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A No Risk Affair
Sin had Robyn running scared
Married at eighteen, the neglected mother of twins at nineteen, divorced at twenty-two, Robyn had faced a lot in her marriage to a no-good, selfish charmer.
So right from the start she tried to discourage easygoing author Sinclair Thornton from invading her life. "The twins have enough problems adjusting to one part-time father, "she informed him. "A second one would be just too much!"
Robyn wanted his caresses without emotional intimacy, but Sin wouldn't be satisfied until she went all the way... .
Married at eighteen, the neglected mother of twins at nineteen, divorced at twenty-two, Robyn had faced a lot in her marriage to a no-good, selfish charmer.
So right from the start she tried to discourage easygoing author Sinclair Thornton from invading her life. "The twins have enough problems adjusting to one part-time father, "she informed him. "A second one would be just too much!"
Robyn wanted his caresses without emotional intimacy, but Sin wouldn't be satisfied until she went all the way... .
230 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1985
About the author
Carole Mortimer
1,301 books911 followersI have written almost 250 romance novels in contemporary and Regency.
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 7, 2021
Wonderful,beautiful and exceptional love-story i will never forget.Robyn Warner is a young single mother to twins and lives happy in peace until the devilish charmer of a reporter Sin Thornton comes into her life to steal her heart.
Sin really stole my heart with his sexy charm and i just swooned over his oh so obvious love to the heroine,and i just wanted to shake her for not realizing it.He is a besotted hero and his passionate love for Robyn just made my day.I so much want to meet a man like him in real life!The ex-husband was a true selfish bastard and i was so satisfied when the heroine gave him that slap in the end!
A great read,filled with warm sexy romance!Carole Mortimer rarely disappoints!
Sin really stole my heart with his sexy charm and i just swooned over his oh so obvious love to the heroine,and i just wanted to shake her for not realizing it.He is a besotted hero and his passionate love for Robyn just made my day.I so much want to meet a man like him in real life!The ex-husband was a true selfish bastard and i was so satisfied when the heroine gave him that slap in the end!
A great read,filled with warm sexy romance!Carole Mortimer rarely disappoints!
January 4, 2016
RE A No Risk Affair - once again the boundaries of HPlandia are stretched, we again have a divorced h - a 24 yr old mum of twins who works for her ex's Uncle running tours of his National Trust house. She has been divorced from her international journalist husband for a few years. She married at 18 and after the ex started in with the other women and found the parenting role too much to take, he asked her for a divorce.
CM's scenario is probably the most realistic example of divorce in HPlandia to date. Unlike Penny Jordan's Six Month Marriage - this is not a reconciliation story with a divorced H and h, and while Anne Mather's Act of Possession h DOES have a different H rather than her ex - AM still felt she had to satisfy the conventions and kill the prior husband off before the H and h could have a REAL (ie Church) wedding.
In a way it makes sense that it would be a CM book that makes a divorced h okay and doesn't kill anybody off for a church wedding - she is still one of the youngest writer's in HPlandia at this time and HP's in the real world are still fighting for market shares with more up to date stories.
The fact that she actually names her H in this one Sin, (no eye rolls please :0 ), shouldn't make us HPlandian's overlook the fact that slowly but surely, the HP mores are changing and the HPUniverse is moving on with the times. CM actually brings in a new trope in this one too. A trope that we will ALL come to know very well over the years and is one of the most frequent plot drivers used today. More on this later tho.
The story starts with the h meeting her new temporary neighbor for the first time. He thinks she is a teenager and flirts with her while he is asking if her mum is home and can spare a cup of milk. The h gets that he thinks she is a kid and to really set him up, she invites him to dinner later. He accepts and it is off to work she goes.
There we meet the really obnoxious daughter of the Uncle - she is 19 and all atwitter at the new man coming to stay at the estate. Turns out our H is a former international war journalist who has turned novelist and is here to interview the Uncle about his long and distinguished military career. The obnox daughter is also convinced she can lure the H with her wicked charms, and she is generally completely horrible to the h to boot and really despises her kids. The h hangs on to her temper as best she can, but the strom's abrewin' and most sensible kitties would take shelter.
The H shows up for dinner only to be greeted by two young fraternal twins, they are thrilled to meet him and he happily plays with them after acknowledging he has been had. He isn't upset about the h's little deception, he seems rather happy that such a hot mum and two entertaining kids are right next door. The h is attracted but wary and the H is doing all he can to encourage that.
Thus starts the rapid courtship by the H, he is always popping over and doing things with the twins that has to include mum naturally, and though the obnox daughter tries to entice him, he apparently isn't in the market for a 19 year old's charms. He also manipulates the h into working with him while interviewing the Uncle and the h decides it might be a good idear for a brief fling as she is missing the more physical aspects of marriage.
Then the ex-husband calls up wanting the kids for the weekend and this sends the h into a panic (and incidentally starts a trope that will become an HPLandia pillar, that of a non-married parent wanting custody of a child). The h really doesn't like her ex and he never comes to see his kids, (or pays support for them either), but she has heard rumors that he is considering a new wife and her brain goes into overdrive.
She winds up in bed with our H, who takes it upon himself to find out what the ex is up to. We don't get the actual scene, but the upshot is the ex is remarrying and the H informs the ex that he is marrying the h to discourage any attempts to gain custody by claiming unfit motherhood.
The h is flabbergasted and the twins are not happy about the ex-dad or the potential new mum. The h and H are fighting about their engagement and it doesn't help that the Uncle is convinced that the ex wants to resume the marriage. The h throws the H out and he leaves, while the h is missing him and worried about a custody battle. Things don't improve when the obnox daughter throws her two cents in and the h tells her off but good. The daughter becomes a bit less obnoxious and the h firms up her backbone.
Finally, the h goes to confront her ex and finds out that he was using his kids to determine if his potential wife was into parenthood. Since the visit was pretty much a failure all around, the ex is cutting his losses on gaining part of his Uncle's estate and moving to America with his new, well connected lady.
He doesn't want the kids and he doesn't particularly care if he ever sees them again. His using the kids as a litmus test infuriates the h and she gives him a well deserved punch in the face. Then she runs to the H and declares she loves him and he loves her back, loves her kids and just wants them to be a big happy family together.
Cue the rosy sunset and the happy scene, all is well in HPlandia again. Not only is a divorced h becoming acceptable, we now get the basic source for hundreds of enjoyable hours of blackmail, coercion and forced marriages - custody contentions over children whose parents aren't married.
This one is a real landmark in HPlandia and also a fairly quick but sweet story, give it a chance and just remember when you're reading the latest blackmail-forced-marriage-over-a-child trope - it was written here first, and with some refinements and twists - has become an HP staple.
CM's scenario is probably the most realistic example of divorce in HPlandia to date. Unlike Penny Jordan's Six Month Marriage - this is not a reconciliation story with a divorced H and h, and while Anne Mather's Act of Possession h DOES have a different H rather than her ex - AM still felt she had to satisfy the conventions and kill the prior husband off before the H and h could have a REAL (ie Church) wedding.
In a way it makes sense that it would be a CM book that makes a divorced h okay and doesn't kill anybody off for a church wedding - she is still one of the youngest writer's in HPlandia at this time and HP's in the real world are still fighting for market shares with more up to date stories.
The fact that she actually names her H in this one Sin, (no eye rolls please :0 ), shouldn't make us HPlandian's overlook the fact that slowly but surely, the HP mores are changing and the HPUniverse is moving on with the times. CM actually brings in a new trope in this one too. A trope that we will ALL come to know very well over the years and is one of the most frequent plot drivers used today. More on this later tho.
The story starts with the h meeting her new temporary neighbor for the first time. He thinks she is a teenager and flirts with her while he is asking if her mum is home and can spare a cup of milk. The h gets that he thinks she is a kid and to really set him up, she invites him to dinner later. He accepts and it is off to work she goes.
There we meet the really obnoxious daughter of the Uncle - she is 19 and all atwitter at the new man coming to stay at the estate. Turns out our H is a former international war journalist who has turned novelist and is here to interview the Uncle about his long and distinguished military career. The obnox daughter is also convinced she can lure the H with her wicked charms, and she is generally completely horrible to the h to boot and really despises her kids. The h hangs on to her temper as best she can, but the strom's abrewin' and most sensible kitties would take shelter.
The H shows up for dinner only to be greeted by two young fraternal twins, they are thrilled to meet him and he happily plays with them after acknowledging he has been had. He isn't upset about the h's little deception, he seems rather happy that such a hot mum and two entertaining kids are right next door. The h is attracted but wary and the H is doing all he can to encourage that.
Thus starts the rapid courtship by the H, he is always popping over and doing things with the twins that has to include mum naturally, and though the obnox daughter tries to entice him, he apparently isn't in the market for a 19 year old's charms. He also manipulates the h into working with him while interviewing the Uncle and the h decides it might be a good idear for a brief fling as she is missing the more physical aspects of marriage.
Then the ex-husband calls up wanting the kids for the weekend and this sends the h into a panic (and incidentally starts a trope that will become an HPLandia pillar, that of a non-married parent wanting custody of a child). The h really doesn't like her ex and he never comes to see his kids, (or pays support for them either), but she has heard rumors that he is considering a new wife and her brain goes into overdrive.
She winds up in bed with our H, who takes it upon himself to find out what the ex is up to. We don't get the actual scene, but the upshot is the ex is remarrying and the H informs the ex that he is marrying the h to discourage any attempts to gain custody by claiming unfit motherhood.
The h is flabbergasted and the twins are not happy about the ex-dad or the potential new mum. The h and H are fighting about their engagement and it doesn't help that the Uncle is convinced that the ex wants to resume the marriage. The h throws the H out and he leaves, while the h is missing him and worried about a custody battle. Things don't improve when the obnox daughter throws her two cents in and the h tells her off but good. The daughter becomes a bit less obnoxious and the h firms up her backbone.
Finally, the h goes to confront her ex and finds out that he was using his kids to determine if his potential wife was into parenthood. Since the visit was pretty much a failure all around, the ex is cutting his losses on gaining part of his Uncle's estate and moving to America with his new, well connected lady.
He doesn't want the kids and he doesn't particularly care if he ever sees them again. His using the kids as a litmus test infuriates the h and she gives him a well deserved punch in the face. Then she runs to the H and declares she loves him and he loves her back, loves her kids and just wants them to be a big happy family together.
Cue the rosy sunset and the happy scene, all is well in HPlandia again. Not only is a divorced h becoming acceptable, we now get the basic source for hundreds of enjoyable hours of blackmail, coercion and forced marriages - custody contentions over children whose parents aren't married.
This one is a real landmark in HPlandia and also a fairly quick but sweet story, give it a chance and just remember when you're reading the latest blackmail-forced-marriage-over-a-child trope - it was written here first, and with some refinements and twists - has become an HP staple.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2017
A divorced mother of two (she was a teen mom) and her much older famous-author new neighbor- Not my preferred setup but actually I enjoyed this a lot! Strange because there wasn't much angst and the Hero in this is actually super-sweet, patient, understanding... He's just a damn swell fella! In fact, he's openly smitten with her from the first page and spends the whole book being kind, passionate, and supportive to her.
The heroine was a bit hard to take at times, very accusing and jealous for no reason at the start, but she had her good moments too, such as her cheerful morning-after attitude and taking the initiative to go and hunt down the H at the end.
I just plain liked this book. Even though there wasn't any overblown drama or suffering, it still wasn't boring and got you right in the feels. I have a preference for cruel heroes and Sin was the opposite of that, but somehow his honest, ardent love for the heroine won me over.
"I'd want to marry you if I had to crawl down the aisle with broken legs!" D'aww!!
"Does that mean you will marry me?"
"If you won't mind being married to an idiot."
"I'm sorry I called you that- even if you can be a little dense at times."
2cute~
The heroine was a bit hard to take at times, very accusing and jealous for no reason at the start, but she had her good moments too, such as her cheerful morning-after attitude and taking the initiative to go and hunt down the H at the end.
I just plain liked this book. Even though there wasn't any overblown drama or suffering, it still wasn't boring and got you right in the feels. I have a preference for cruel heroes and Sin was the opposite of that, but somehow his honest, ardent love for the heroine won me over.
"I'd want to marry you if I had to crawl down the aisle with broken legs!" D'aww!!
"Does that mean you will marry me?"
"If you won't mind being married to an idiot."
"I'm sorry I called you that- even if you can be a little dense at times."
2cute~
March 3, 2019
"A No Risk Affair" is the story of Robyn and Sin.
A sweet love story in which a young, divorced, single mother of two meets her new neighbor, now writer and ex-reporter Sin, and sparks fly. Robyn has already suffered through one flighty journalist husband who continues to be an absent dad to her five year old twins, and does not want to repeat the experience- that is until Sin decides to pursue her- and soon she, and the kids find themselves falling under Sin's charms! But when Brad suddenly decides to re-enter their life, deviating from his occasional visits, will Robyn be able to accept the new man in her life for what he is?
Cautious heroine, determined hero, callous OM, jealous OW, adorable twins and a HEA. It could have been better with more passion and angst, but overall an average one time read.
Safe
2.5/5
A sweet love story in which a young, divorced, single mother of two meets her new neighbor, now writer and ex-reporter Sin, and sparks fly. Robyn has already suffered through one flighty journalist husband who continues to be an absent dad to her five year old twins, and does not want to repeat the experience- that is until Sin decides to pursue her- and soon she, and the kids find themselves falling under Sin's charms! But when Brad suddenly decides to re-enter their life, deviating from his occasional visits, will Robyn be able to accept the new man in her life for what he is?
Cautious heroine, determined hero, callous OM, jealous OW, adorable twins and a HEA. It could have been better with more passion and angst, but overall an average one time read.
Safe
2.5/5
May 4, 2022
OOOh some of my favorite tropes in this one. May/December romance with a besotted, decent hero who is surprisingly blonde(blonde heroes are usually not my jam), for the hero it was love at first sight. A little bit of role reversal in this one, because it is the hero who has a lot of internal angst(not that we see his pov, but his actions show his suffering. ) It takes a lot of aggressive patience on his part to convince the h that he is who she has been looking for.
Heroine, Robyn 24-Married at the young age of 18 to a man 10 years older. Pregnant 2 months later, and a mother of twins by 19. Divorced by 22. She is living in a cottage owned by her ex’s Uncle. He charges her a low rent, and gave her a job that fits with her single mother schedule. The ex is a phone it in Dad, who swoops in occasionally to adorn the moppets with toys then swoops back out. We find out later as the story progresses, that the h was pretty much raised by nannies. She was obviously a product of “a child is expected”. Her parents disowned her when she married her ex because he was not of their “ilk”. (But more on that bastard in a minute) Our h is a good mom and loves her children. She is not high on romance due to her experience with the ex.
Hero, Sinclair(Sin) 37- Never married. He was in the same line of work as the h’s ex, but gave up 5 years ago to write best selling novels. He is writing a story about her employer’s (ex’s uncle) and has just moved in next door to the h’s cottage. He introduces himself and is immediately smitten with this kitten(even though at the time he thinks she is the daughter and only a teenager) She doesn’t correct him, but invites him to dine with her and her”mother” . Of course he shows up and realizes she is the mother of 5 year old twins. He is enthralled with her, and he gets extra points for his interactions with her children, but alas she keeps putting him off despite the obvious simmering attraction.
The Colonel: He is the Uncle of the ex. He likes and admires the heroine, even though he is not an advocate of divorce. He has a 20 year old spoiled daughter .
OW wannabe, Caroline, 20,- She is the colonel’s spoilt daughter. She likes to party and be part of the London scene, so I am not sure why she sets her sight on a 37 year old novelist. However, she wants to attract the hero in a big way. She actually doesn’t cause a lot of issues in the story as the H shows no interest in her. He, of course, is pleasant to her, because she is the daughter of the man he is working with on his novel. However, our h makes up her own scenarios, because although she keeps pushing the H away, she doesn’t want him to take up with anyone else.
Ex husband, Brad, 34,
I would love to meet Brad’s parents, shake their hand, and say “Good Job on raising a grade A As*****” Every once in awhile in the HP’s the om or ow make me go on a tangent. So is the case with Brad!
Brad married the 18 year old heroine who was vulnerable and innocent. She was hot for a loving relationship, and Brad was hot to get her in bed. Oh, he had an idea that it might be nice to have a “regular” bed mate for those times he bothered to be home in England.
I am going to put the rest of Brad in a spoiler.
Twins- Kim and Andy, they are 5. They are a nice addition to the story, but do not take over the story.
Basically, without giving much away. The hero chases the heroine. He is very much in love with her. He has a couple of ahole moments, but we can interpret it as a man who feels his love is destined to be unrequited and therefore, he responds poorly. Meanwhile, the h is denying what she feels for the H is love and puts it down to good old lust. When they have a night/morning day of loving, it is nothing that either has ever experienced. The H thinks he is being used for sex and the h is hesitant to let another man in her life especially since she has children. Anyhoo, the H leaves to go back to London. The h finally has her aha moment and realizes she loves him. She goes to him and meets a blonde coming from his penthouse. No worries, it is his older brother’s wife who invites the h over once she and the H make up. We then have our avowals and a couple of surprises.
I really enjoyed this story because the H was so besotted. I could understand the h’s hesitancy although there were times I was yelling at her to wake up, this one is a good one. I like how CM ended the story. It was satisfying to me, even though I like epilogues.
Heroine, Robyn 24-Married at the young age of 18 to a man 10 years older. Pregnant 2 months later, and a mother of twins by 19. Divorced by 22. She is living in a cottage owned by her ex’s Uncle. He charges her a low rent, and gave her a job that fits with her single mother schedule. The ex is a phone it in Dad, who swoops in occasionally to adorn the moppets with toys then swoops back out. We find out later as the story progresses, that the h was pretty much raised by nannies. She was obviously a product of “a child is expected”. Her parents disowned her when she married her ex because he was not of their “ilk”. (But more on that bastard in a minute) Our h is a good mom and loves her children. She is not high on romance due to her experience with the ex.
Hero, Sinclair(Sin) 37- Never married. He was in the same line of work as the h’s ex, but gave up 5 years ago to write best selling novels. He is writing a story about her employer’s (ex’s uncle) and has just moved in next door to the h’s cottage. He introduces himself and is immediately smitten with this kitten(even though at the time he thinks she is the daughter and only a teenager) She doesn’t correct him, but invites him to dine with her and her”mother” . Of course he shows up and realizes she is the mother of 5 year old twins. He is enthralled with her, and he gets extra points for his interactions with her children, but alas she keeps putting him off despite the obvious simmering attraction.
The Colonel: He is the Uncle of the ex. He likes and admires the heroine, even though he is not an advocate of divorce. He has a 20 year old spoiled daughter .
OW wannabe, Caroline, 20,- She is the colonel’s spoilt daughter. She likes to party and be part of the London scene, so I am not sure why she sets her sight on a 37 year old novelist. However, she wants to attract the hero in a big way. She actually doesn’t cause a lot of issues in the story as the H shows no interest in her. He, of course, is pleasant to her, because she is the daughter of the man he is working with on his novel. However, our h makes up her own scenarios, because although she keeps pushing the H away, she doesn’t want him to take up with anyone else.
Ex husband, Brad, 34,
I would love to meet Brad’s parents, shake their hand, and say “Good Job on raising a grade A As*****” Every once in awhile in the HP’s the om or ow make me go on a tangent. So is the case with Brad!
Brad married the 18 year old heroine who was vulnerable and innocent. She was hot for a loving relationship, and Brad was hot to get her in bed. Oh, he had an idea that it might be nice to have a “regular” bed mate for those times he bothered to be home in England.
I am going to put the rest of Brad in a spoiler.
Twins- Kim and Andy, they are 5. They are a nice addition to the story, but do not take over the story.
Basically, without giving much away. The hero chases the heroine. He is very much in love with her. He has a couple of ahole moments, but we can interpret it as a man who feels his love is destined to be unrequited and therefore, he responds poorly. Meanwhile, the h is denying what she feels for the H is love and puts it down to good old lust. When they have a night/morning day of loving, it is nothing that either has ever experienced. The H thinks he is being used for sex and the h is hesitant to let another man in her life especially since she has children. Anyhoo, the H leaves to go back to London. The h finally has her aha moment and realizes she loves him. She goes to him and meets a blonde coming from his penthouse. No worries, it is his older brother’s wife who invites the h over once she and the H make up. We then have our avowals and a couple of surprises.
I really enjoyed this story because the H was so besotted. I could understand the h’s hesitancy although there were times I was yelling at her to wake up, this one is a good one. I like how CM ended the story. It was satisfying to me, even though I like epilogues.
April 2, 2026
An older (1985) Harlequin Presents, with a not quite typical young heroine, as Robyn has been married and divorced and has 5 year old twins, and a typical older hero. However, as with the typical heroine, Robyn is still a bit naive, a bit meek, but Sin (seriously. Short for Sinclair) is a good match for her. While she may be a bit meek, placating her arrogant ex, and letting the sophisticated daughter of her boss run roughshod over her, when it comes to her kids Robyn is much stronger. I enjoyed the sniping bickering between her and Sin, and I flew through this in about a day and a half.
February 19, 2015
Combien de temps
Combien de gens
Combien de vies déchirées
Combien de toi
Combien de moi
Combien de nous... Brisés
J'ai posé mes chansons sur des sols étrangers
J'ai laissé dans le vent des prières s'envolées
Je garde dans le cœur un oiseau en liberté
Je n'ai jamais cessé mon Amour de t'aimer
Combien de temps
Combien de gens
Combien d'amours déportés
Combien de toi
Combien de moi
Combien de nous... Brisés
Combien de temps { combien de temps}
Combien de gens {Combien de gens}
Combien d'esclaves enchaînés
Combien de toi { Combien de toi}
Combien de moi {Combien de moi}
Combien de .......
Combien de gens
Combien de vies déchirées
Combien de toi
Combien de moi
Combien de nous... Brisés
J'ai posé mes chansons sur des sols étrangers
J'ai laissé dans le vent des prières s'envolées
Je garde dans le cœur un oiseau en liberté
Je n'ai jamais cessé mon Amour de t'aimer
Combien de temps
Combien de gens
Combien d'amours déportés
Combien de toi
Combien de moi
Combien de nous... Brisés
Combien de temps { combien de temps}
Combien de gens {Combien de gens}
Combien d'esclaves enchaînés
Combien de toi { Combien de toi}
Combien de moi {Combien de moi}
Combien de .......
October 24, 2023
Robyn had faced a lot in her marriage to a nogood, selfish charmer. So from the moment she met hotshot author Sinclair Thornton, she's tried to discourage this sexy, easygoing millionaire from invading her life. Her twins have enough to deal with adjusting to one parttime father, they don't need a second.
October 17, 2013
An oldie but goody.
July 1, 2016
Slightly better than the previous book I read by her.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews