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A Sudden Sunlight
For Natalia Indrisi, the nightmare began when she woke from unconsciousness. She couldn't remember her accident, nor the man claiming to be her fiance. Worst of all, she couldn't remember the baby whose arrival was only a few months away.To Matt Hardinge, everything seemed possible once Natalia stirred and opened her eyes. Now he could make a life for her and the child. But there were things she couldn't remember--shouldn't remember. Yet the more he strove to protect her from the past, the more he endangered his dreams for their future.
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1989
About the author
Laurey Bright
46 books40 followersLaurey Bright is another pen name of Daphne Clair.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 14, 2017
Forget me for a month, a year,
But, oh, beloved, think of me
When unexpected beauty burns
Like sudden sunlight on the sea
Sara Teasdale, Rivers to the Sea, 1915
A surprisingly satisfying amnesia-themed romantic suspense from Laurey Bright. I liked that she played it to the end instead of having the heroine selectively or conveniently recover her memory at a crucial moment. The way she did it here, she managed to maintain suspense quite effectively to the bitter end. Though it was predictable who the bad guys and the good guys were, it did not lessen my enjoyment any. The evocative setting on an island off the coast of Australia, the lovely allusions to Sarah Teasdale and Christina Rossetti, and a great hero (even if he was a patronizing nincompoop at times) offset the lack of romance and an annoying, wishy-washy heroine. Overall, it was a very entertaining read.
But, oh, beloved, think of me
When unexpected beauty burns
Like sudden sunlight on the sea
Sara Teasdale, Rivers to the Sea, 1915
A surprisingly satisfying amnesia-themed romantic suspense from Laurey Bright. I liked that she played it to the end instead of having the heroine selectively or conveniently recover her memory at a crucial moment. The way she did it here, she managed to maintain suspense quite effectively to the bitter end. Though it was predictable who the bad guys and the good guys were, it did not lessen my enjoyment any. The evocative setting on an island off the coast of Australia, the lovely allusions to Sarah Teasdale and Christina Rossetti, and a great hero (even if he was a patronizing nincompoop at times) offset the lack of romance and an annoying, wishy-washy heroine. Overall, it was a very entertaining read.
May 15, 2016
This is such a sad book, but strangely compelling. I couldn't help wondering how it would turn out.
The heroine, Natalia wakes up in hospital from a coma. She is told that she has been severely injured in an accident, has partial amnesia and is pregnant. Her fiance Matt is there but she doesn't remember him and how they met and fell in love several months previously. Although she remembers her childhood and the previous year. He has been by her bedside all these months and has been reading to her and playing music. She is told that while she was in a coma, her father passed away so she is completely alone.
As soon as Natalia is discharged from hospital, Matt loses no time and marries her. One gets the feeling that he is worried about her and wants to protect her. He takes her to the island and treats her gently to the point of being over-protective. Natalia's late father was a very rich man and now everything belongs to Natalia. The financial affairs have been taken over by her father's right hand man, Paul, who also wanted to marry Natalia. However she has never had any romantic feelings towards him. Paul tries to discredit Matt by telling Natalia that he is a con-man and a fortune hunter and he even has a background report on him, but Natalia refuses to listen.
SPOILERS!!!
The story takes place over several months and the reader realizes more and more that the child Natalia carries is probably not Matt's and there was more to the trauma she suffered which may be why she is blocking it out of her memory. The author does a good job of keeping up the suspense on this issue. It is also a big obstacle to Natalia and Matt having a normal relationship, even after the child is born. There is also a minor character who seems to be stalking Natalia.
Then Paul comes to the island and once more tries to convince Natalia to divorce Matt. When Natalia refuses and tells him that even if she were divorced, she would never marry him, he goes into a rage. Then he tries to kidnap her baby and the daughter of a guest. There is a chase and a plane crash, and the rest of the back story gets revealed.
Several months ago, Paul in need of money, conspired with some crooks (one of whom was the stalker) to kidnap Natalia so he could get a ransom from her father. But when the father learned of the kidnapping, he got a heart attack and died, so the funds were not released. When the kidnappers heard, one of them raped Natalia and then they threw her out of the car, and she was found in a ditch. Such a sad sad story, however Matt's patience and tenderness to Natalia won the day in the end. He is truly a wonderful hero, how he tried to protect and care for Natalia the whole time. He convinced her that the child was his so she wouldn't have to remember the trauma she went through and he treated the baby like his own. I felt so bad for what Natalia and Matt had to go through and its a testament to their love that it survived.
The heroine, Natalia wakes up in hospital from a coma. She is told that she has been severely injured in an accident, has partial amnesia and is pregnant. Her fiance Matt is there but she doesn't remember him and how they met and fell in love several months previously. Although she remembers her childhood and the previous year. He has been by her bedside all these months and has been reading to her and playing music. She is told that while she was in a coma, her father passed away so she is completely alone.
As soon as Natalia is discharged from hospital, Matt loses no time and marries her. One gets the feeling that he is worried about her and wants to protect her. He takes her to the island and treats her gently to the point of being over-protective. Natalia's late father was a very rich man and now everything belongs to Natalia. The financial affairs have been taken over by her father's right hand man, Paul, who also wanted to marry Natalia. However she has never had any romantic feelings towards him. Paul tries to discredit Matt by telling Natalia that he is a con-man and a fortune hunter and he even has a background report on him, but Natalia refuses to listen.
SPOILERS!!!
The story takes place over several months and the reader realizes more and more that the child Natalia carries is probably not Matt's and there was more to the trauma she suffered which may be why she is blocking it out of her memory. The author does a good job of keeping up the suspense on this issue. It is also a big obstacle to Natalia and Matt having a normal relationship, even after the child is born. There is also a minor character who seems to be stalking Natalia.
Then Paul comes to the island and once more tries to convince Natalia to divorce Matt. When Natalia refuses and tells him that even if she were divorced, she would never marry him, he goes into a rage. Then he tries to kidnap her baby and the daughter of a guest. There is a chase and a plane crash, and the rest of the back story gets revealed.
Several months ago, Paul in need of money, conspired with some crooks (one of whom was the stalker) to kidnap Natalia so he could get a ransom from her father. But when the father learned of the kidnapping, he got a heart attack and died, so the funds were not released. When the kidnappers heard, one of them raped Natalia and then they threw her out of the car, and she was found in a ditch. Such a sad sad story, however Matt's patience and tenderness to Natalia won the day in the end. He is truly a wonderful hero, how he tried to protect and care for Natalia the whole time. He convinced her that the child was his so she wouldn't have to remember the trauma she went through and he treated the baby like his own. I felt so bad for what Natalia and Matt had to go through and its a testament to their love that it survived.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
This was good, but not an easy read, and if you're looking for a lot of romance/love scenes, you won't find them here. If you like your stories mixed with mystery, intrigue, and a bit of crime drama, then this is one for you.
I have a preference for amnesia stories (as well as ones where there's a quick marriage), so right away this held my interest, but I was a bit disappointed in the relationship between the H and h. Without her memory of him, and with him trying to relate to the "new" her, there wasn't much in the way of emotions, everything just fell flat. Even the disagreements and misunderstandings were kind of lame, without the emotional/sexual tension that's supposed to go with them. When they're missing, it loses a lot.
While told she and the H had a "true love" (enough to make her defy her father to be with him), all she seems to feel for him is a kind of friendship/gratitude, which later gets tainted with suspicion, as well as an attraction she can't handle. On his part, he talks of his love and desire for her, but it never really feels all that strong. He's patient and gentle with her (with a few lapses, but no "forced seduction"), as well as concerned and protective, but never talks much about their past together, hints but no specifics, except for one area, and that turned out to be a lie.
There was the old "for her own good" trope, which meant leaving out details that in my opinion - no matter how painful - she had a right to know. A terrible crime was committed against her (kidnapping/rape), which she had no memory of, and everyone (the H, faithful servants who were more like family, her best friend and the woman's husband, and her doctor) seemed to think it was better to keep her in the dark. They figured her mind blocked out the trauma in protective mode, and didn't want to force the issue, but to me, if her memory should come back, it would be a horrible shock and maybe more damaging than letting her know the truth. She may not have remembered, but she'd have known what was done to her, and that way if awful memories started surfacing, she'd have been more or less prepared.
As it was, her injuries/prolonged unconscious state/memory loss was described as the results of a car accident. (In actuality, the kidnappers threw her out of a moving car when their plans went awry.) When told she's pregnant (a real shock, as she came from a traditional Italian background, and didn't believe in sex before marriage), the H steps up and takes the blame, claiming he seduced her one night, and came on so strong she couldn't resist him. (Bit of a conceit vibe there, or else a lame attempt to make up a plausible story, which doesn't really wash, considering his patience later on with her reluctance to make love).
In truth, they never had sex, as she wanted to wait until they got married, and she got pregnant as a result of one of the kidnappers raping her. (Seems he got bored waiting for the ransom and didn't like the h's attitude in talking back to him. WHAT?????? No one, not even a criminal, rapes out of "boredom"; rape is committed by sick, twisted individuals with all kinds of mental disturbances, not because they have nothing better to do and someone mouths off to them. (That might make him slap someone but not rape them.) And who in their right mind would get snarky with a kidnapper??? No matter how feisty, you'd go into safety mode, and keep your cool, not risk angering the perp! Considering her fearful moments later in the story, that attitude didn't make sense at all.)
Of course, the h thinks the baby's the H's, and marries him because it's the right thing to do, even though her memory of him is a blank. She had selective memory loss, as she remembered everyone else in her life except the H and his coworkers on a research project. (The H did freelance work and had a bit of a wild past - though not all that serious - while the h was an heiress, and inherited her late father's business, though with a lot of restrictions, for her protection.) It's as if she wanted to erase the H and anything to do with him from her mind. I'm guessing it's because her subconscious knew about the rape and like a lot of women, she feared the H wouldn't feel the same about her anymore, not to mention she'd be reluctant for any romantic/physical relationship after the assault.
That's another reason she should have been told. It would have explained her reluctance, bordering on fear, for the H to touch her and try to initiate lovemaking. It might have even removed that barrier.
Not to mention, just like the H in other novels has a right to know whether or not he's the father of the h's baby, so in this case, did the h. She should have been told the baby wasn't the H's. He made the right call in believing she wouldn't have wanted an abortion, despite the way the baby was conceived, so she still would have had the baby and loved it in spite of everything.
Too much was kept from her, and the fact that she never knew the full reason everyone was being so protective made it worse as well as frustrating. To top it off, she keeps having weird nightmares, that would have stopped, had she been told the truth. More than once, she suggested getting psychiatric help, but the H talks her out of it, afraid it'll trigger her memory. So DUMB!!
Another thing I didn't like (and which happens too often in these books) is the h putting too much trust in the OM, or giving him a free pass that she never seems to give the H. And this OM was 100% garbage!!! He was her late father's protege, who thought he was entitled to both the business and the daughter, made a play for the h more than once, kept bad mouthing the H while trying to convince the h that he "loved" her (like he knew the meaning of the word), and tried using his good looks and (dubious) charms every chance he got, thinking he was God's gift to women! Worse, he tried to pressure the h to put him in charge of the company ASAP and was furious when she agreed with the lawyers that they should go public and have a board of directors, instead. Even being chairman wasn't enough for him! The guy was power hungry, arrogant, handsy (too many times he made excuses to touch the h or stand close to her, making her nervous and uncomfortable, as well as angry), and controlling. He even made the h read a report he had made up about all the "terrible things" the H had done in the past and told her to get a divorce or annulment and marry him! He questioned the baby's paternity (implying he knew something he wasn't willing to tell), then actually implied the baby was his! Not a chance in Hell (she always had ZERO interest in him, even as a friend, but felt she owed him some loyalty, because of her father), yet he got a kick out of saying that! He even deliberately makes a play for the 18-year-old daughter of a friend (more of an assault), claiming the h drove him to it!!!!
He's total crap, yet the h still goes for a walk with him, agrees to meet with him privately, have a business lunch with him, let him stay at her island house (though with other guests as well) and gives him a lot more leeway than she should have! She even thinks to herself at one point that there's something predatory about him, yet she still lets him hang around and keep working at her company. (Repeat: HER company! NOT his, though he seemed to think he was entitled to it.) Talk about WTF!!!
I'm happy to say that he gets what he deserved at the end (in my opinion, he should have suffered more), as he was guilty of a hell of a lot of other things! At one point, I thought he might have been the rapist, because he seemed like the kind of man who'd get his kicks from that, but that wasn't the case, thank God!
The story takes place over the better part of a year (the h was about two months pregnant at the start, and her baby son is about two months old when the book ends), and during most of that time the couple doesn't go much past the friend zone stage. Even the sexual tension is tame, with the H asking her from time to time how she feels about him (claiming he's always loved her) and the h (who still doesn't remember their past) saying she doesn't know, she thinks she loves him, she's still not sure, etc. In fact, she stays in this limbo state for so long, that at the end, when she suddenly declares her love (though still without her memory) it just doesn't ring true. Neither does the scene where they FINALLY consummate their marriage. Both were a letdown.
Another letdown was the unresolved issue of who was to run the company, as the h wasn't interested, and the H was getting ready for another research project. Things were just left in the air, which was really stupid.
One thing I liked was the baby, Alexander, and their attitude toward him. You get a hint that all is not what it seems when, during her pregnancy, the H seems distant, kind of disconnected, and even after the baby's born he seems like an outsider. But later on, it's clear that he's grown to love the baby and thinks of him as his son (which in effect, he was). Also, the h adored her baby, and even after learning the horrible facts of his conception, that doesn't change a thing.
The reason I give this book three stars is because there was much more to it than the MC (thank goodness). There were interesting secondary characters (including the h's best friend, and a woman the H worked with who falls for a gay man, talk about a bad choice), some scary scenes, close calls with danger, slowly unfolding mysteries with hints here and there, another kidnapping attempt, life threatening moments, a murder (talked of, not seen), misunderstandings (like the h stupidly accusing the H of really marrying her for her money, when he never touched a dime of it, and the H not demanding to know why she was suddenly suspicious), a creepy "mystery man" who keeps showing up, and quite a bit more!
Plenty to keep you entertained and turning pages, but weak on the romance. Well, you can't have it all!
I have a preference for amnesia stories (as well as ones where there's a quick marriage), so right away this held my interest, but I was a bit disappointed in the relationship between the H and h. Without her memory of him, and with him trying to relate to the "new" her, there wasn't much in the way of emotions, everything just fell flat. Even the disagreements and misunderstandings were kind of lame, without the emotional/sexual tension that's supposed to go with them. When they're missing, it loses a lot.
While told she and the H had a "true love" (enough to make her defy her father to be with him), all she seems to feel for him is a kind of friendship/gratitude, which later gets tainted with suspicion, as well as an attraction she can't handle. On his part, he talks of his love and desire for her, but it never really feels all that strong. He's patient and gentle with her (with a few lapses, but no "forced seduction"), as well as concerned and protective, but never talks much about their past together, hints but no specifics, except for one area, and that turned out to be a lie.
There was the old "for her own good" trope, which meant leaving out details that in my opinion - no matter how painful - she had a right to know. A terrible crime was committed against her (kidnapping/rape), which she had no memory of, and everyone (the H, faithful servants who were more like family, her best friend and the woman's husband, and her doctor) seemed to think it was better to keep her in the dark. They figured her mind blocked out the trauma in protective mode, and didn't want to force the issue, but to me, if her memory should come back, it would be a horrible shock and maybe more damaging than letting her know the truth. She may not have remembered, but she'd have known what was done to her, and that way if awful memories started surfacing, she'd have been more or less prepared.
As it was, her injuries/prolonged unconscious state/memory loss was described as the results of a car accident. (In actuality, the kidnappers threw her out of a moving car when their plans went awry.) When told she's pregnant (a real shock, as she came from a traditional Italian background, and didn't believe in sex before marriage), the H steps up and takes the blame, claiming he seduced her one night, and came on so strong she couldn't resist him. (Bit of a conceit vibe there, or else a lame attempt to make up a plausible story, which doesn't really wash, considering his patience later on with her reluctance to make love).
In truth, they never had sex, as she wanted to wait until they got married, and she got pregnant as a result of one of the kidnappers raping her. (Seems he got bored waiting for the ransom and didn't like the h's attitude in talking back to him. WHAT?????? No one, not even a criminal, rapes out of "boredom"; rape is committed by sick, twisted individuals with all kinds of mental disturbances, not because they have nothing better to do and someone mouths off to them. (That might make him slap someone but not rape them.) And who in their right mind would get snarky with a kidnapper??? No matter how feisty, you'd go into safety mode, and keep your cool, not risk angering the perp! Considering her fearful moments later in the story, that attitude didn't make sense at all.)
Of course, the h thinks the baby's the H's, and marries him because it's the right thing to do, even though her memory of him is a blank. She had selective memory loss, as she remembered everyone else in her life except the H and his coworkers on a research project. (The H did freelance work and had a bit of a wild past - though not all that serious - while the h was an heiress, and inherited her late father's business, though with a lot of restrictions, for her protection.) It's as if she wanted to erase the H and anything to do with him from her mind. I'm guessing it's because her subconscious knew about the rape and like a lot of women, she feared the H wouldn't feel the same about her anymore, not to mention she'd be reluctant for any romantic/physical relationship after the assault.
That's another reason she should have been told. It would have explained her reluctance, bordering on fear, for the H to touch her and try to initiate lovemaking. It might have even removed that barrier.
Not to mention, just like the H in other novels has a right to know whether or not he's the father of the h's baby, so in this case, did the h. She should have been told the baby wasn't the H's. He made the right call in believing she wouldn't have wanted an abortion, despite the way the baby was conceived, so she still would have had the baby and loved it in spite of everything.
Too much was kept from her, and the fact that she never knew the full reason everyone was being so protective made it worse as well as frustrating. To top it off, she keeps having weird nightmares, that would have stopped, had she been told the truth. More than once, she suggested getting psychiatric help, but the H talks her out of it, afraid it'll trigger her memory. So DUMB!!
Another thing I didn't like (and which happens too often in these books) is the h putting too much trust in the OM, or giving him a free pass that she never seems to give the H. And this OM was 100% garbage!!! He was her late father's protege, who thought he was entitled to both the business and the daughter, made a play for the h more than once, kept bad mouthing the H while trying to convince the h that he "loved" her (like he knew the meaning of the word), and tried using his good looks and (dubious) charms every chance he got, thinking he was God's gift to women! Worse, he tried to pressure the h to put him in charge of the company ASAP and was furious when she agreed with the lawyers that they should go public and have a board of directors, instead. Even being chairman wasn't enough for him! The guy was power hungry, arrogant, handsy (too many times he made excuses to touch the h or stand close to her, making her nervous and uncomfortable, as well as angry), and controlling. He even made the h read a report he had made up about all the "terrible things" the H had done in the past and told her to get a divorce or annulment and marry him! He questioned the baby's paternity (implying he knew something he wasn't willing to tell), then actually implied the baby was his! Not a chance in Hell (she always had ZERO interest in him, even as a friend, but felt she owed him some loyalty, because of her father), yet he got a kick out of saying that! He even deliberately makes a play for the 18-year-old daughter of a friend (more of an assault), claiming the h drove him to it!!!!
He's total crap, yet the h still goes for a walk with him, agrees to meet with him privately, have a business lunch with him, let him stay at her island house (though with other guests as well) and gives him a lot more leeway than she should have! She even thinks to herself at one point that there's something predatory about him, yet she still lets him hang around and keep working at her company. (Repeat: HER company! NOT his, though he seemed to think he was entitled to it.) Talk about WTF!!!
I'm happy to say that he gets what he deserved at the end (in my opinion, he should have suffered more), as he was guilty of a hell of a lot of other things! At one point, I thought he might have been the rapist, because he seemed like the kind of man who'd get his kicks from that, but that wasn't the case, thank God!
The story takes place over the better part of a year (the h was about two months pregnant at the start, and her baby son is about two months old when the book ends), and during most of that time the couple doesn't go much past the friend zone stage. Even the sexual tension is tame, with the H asking her from time to time how she feels about him (claiming he's always loved her) and the h (who still doesn't remember their past) saying she doesn't know, she thinks she loves him, she's still not sure, etc. In fact, she stays in this limbo state for so long, that at the end, when she suddenly declares her love (though still without her memory) it just doesn't ring true. Neither does the scene where they FINALLY consummate their marriage. Both were a letdown.
Another letdown was the unresolved issue of who was to run the company, as the h wasn't interested, and the H was getting ready for another research project. Things were just left in the air, which was really stupid.
One thing I liked was the baby, Alexander, and their attitude toward him. You get a hint that all is not what it seems when, during her pregnancy, the H seems distant, kind of disconnected, and even after the baby's born he seems like an outsider. But later on, it's clear that he's grown to love the baby and thinks of him as his son (which in effect, he was). Also, the h adored her baby, and even after learning the horrible facts of his conception, that doesn't change a thing.
The reason I give this book three stars is because there was much more to it than the MC (thank goodness). There were interesting secondary characters (including the h's best friend, and a woman the H worked with who falls for a gay man, talk about a bad choice), some scary scenes, close calls with danger, slowly unfolding mysteries with hints here and there, another kidnapping attempt, life threatening moments, a murder (talked of, not seen), misunderstandings (like the h stupidly accusing the H of really marrying her for her money, when he never touched a dime of it, and the H not demanding to know why she was suddenly suspicious), a creepy "mystery man" who keeps showing up, and quite a bit more!
Plenty to keep you entertained and turning pages, but weak on the romance. Well, you can't have it all!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2016
Wow… (that wow is more to the feelings of “holy moly, that’s heavy, good grief…) anyhoo, there are spoilers in this review so if you have any interest in reading this book I recommend not reading any reviews or spoilers.
The story is that the h loses her part of memory after an accident – specifically the accident along with the time when she meets the H who is her fiancé. She doesn’t even remember that she’s pregnant so that makes for a very awkward, disconcerting and even frightening scenario.
Although I suggested avoiding any spoilers/reviews, I did not take my own advice. I read the first few chapters of the book and I was already itching and scratching and slightly dying (what the holy freakazoid happened?! Is the H a villain?!) Despite reading a goodread user review below I still had to know so I (shameface) skip to a few pages before the ending) After that I proceeded to go back to the chapter I was on and read some more.
What you might like: (SPOILERISH!!)
1. There is an air of mystery to the story.
2. The H (holy moly what a man that H is…. What strength and fortitude…. )
What you might not like:
1. The answer to that mystery (if you’re weak hearted like me lol)
2. Maybe the actions/actuations of the h. (but really I can totally understand)
3. Maybe the ending/resolve
When I was reading the book story seemed disjointed. What I mean is that if felt like: scene, scene end. Next scene, scene end. Maybe the word I’m looking for is choppy. Most of the story revolves on the h recovering and the H trying to slowly bring the H out and familiarize herself to the love they had/have. Because I spoiled myself early on I felt so bad/in awe of the H. He was just soooo patient (as best he could be of course given the circumstances) and self sacrificing (I cant think of the right word lol). As for the h… d*mn… just d*mn…. That REALLLLLLY sucks. After I found out (and I guess in some way what happened to her wasn’t spelled out very descriptively or flashbacks but g*dd*mn it that really sucks. I would have wanted to a horrific, painful death for those villain (s).
Which brings me to some complaints/thoughts/contemplation on this book. (SPOILERS) Is it really a good thing that the h totally forgot that traumatic period? Is that good for her mental state? And what happens if/when she does remember? Can she handle it? I know that the wonderful H will help her through it but I guess I am just confused as to what the best thing for her is, whether to regain all the memories or not at all.
And with those memories gone, I’m extremely sad that her memories of the H was gone too – their meeting, them falling in love all those things. It was a sad thing for both of them. I fault my bad eyes for sometimes jumping words/senteces/reading too fast and not absorbing. but I really feel there wasn't enough pages/description given by the H to the h on how they fell in love, their first kiss and all that. He talked about it but it didn't feel enough to me.
Overall I give it 2.75/3 stars. The story/words of the book weren’t too exciting for me (in comparison to other HP authors whose H/h dialogue just grabs you) but I still powered on because of the mystery and the story was a little different to me. But I know I keep saying it but once all got revealed holy moly did I feel really bad for the h. What happened to her was cruel, just freakin’ cruel…. I am very happy for the h that she has this type of H in her life. I believe that H’s love for h but as for the h? I’m not too sure…. I think the book was a little lacking in showing that. It felt more like the h was grateful because of what H did/was doing for her. I guess you can say this is a “love that grows” type of deal with the h – whereas the H had the “passionate love”. I still believe in their HEA but I think h needs a therapist to deal. The author Laurey Bright is a pseudonym for Daphne Clair.
The story is that the h loses her part of memory after an accident – specifically the accident along with the time when she meets the H who is her fiancé. She doesn’t even remember that she’s pregnant so that makes for a very awkward, disconcerting and even frightening scenario.
Although I suggested avoiding any spoilers/reviews, I did not take my own advice. I read the first few chapters of the book and I was already itching and scratching and slightly dying (what the holy freakazoid happened?! Is the H a villain?!) Despite reading a goodread user review below I still had to know so I (shameface) skip to a few pages before the ending) After that I proceeded to go back to the chapter I was on and read some more.
What you might like: (SPOILERISH!!)
1. There is an air of mystery to the story.
2. The H (holy moly what a man that H is…. What strength and fortitude…. )
What you might not like:
1. The answer to that mystery (if you’re weak hearted like me lol)
2. Maybe the actions/actuations of the h. (but really I can totally understand)
3. Maybe the ending/resolve
When I was reading the book story seemed disjointed. What I mean is that if felt like: scene, scene end. Next scene, scene end. Maybe the word I’m looking for is choppy. Most of the story revolves on the h recovering and the H trying to slowly bring the H out and familiarize herself to the love they had/have. Because I spoiled myself early on I felt so bad/in awe of the H. He was just soooo patient (as best he could be of course given the circumstances) and self sacrificing (I cant think of the right word lol). As for the h… d*mn… just d*mn…. That REALLLLLLY sucks. After I found out (and I guess in some way what happened to her wasn’t spelled out very descriptively or flashbacks but g*dd*mn it that really sucks. I would have wanted to a horrific, painful death for those villain (s).
Which brings me to some complaints/thoughts/contemplation on this book. (SPOILERS) Is it really a good thing that the h totally forgot that traumatic period? Is that good for her mental state? And what happens if/when she does remember? Can she handle it? I know that the wonderful H will help her through it but I guess I am just confused as to what the best thing for her is, whether to regain all the memories or not at all.
And with those memories gone, I’m extremely sad that her memories of the H was gone too – their meeting, them falling in love all those things. It was a sad thing for both of them. I fault my bad eyes for sometimes jumping words/senteces/reading too fast and not absorbing. but I really feel there wasn't enough pages/description given by the H to the h on how they fell in love, their first kiss and all that. He talked about it but it didn't feel enough to me.
Overall I give it 2.75/3 stars. The story/words of the book weren’t too exciting for me (in comparison to other HP authors whose H/h dialogue just grabs you) but I still powered on because of the mystery and the story was a little different to me. But I know I keep saying it but once all got revealed holy moly did I feel really bad for the h. What happened to her was cruel, just freakin’ cruel…. I am very happy for the h that she has this type of H in her life. I believe that H’s love for h but as for the h? I’m not too sure…. I think the book was a little lacking in showing that. It felt more like the h was grateful because of what H did/was doing for her. I guess you can say this is a “love that grows” type of deal with the h – whereas the H had the “passionate love”. I still believe in their HEA but I think h needs a therapist to deal. The author Laurey Bright is a pseudonym for Daphne Clair.
June 21, 2014
This one was a bit hard to read because you knew what had happened to her and you were kind of on pins and needles waiting for her to figure it out. This was a super hero when you consider what he was doing for the heroine. The amnesia bit was well written. There was a good amount of tension with her father's subordinate. There was a well written reason for the heroine to be a bit unsure of who to trust. She does learn to trust the hero but does that thing I hate when she mistrusts him late in the book and accuses without asking him to explain. It doesn't last for long but I'd like to read a heroine who has the guts to say "I overheard you saying x and I'd like an explanation please!" I guess those kind of books are not generally published in category line though :-)
Well written and fully crafted like most of this author's work. A meaty book I guess you could say and I will mention that I thing Harlequin books across all their category lines have gotten fluffier I'd guess you'd say. The writing many times lacks detail and proper pacing nowadays. Not to say that all the vintage stuff is golden or even readable. ;-)
Well written and fully crafted like most of this author's work. A meaty book I guess you could say and I will mention that I thing Harlequin books across all their category lines have gotten fluffier I'd guess you'd say. The writing many times lacks detail and proper pacing nowadays. Not to say that all the vintage stuff is golden or even readable. ;-)
October 5, 2016
I knew from the beginning that this Paul guy was bad news. Love, love, love Dan <3
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