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Un Reve Sans Vie
He took her proposal much too seriously
Davina hadn't been home for two years, not since a serious family quarrel. Now she was invited back for her sister's wedding -- the perfect chance to heal the break. But how could she face them all, especially when her sister was marrying Davina's ex-boyfriend? She needed a buffer, a pretend fiance of her own. Even though that was the coward's way out...
Jake Humphries -- her rich, handsome, sophisticated boss -- was the perfect candidate. To her amazement he volunteered to play the role. But when the wedding was over he wasn't willing to end the charade.
Davina hadn't been home for two years, not since a serious family quarrel. Now she was invited back for her sister's wedding -- the perfect chance to heal the break. But how could she face them all, especially when her sister was marrying Davina's ex-boyfriend? She needed a buffer, a pretend fiance of her own. Even though that was the coward's way out...
Jake Humphries -- her rich, handsome, sophisticated boss -- was the perfect candidate. To her amazement he volunteered to play the role. But when the wedding was over he wasn't willing to end the charade.
155 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1981
3 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Susan Alexander
154 books19 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 10, 2020
Holy Harlequin, Batman.
Wow, where to start. This little gem has it all. It has one of my favorite tropes: the heroine jilted by a former boyfriend/fiancee/lover only to find true love elsewhere. It also has one of my least favorite tropes: the insta-forgiveness of a trolling relative(s). Usually I take off a star for this issue, but Davina, yes Davina, actually loses her temper and is not as much of a doormat as she could be.
The plot is quite clear that Davina, or Ina as she is known at home, goes home for her sister's wedding to Davina' ex-fiancee. She explains the situation to Jake after falling asleep at his house. She takes Jake, her high powered boss, home as a fake fiancee. She falls asleep on the way to Cornwall. Angst, angst and more angst. All through the weekend, Jake is Sir Charm.
More hijinks with a visit to Jake's dad where our narcoleptic heroine falls asleep one more time; meets the Dad as well as the bratty little neighbor with a crush on Jake. More angst ensues and a little kissing.
Davina quits because... guess. She's in love with Jake and he will never love her. Sniffle. More angst.
To make a long story, short. The have a HEA. Davina is quite the stoic, buttoned up heroine though. Very few histrionics and she has a backbone.
Let us count the tropes...
Wow, where to start. This little gem has it all. It has one of my favorite tropes: the heroine jilted by a former boyfriend/fiancee/lover only to find true love elsewhere. It also has one of my least favorite tropes: the insta-forgiveness of a trolling relative(s). Usually I take off a star for this issue, but Davina, yes Davina, actually loses her temper and is not as much of a doormat as she could be.
The plot is quite clear that Davina, or Ina as she is known at home, goes home for her sister's wedding to Davina' ex-fiancee. She explains the situation to Jake after falling asleep at his house. She takes Jake, her high powered boss, home as a fake fiancee. She falls asleep on the way to Cornwall. Angst, angst and more angst. All through the weekend, Jake is Sir Charm.
More hijinks with a visit to Jake's dad where our narcoleptic heroine falls asleep one more time; meets the Dad as well as the bratty little neighbor with a crush on Jake. More angst ensues and a little kissing.
Davina quits because... guess. She's in love with Jake and he will never love her. Sniffle. More angst.
To make a long story, short. The have a HEA. Davina is quite the stoic, buttoned up heroine though. Very few histrionics and she has a backbone.
Let us count the tropes...
August 12, 2017
This is one angsty ride until the very end. Vintage wrote an excellent review of this so I won't go into plot details. I'll just trace the angst buildup:
It begins with the heroine's jilting (because her fiance had sex with her sister when she wouldn't "anticipate" the wedding).
Then her banishment from her home for two years because she caused her parents embarrassment by cancelling the wedding.
The heroine is asked to attend her sister's wedding to her ex for "family's sake."
The heroine's boss, our hero, offers to go as her fake fiance if she will pose as his fake fiance.
The heroine's father basically calls her a slut based on all of the lies her sister told.
Her sister shows her hatred and jealousy of the h.
Her ex tries to get her back.
Hero is angry that she met with the ex alone.
Hero's father prattles on and on about the H and how he hoped he'd marry the OW next door.
The OW tells the heroine the hero will never love her and will leave her at home while he has affairs.
Is that enough? NO because the real angst occurs when the heroine realizes she is in love with the H and she breaks it off with him, quitting her job, not speaking to anyone for days and losing weight. The hero is similarly affected. It's obvious he's been smitten for a long while. (He says since picking out her ring) The heroine's angst increases as the lies and misunderstandings pile up - unfortunately this feels very repetitious and pointless. I had to take a star off for the last third. The H/h are hardly together and a lot of zing left the story.
But finally the author has decided to put them out of their misery with a talk that could have happened forty pages earlier. HEA.
I liked both the H/h and how passionate they were - passionate in the sense of having strong views, strong words, and strong feelings. They were utterly loyal to each other after they parted and they each suffered for it. But neither one wanted to quit suffering. They were truly martyrs for misunderstandings. Give this one a whirl if you're feel the need for some torturous romance.
It begins with the heroine's jilting (because her fiance had sex with her sister when she wouldn't "anticipate" the wedding).
Then her banishment from her home for two years because she caused her parents embarrassment by cancelling the wedding.
The heroine is asked to attend her sister's wedding to her ex for "family's sake."
The heroine's boss, our hero, offers to go as her fake fiance if she will pose as his fake fiance.
The heroine's father basically calls her a slut based on all of the lies her sister told.
Her sister shows her hatred and jealousy of the h.
Her ex tries to get her back.
Hero is angry that she met with the ex alone.
Hero's father prattles on and on about the H and how he hoped he'd marry the OW next door.
The OW tells the heroine the hero will never love her and will leave her at home while he has affairs.
Is that enough? NO because the real angst occurs when the heroine realizes she is in love with the H and she breaks it off with him, quitting her job, not speaking to anyone for days and losing weight. The hero is similarly affected. It's obvious he's been smitten for a long while. (He says since picking out her ring) The heroine's angst increases as the lies and misunderstandings pile up - unfortunately this feels very repetitious and pointless. I had to take a star off for the last third. The H/h are hardly together and a lot of zing left the story.
But finally the author has decided to put them out of their misery with a talk that could have happened forty pages earlier. HEA.
I liked both the H/h and how passionate they were - passionate in the sense of having strong views, strong words, and strong feelings. They were utterly loyal to each other after they parted and they each suffered for it. But neither one wanted to quit suffering. They were truly martyrs for misunderstandings. Give this one a whirl if you're feel the need for some torturous romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2019
Heroine's boss volunteers to act as her fake fiance to support her emotionally upon her return to her native village, where she has to bear witness to her toady ex marrying her tart sister.
Jane Donnelly did this trope better in Four Weeks in Winter.
Jane Donnelly did this trope better in Four Weeks in Winter.
February 17, 2016
This one was ok just not fantastic and the big misunderstanding just dragged and dragged. For too long. They don't have sex and she is a sweet old fashion girl but he is the wolf for sure at he door. I liked it but I did not love.
June 25, 2022
I liked it. She was childish and repressed and the victim of familial injustice, whereas he was a pouty sulker who was so sexually frustrated that I was a little uncomfortable for his lack of self-awareness.
July 31, 2022
I enjoyed the storyline but found it to be a bit repetitious and in need of some serious editing. Everything was thrown in but the kitchen sink. There were so many Harley tropes that my head was spinning. ;D
November 13, 2015
Meh. The h, Davina has been working for the H jake for more than a year. She has to go home on the weekend for her sister's wedding to her EX-fiancée. Yes bitch sister stole her BF, so naturally she s not too excited. The H Jake, her boss suggests that she brings him as a surprise fiancée. He also needs a temp fiancée to present to his sick dad, so it's should be a win win situation. Anyway they turn up at her home. Mom is lovely, sister is bitchy (of course sis is insecure that her soon to be husband actually still loves his ex fiancé ) and dad is unaccountably horrible - go figure! How anybody can humiliate their daughter I don't understand. They get through the weekend lots of angst. A few kisses between H and h, to show they are attracted to each othe maybe? Then they proceed to H's sick dad, are confronted with a spiteful teenage OW who flirts w the H. H seems receptive then suddenly in the space of those 3 days the h realizes she loves the H!! Then she decides, that because of this , it's too painful to be in his presence so she avoids him and resigns from her beloved well paying job. Oh in the meantime the H has proposed a real marriage but since he doesn't profess the expected ILY she refuses him. Then the book proceeds for the next 6 months with her changing jobs so they hardly encounter each other! Of course there are even more misunderstandings and they manage to Screw up their few meeting anyway. I just felt annoyed and fed up w the story by that time. They get their HEA in the end but I can't help feeling they ll screw it up somehow again next time.
August 2, 2022
Even if I don't like the sister, I agreed with her assessment of the h!
January 29, 2013
Very angsty, intense older HP. By the end all the angsty encounters leading nowhere were getting a little repetitive, but overall this was very readable. I liked that you could see that the hero was head-over-heels. First time I've seen a heroine named Davina -- seems like up until now Davina has always been the name of the OW.
January 31, 2014
Okay, now I know why the writing and talking was so weird. It was written and published when I wasn't even born!
I feel better knowing it now. It would have been a weird book if it was dated in the present. Because Davina was totally naive. Well, okay, maybe she was still too naive and innocent even for the time the book was written, but it was more normal behaviour for a girl then anyway.
That said, I didn't like Jake at all. He was kind of violent most of the time and scared me all the way to hell! Seriously! I'd have run away from him as though all hellhounds were after me! So, I didn't see why Davina was so attracted to him or why she even fell in love with him. Unless she was a total submissive and liked to be bossed and dominated by older, bigger, scary men. And her behaviour made me want to hit my head against the wall so very often.
Davina's father annoyed me terribly and angered me.
Her sister, Monica, was hateful and a hypocrite.
Philip was an idiot.
I only liked Georgina.
The story was nice. But I didn't like the characters.
I feel better knowing it now. It would have been a weird book if it was dated in the present. Because Davina was totally naive. Well, okay, maybe she was still too naive and innocent even for the time the book was written, but it was more normal behaviour for a girl then anyway.
That said, I didn't like Jake at all. He was kind of violent most of the time and scared me all the way to hell! Seriously! I'd have run away from him as though all hellhounds were after me! So, I didn't see why Davina was so attracted to him or why she even fell in love with him. Unless she was a total submissive and liked to be bossed and dominated by older, bigger, scary men. And her behaviour made me want to hit my head against the wall so very often.
Davina's father annoyed me terribly and angered me.
Her sister, Monica, was hateful and a hypocrite.
Philip was an idiot.
I only liked Georgina.
The story was nice. But I didn't like the characters.
March 9, 2023
Odio que terminen así de abrupto estos libros ¡Quiero más!
Estuvo muy bueno, tuve tantos sentimientos, estos protagonistas merecen unas buenas cachetadas para que despierten, estaban bien ciegos, nada como hablar para aclarar todo pero como es un libro hay que dramatizar jajaja, aún así me encanto.
Estuvo muy bueno, tuve tantos sentimientos, estos protagonistas merecen unas buenas cachetadas para que despierten, estaban bien ciegos, nada como hablar para aclarar todo pero como es un libro hay que dramatizar jajaja, aún así me encanto.
October 28, 2018
Reread many times
Dated rereads:
22-3 October 2018
Dated rereads:
22-3 October 2018
September 3, 2021
J'ai passé un très bon moment. Il y a beaucoup de choses que j'aime dans ce livre, sauf quand elle démissionne. Là, je n'ai pas compris. Je suppose que c'est censé ajouter de la dramatisation...
November 2, 2019
Davina fled her home after knowing her beloved fiancee cheated her with her own sister. Two years in working in London with enigmatic Jake Humphries didn't lessen the hurt. When her mother sent her her sister's wedding invitation to her ex-fiancee, she was shattered and Jake noticed that, so one evening when she finally confessed her dilemma, he suggested they pretend to be engaged for her sake, her parent's sake and for his ailing father's sake. It all went so well, tell she discovered she was already in love with Jake himself!
I loved this novel. So realistic and events are not rushed at all. So engrossing as well. Recommend.
I loved this novel. So realistic and events are not rushed at all. So engrossing as well. Recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2014
I liked how the H was so crazy about the h but there were just too many separations. It was ridiculous; weeks would pass before they see each other and then months.
January 28, 2015
I LOVED it!!!!
Definitely one of my top five harlequins!!!!!
Definitely one of my top five harlequins!!!!!
pback-to-read
April 23, 2019Davina hadn't been home for two years, not since a serious family quarrel. Now she was invited back for her sister's wedding -- the perfect chance to heal the break. But how could she face them all, especially when her sister was marrying Davina's ex-boyfriend? She needed a buffer, a pretend fiance of her own. Even though that was the coward's way out...
Jake Humphries -- her rich, handsome, sophisticated boss -- was the perfect candidate. To her amazement he volunteered to play the role. But when the wedding was over he wasn't willing to end the charade.
Jake Humphries -- her rich, handsome, sophisticated boss -- was the perfect candidate. To her amazement he volunteered to play the role. But when the wedding was over he wasn't willing to end the charade.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews