in the making of this story.
Hero returns after seeing some sort of massacre and everyone tries to convince the heroine to be nice to the hero because he's been through so much. *rolls eyes*
Heroine is a natural doormat, but she tries to assert herself. It doesn't work too well. She ends up ironing the hero's pants even as she's trying to kick him out of their apartment.
I will give her credit for not falling into bed with the hero until the second to the last chapter. Well done, doormat!
It's interesting how they finally solved their problems. Time was on the heroine's side. Hero was tired of traveling, he didn't want to upgrade to a career wife (the wannabe OW), and he finally got the editorial position he wanted. He was already married to the doormat of his dreams and now that she was pregnant, he could keep her contentedly at home while he played big bad editor.
There was absolutely no personal growth for either character. There were two OMs and one OW who were used and discarded in the making of this story.
November 29, 2024
Gah. I loved this hero. 😂🤡 4.5 stars - only because I’m a little skeptical that he’ll be content at his desk job…. But this was a good one!
May 17, 2022
Wow, 5 stars.
He is a jealous, fierce alpha male.
She is a doormat with a spine. I didn’t know doormats with a spine exist, but apparently they do. She is a rare kind of doormat.
Most of all, I enjoyed this writer’s style. She writes vividly. The bickering felt alive, as if I was in the room with the H and h, and they were both feisty with their words.
And at other times it was a bit philosophical. Without being dreary or boring.
I love this:
- “It had always worked for women in the past.
When they softly submitted to the possessing male, they engulfed him with their warm bodies, possessing him in the act of possession, retaining him when he withdrew, always the victors on the abandoned field of battle which the man imagined he had conquered.
Women had weapons too subtile and too secret to defeat. Waxing and waning like the moon, they drew men like the tides, men helpless in their own strength, blind to their captivity.” -
I had to smile when I read that. Great, great writing.
He is a jealous, fierce alpha male.
She is a doormat with a spine. I didn’t know doormats with a spine exist, but apparently they do. She is a rare kind of doormat.
Most of all, I enjoyed this writer’s style. She writes vividly. The bickering felt alive, as if I was in the room with the H and h, and they were both feisty with their words.
And at other times it was a bit philosophical. Without being dreary or boring.
I love this:
- “It had always worked for women in the past.
When they softly submitted to the possessing male, they engulfed him with their warm bodies, possessing him in the act of possession, retaining him when he withdrew, always the victors on the abandoned field of battle which the man imagined he had conquered.
Women had weapons too subtile and too secret to defeat. Waxing and waning like the moon, they drew men like the tides, men helpless in their own strength, blind to their captivity.” -
I had to smile when I read that. Great, great writing.
September 12, 2018
#TSTL
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paperback english edition
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paperback english edition
August 8, 2026
Wet blanket heroine marries a daredevil war reporter and then files for divorce when he doesn't heed her ultimatum to stay at home and become a 9 to 5 husband. Arrogant, chauvinist hero married the wet blanket knowing full well that he wasn't really committed to a marriage. He simply went on living his life and returning home for brief periods only to use the wet blanket as temporary relief. The HEA is arrived at not because either of them grew up but simply out of convenience. Hero has PTSD from one to many wartime massacres and decided he is now ready for a cushy desk job, and heroine gets the 9 to 5 husband of her dreams. I read the French version (La Valse du Souvenir) and inexplicably, the heroine's name of Nicola is changed to ALBERTA lol. At least the translator had some fun with this.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews