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No Longer a Dream
Read this classic romance by USA Today bestselling author Carole Mortimer, now available for the first time in e-book!
Waking up in the millionaire’s bed…
To research her book, author Cat Howard chases down arrogant film studio owner, Caleb Steele. But she doesn’t expect to wake up naked in his bed! Five years ago, Cat’s world was devastated by the death of her beloved fiancé. She’s still grieving her loss, but this powerful attraction to Caleb feels oh-so right…!
Cat’s genuine innocence and fiery wit captivates Caleb and he’s determined to claim her. But can he convince her to let go of the past…?
Waking up in the millionaire’s bed…
To research her book, author Cat Howard chases down arrogant film studio owner, Caleb Steele. But she doesn’t expect to wake up naked in his bed! Five years ago, Cat’s world was devastated by the death of her beloved fiancé. She’s still grieving her loss, but this powerful attraction to Caleb feels oh-so right…!
Cat’s genuine innocence and fiery wit captivates Caleb and he’s determined to claim her. But can he convince her to let go of the past…?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 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 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 23, 2014
This was interesting and unputdownable until the end. This is the drama I was looking for in the last books by this author I read and was disappointed with. Add a hero who has a vibe that sets you up to dislike him, and mix him with a heroine who is sweet, but sassy enough to hold her own. Put a dash of "Wow! Did they really meet that way?" and some family drama. And lastly, great sexual tension, and you have an arresting read.
Caleb didn't endear himself to me at first. I admit the butt slapping intro was a black mark. It hit my male chauvinism buttons. Plus, he has the macho air of aggression that normally doesn't work for me when it hits me in the face in a book. However, Cat was so good at facing off with Caleb, and she's no one's pushover, so they were perfectly matched. While the age difference is pretty considerable (15 years), it didn't bother as much, because Cat is fairly mature, independent, and Caleb doesn't feel way too old at 39. He reminded me of the Hollywood sex symbols of the early 80s, and since I was a wee girl and I hadn't developed my palate for actors at that tender age (although I wanted to marry Hutch on the eponymous show for some reason), I can't say I was feeling that vibe. Caleb started winning me over gradually. I think it was seeing his vulnerabilities as much as his obvious strengths. And the fact that even though he was supposed to be this confirmed bachelor hardened against woman after a divorce (except as bedmates) and jaded about women, it's clear he's crazy about Cat. There is plenty of sizzle between Caleb and Cat, but Caleb doesn't win Cat over too easy (I hate that). He has to work to earn her. I liked that he was so jealous of her deceased fiance'/childhood sweetheart.
The fact that Caleb's dad is an elusive Hollywood maven still mourning his wife's death for thirty years adds an intriguing facet to this book. I have a bit of a jaundiced love affair for Hollywood, due to the fact that I am a huge movie buff and TV-watcher, so I am always a bit drawn to a bit of Hollywood thrown into my fiction reading. Lucien's POV was sad and gruff and intriguing, and the perfect touch to help Cat get over her angst over her lost love and to gain some insight on her feelings for Caleb. And his son, Luke's bad behavior (Luke's bad behavior is why Cat and Caleb meet under such infamous circumstances), hides a sad soul that Cat connects with on a deep level because she identifies the desperation within.
Every character in this book adds something to the portrait of its main characters, from Lucien (Caleb's father), Luke (his son), Norm (his assistant/Man Friday), and a bit of Mrs. MacDonald (Caleb's housekeeper) and Vicki, Cat's flatmate. They make a short novel feel incredibly textured.
No Longer a Dream is a vintage Harlequin Presents that I think is worth seeking out. There is a lot of emotional complexity in the short length, and a story that builds on the foundation of a good romance in such a way that you feel like you get a bonus level of storytelling. I think books like this make me keep seeing out vintage Harlequin Presents books.
Thought not a five star read, it's more than a four star. Let's say it's 4.25/5.0 stars.
Caleb didn't endear himself to me at first. I admit the butt slapping intro was a black mark. It hit my male chauvinism buttons. Plus, he has the macho air of aggression that normally doesn't work for me when it hits me in the face in a book. However, Cat was so good at facing off with Caleb, and she's no one's pushover, so they were perfectly matched. While the age difference is pretty considerable (15 years), it didn't bother as much, because Cat is fairly mature, independent, and Caleb doesn't feel way too old at 39. He reminded me of the Hollywood sex symbols of the early 80s, and since I was a wee girl and I hadn't developed my palate for actors at that tender age (although I wanted to marry Hutch on the eponymous show for some reason), I can't say I was feeling that vibe. Caleb started winning me over gradually. I think it was seeing his vulnerabilities as much as his obvious strengths. And the fact that even though he was supposed to be this confirmed bachelor hardened against woman after a divorce (except as bedmates) and jaded about women, it's clear he's crazy about Cat. There is plenty of sizzle between Caleb and Cat, but Caleb doesn't win Cat over too easy (I hate that). He has to work to earn her. I liked that he was so jealous of her deceased fiance'/childhood sweetheart.
The fact that Caleb's dad is an elusive Hollywood maven still mourning his wife's death for thirty years adds an intriguing facet to this book. I have a bit of a jaundiced love affair for Hollywood, due to the fact that I am a huge movie buff and TV-watcher, so I am always a bit drawn to a bit of Hollywood thrown into my fiction reading. Lucien's POV was sad and gruff and intriguing, and the perfect touch to help Cat get over her angst over her lost love and to gain some insight on her feelings for Caleb. And his son, Luke's bad behavior (Luke's bad behavior is why Cat and Caleb meet under such infamous circumstances), hides a sad soul that Cat connects with on a deep level because she identifies the desperation within.
Every character in this book adds something to the portrait of its main characters, from Lucien (Caleb's father), Luke (his son), Norm (his assistant/Man Friday), and a bit of Mrs. MacDonald (Caleb's housekeeper) and Vicki, Cat's flatmate. They make a short novel feel incredibly textured.
No Longer a Dream is a vintage Harlequin Presents that I think is worth seeking out. There is a lot of emotional complexity in the short length, and a story that builds on the foundation of a good romance in such a way that you feel like you get a bonus level of storytelling. I think books like this make me keep seeing out vintage Harlequin Presents books.
Thought not a five star read, it's more than a four star. Let's say it's 4.25/5.0 stars.
May 16, 2017
Very nicely done romance with a shutdown, virginal heroine (she lost the love of her life the day of the wedding) and the uber-sophisticated divorcee with the teen man-child son from hell.
Excluding the extraneous details, it's about an h that is reluctant to move on from the of love her life ( he was both fiancee as well as best friend from elementary school) to the very chancy and SEXY H.
The H and h meet cute is not so cute considering on the first page the heroine wakes up to a slap on her bottom and mirrored ceilings thanks to his spawn from hell drugging her.
The H is a PLAYER that has been clearly bamboozled by the h. She more than dishes it out much to his dismay.
Unlike most of these kinds of stories, I actually see a HEA in their future.
Excluding the extraneous details, it's about an h that is reluctant to move on from the of love her life ( he was both fiancee as well as best friend from elementary school) to the very chancy and SEXY H.
The H and h meet cute is not so cute considering on the first page the heroine wakes up to a slap on her bottom and mirrored ceilings thanks to his spawn from hell drugging her.
The H is a PLAYER that has been clearly bamboozled by the h. She more than dishes it out much to his dismay.
Unlike most of these kinds of stories, I actually see a HEA in their future.
April 23, 2017
Great opening where the virgin heroine (who is still grieving her fiance’s death five years later) wakes up naked next to movie man hero. She can’t remember anything because someone put alcohol in her drink and she is worried they had sex. Hero thinks she’s some kind of starlet looking for a part in one of his movies. Heroine does want something – an interview with hero’s elderly father who was married to a famous actress. She’s working on a book and wants the info to be accurate.
Hero doesn’t believe her and hero’s son, who is 19, doesn’t back up her story. The son invited her to the party and arranged this scenario to embarrass both of them. Seems he has a monumental chip on his shoulder about his dad and his grandfather’s illness and impending death.
Hero, is of course, smitten with the heroine from the beginning and pursues her. The heroine still holds a torch for her dead fiancé and won’t give an inch. Hero’s son drives his car off of a bridge and confesses to his father his part in setting up the heroine. Hero apologizes and arranges an interview for the heroine with his father.
Heroine resists the H for a long time. Too long for me, I’m afraid. She and the hero bicker a lot. There were scenes where they were getting along swimmingly, but then the heroine or the hero would snap. However, they did learn to communicate with each other and each apologized and explained at least once in the story. (Productive arguing! In an HP! That was a breath of fresh air).
The 19 year-old son was ridiculously immature and rude and it was good the heroine gave him a slap. I don’t think that will make him straighten up and fly right – it’s not as simple as this story makes it – but hopefully time and more life experience will bring some maturity. (Thank goodness they don’t have to live with him).
This is a sexy HP – the heroine has sex dreams about the hero. (Hence the title) Once the conflict is resolved (the heroine letting go of her dead fiancé and embracing the future and the hero sorting out his son) then it’s easy to see how these two will have their HEA.
Hero doesn’t believe her and hero’s son, who is 19, doesn’t back up her story. The son invited her to the party and arranged this scenario to embarrass both of them. Seems he has a monumental chip on his shoulder about his dad and his grandfather’s illness and impending death.
Hero, is of course, smitten with the heroine from the beginning and pursues her. The heroine still holds a torch for her dead fiancé and won’t give an inch. Hero’s son drives his car off of a bridge and confesses to his father his part in setting up the heroine. Hero apologizes and arranges an interview for the heroine with his father.
Heroine resists the H for a long time. Too long for me, I’m afraid. She and the hero bicker a lot. There were scenes where they were getting along swimmingly, but then the heroine or the hero would snap. However, they did learn to communicate with each other and each apologized and explained at least once in the story. (Productive arguing! In an HP! That was a breath of fresh air).
The 19 year-old son was ridiculously immature and rude and it was good the heroine gave him a slap. I don’t think that will make him straighten up and fly right – it’s not as simple as this story makes it – but hopefully time and more life experience will bring some maturity. (Thank goodness they don’t have to live with him).
This is a sexy HP – the heroine has sex dreams about the hero. (Hence the title) Once the conflict is resolved (the heroine letting go of her dead fiancé and embracing the future and the hero sorting out his son) then it’s easy to see how these two will have their HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2022
"No longer a Dream" is a book i have wanted to read for a very long time..and now when i got the chance..what a pleasure!The way the hero and heroine meet was SO FUNNY that i just laughed out loud!Caleb Steele was a coldblooded, but goddarn sexy hero and we easily see how his interest towards the heroine flares from the start.Cat is a heroine that stands up for herself and doesn`t give up without a fight.Their relationship flowed in a natural way,and we see how they against their will fall in love with each other.The kiss scenes with them were so hot, HOLY SMOT WHAT AN SEXY BEAST Caleb are!!! One of my fave heroes by this author!
April 6, 2016
Re No Longer A Dream - this one is another May/December with the h being 24 and the H being 39. CM starts us off with a smack, literally, to the h's behind. She wakes up naked in bed with the H and has no clue how she got there.
The last thing she remembers is telling the H's son that she was leaving his riotous party, she had initially accepted the invitation in the hopes of getting the H to introduce her to his father - a notoriously reclusive writer who was married to a big Hollywood movie start in the 1940's before her tragic death in a fire. The h is a writer and is doing a book on famous Hollywood marriages and the H's father was one of the couples picked for the books focus.
The H is a big time movie director and while he may be used to waking up with strange women, (hence the slap on the rear,) the h is definitely not and she isn't happy to think that she may have lost her chastity in a drunken romp. The h never drinks alcohol as she goes from upright to comatose in two sips. (Obviously she never plays the HP drinking game, she wouldn't make it past page 3.) She is suitably horrified and the H is suitably blase' when he does what most men would do with a lovely lady who has a nice chest, he starts to lurve her up.
They are interrupted by the H's son bursting in, and the scene deteriorates from there - with the son making lewd and lascivious comments and the h growing more mortified and more angry. The son leaves and the h goes to shower, there are words between the H and h and the h is pretty agitated to confirm that nothing happened.
The H's male PA wanders in at one point to, and it becomes too much for the h, she locks herself in the bathroom and the H is finally realizing that she may be telling the truth about her inability to figure out how she got there.
He apologizes for thinking she was using his bed as the proverbial casting couch and she explains that she doesn't do men or relationships with men, she lost her fiance at 19 when he died on the way to their wedding and she hasn't completely recovered from that. The H is remarkably understanding - he has a prior example of his father mourning his mum for over 40 years, and gives her a ride home.
Except the h keeps having these dreams about the H, he aroused her physically and she just doesn't understand what is happening to her. The H shows up to ask the h out unexpectedly and she tells him she just isn't interested in him or being part of his lady smorgasbord.
The H tries to convince her otherwise via the sudden and rapid stripping of her shirt and nuzzling of her chest, (something the H does every chance he gets in this one, srsly the h should have had a stopwatch, I am sure he had her shirt off and his mouth on her in less than 4.3 seconds and for a while there I was wondering if CM was using the h having to put her shirt back on as page filler, it happened so often.)
The h manages to deflect the H's attention by pointing out his son is getting into big trouble, the H acknowledged that the son spiked her drinks and had her put in the H's bed when she went comatose, and she tells the H he needs to step in and sort his son out before a tragedy happens. The H leaves and the h goes back to having dreams of unrequited longing for the H.
Then she gets an invitation to the H's private Scottish retreat to interview his dad. We also find out the son tried to drive his car off a bridge and broke his leg. The h accepts the weekend invitation, assuming the H is out of the country and won't be there to harass, er pursue her, but as we all know to expect - the H is the first person to greet her when she walks in the door.
The H and h fight some more, he wants her badly and she is NOT GOING THERE, (at least not until chapter 7, anyways.) So the verbal sparing ends with the h's shirt off, again. ( I don't know maybe some kind of wrap to expedite matters should have been suggested at this point? It could be cashmere if warmth was the issue, thank goodness the H's genuine Scottish Castle had central heating.) The H manages to control himself and tells the h they are going skiing, she can meet his dad the next day.
The dad does introduce himself and the h looks at him and thinks the dad is dying, ( a bit of CM foreshadowing there.) The H and h are fighting again cause the H reminded her of her fiance, she explains that his mention of coffee made her realize she can't remember how her dead love took his and it made her unhappy. The H is very understanding and they have good time trying to teach the h how to ski.
They get home and the h decides to bathe, the bursting boy son bursts into the bathroom while the h is in the tub. He showed up full of nasty remarks earlier and then he figures out the h is a virgin and they have some words. Later on bursting boy insinuates that the h is making up to both the H and himself and that leads to another fight. The h smacks bursting boy a good one, after the H storms off, and then feels bad about hitting a young man so obviously unhappy and physically injured.
She goes to find BB, but finds the H instead, she explains BB's set-up attempt and then gives into the passion and drags the H off to bed. Glorious rapture time over, the h decides she loves the H and thinks he loves her back. (Like it wasn't obvious the H was totally in love at this point, at least to the reader. )
She goes to interview the H's dad and finds out that the H's mum was wildly jealous and threw an oil lamp that started the fire, the H and his dad escaped but the mum did not and the dad missed her every day of his life since. He tells the h she has to move on with her life, that she loves his son and that it doesn't mean the h forgets her fiance, but he isn't there any more and she decided to live when the fiance died and she did not join him so she has to give love a chance. ( A bit morbid, but kinda sweet for an HP scenario.) Then the dad has a big attack and looks pretty bad. The h runs to find the H and he sends her home to London.
The h is all kinds of hurt, why would he send her off when his dad is dying and he could use the support? She takes it to mean the H doesn't love her. BB calls her and tells her the H's dad died, the funeral is private and he apologizes for bursting so much. The h is sad, but determined to carry on and mopes around for a bit - she see's the H's ex-wife hanging all over him on the way to the funeral and so she figures she has been put out to pasture and there will be no more shirt removals.
The h is all sad and lonely and goes wandering around London, snugly wrapped in her shirt. When she returns, the H is there and the reunion is joyous as she runs into his arms as he is taking off her top while he tells her he needs her and can't live without her.
He explains he did not want to subject her to another death and so he sent her away to shelter her fragile (and now quite bare) psyche. The h tells him she is a big person and can handle the bad with the good and it is mutual love and marriage with the HEA being kicked off with another smack on the rear. The H and h have a daughter and a happy marriage and it is all good for rump smacking with shirt optional in HPLandia.
This one was sweet, not too wrecky and the H was massively in love for most of the book. The h held her own against the H's advances and took her time about deciding about the H and made sure he was serious in his intentions before succumbing to the power of the club. Check this one out for a solid love story not hindered by close fitting tops and a nice HEA, affectionate swats included.
The last thing she remembers is telling the H's son that she was leaving his riotous party, she had initially accepted the invitation in the hopes of getting the H to introduce her to his father - a notoriously reclusive writer who was married to a big Hollywood movie start in the 1940's before her tragic death in a fire. The h is a writer and is doing a book on famous Hollywood marriages and the H's father was one of the couples picked for the books focus.
The H is a big time movie director and while he may be used to waking up with strange women, (hence the slap on the rear,) the h is definitely not and she isn't happy to think that she may have lost her chastity in a drunken romp. The h never drinks alcohol as she goes from upright to comatose in two sips. (Obviously she never plays the HP drinking game, she wouldn't make it past page 3.) She is suitably horrified and the H is suitably blase' when he does what most men would do with a lovely lady who has a nice chest, he starts to lurve her up.
They are interrupted by the H's son bursting in, and the scene deteriorates from there - with the son making lewd and lascivious comments and the h growing more mortified and more angry. The son leaves and the h goes to shower, there are words between the H and h and the h is pretty agitated to confirm that nothing happened.
The H's male PA wanders in at one point to, and it becomes too much for the h, she locks herself in the bathroom and the H is finally realizing that she may be telling the truth about her inability to figure out how she got there.
He apologizes for thinking she was using his bed as the proverbial casting couch and she explains that she doesn't do men or relationships with men, she lost her fiance at 19 when he died on the way to their wedding and she hasn't completely recovered from that. The H is remarkably understanding - he has a prior example of his father mourning his mum for over 40 years, and gives her a ride home.
Except the h keeps having these dreams about the H, he aroused her physically and she just doesn't understand what is happening to her. The H shows up to ask the h out unexpectedly and she tells him she just isn't interested in him or being part of his lady smorgasbord.
The H tries to convince her otherwise via the sudden and rapid stripping of her shirt and nuzzling of her chest, (something the H does every chance he gets in this one, srsly the h should have had a stopwatch, I am sure he had her shirt off and his mouth on her in less than 4.3 seconds and for a while there I was wondering if CM was using the h having to put her shirt back on as page filler, it happened so often.)
The h manages to deflect the H's attention by pointing out his son is getting into big trouble, the H acknowledged that the son spiked her drinks and had her put in the H's bed when she went comatose, and she tells the H he needs to step in and sort his son out before a tragedy happens. The H leaves and the h goes back to having dreams of unrequited longing for the H.
Then she gets an invitation to the H's private Scottish retreat to interview his dad. We also find out the son tried to drive his car off a bridge and broke his leg. The h accepts the weekend invitation, assuming the H is out of the country and won't be there to harass, er pursue her, but as we all know to expect - the H is the first person to greet her when she walks in the door.
The H and h fight some more, he wants her badly and she is NOT GOING THERE, (at least not until chapter 7, anyways.) So the verbal sparing ends with the h's shirt off, again. ( I don't know maybe some kind of wrap to expedite matters should have been suggested at this point? It could be cashmere if warmth was the issue, thank goodness the H's genuine Scottish Castle had central heating.) The H manages to control himself and tells the h they are going skiing, she can meet his dad the next day.
The dad does introduce himself and the h looks at him and thinks the dad is dying, ( a bit of CM foreshadowing there.) The H and h are fighting again cause the H reminded her of her fiance, she explains that his mention of coffee made her realize she can't remember how her dead love took his and it made her unhappy. The H is very understanding and they have good time trying to teach the h how to ski.
They get home and the h decides to bathe, the bursting boy son bursts into the bathroom while the h is in the tub. He showed up full of nasty remarks earlier and then he figures out the h is a virgin and they have some words. Later on bursting boy insinuates that the h is making up to both the H and himself and that leads to another fight. The h smacks bursting boy a good one, after the H storms off, and then feels bad about hitting a young man so obviously unhappy and physically injured.
She goes to find BB, but finds the H instead, she explains BB's set-up attempt and then gives into the passion and drags the H off to bed. Glorious rapture time over, the h decides she loves the H and thinks he loves her back. (Like it wasn't obvious the H was totally in love at this point, at least to the reader. )
She goes to interview the H's dad and finds out that the H's mum was wildly jealous and threw an oil lamp that started the fire, the H and his dad escaped but the mum did not and the dad missed her every day of his life since. He tells the h she has to move on with her life, that she loves his son and that it doesn't mean the h forgets her fiance, but he isn't there any more and she decided to live when the fiance died and she did not join him so she has to give love a chance. ( A bit morbid, but kinda sweet for an HP scenario.) Then the dad has a big attack and looks pretty bad. The h runs to find the H and he sends her home to London.
The h is all kinds of hurt, why would he send her off when his dad is dying and he could use the support? She takes it to mean the H doesn't love her. BB calls her and tells her the H's dad died, the funeral is private and he apologizes for bursting so much. The h is sad, but determined to carry on and mopes around for a bit - she see's the H's ex-wife hanging all over him on the way to the funeral and so she figures she has been put out to pasture and there will be no more shirt removals.
The h is all sad and lonely and goes wandering around London, snugly wrapped in her shirt. When she returns, the H is there and the reunion is joyous as she runs into his arms as he is taking off her top while he tells her he needs her and can't live without her.
He explains he did not want to subject her to another death and so he sent her away to shelter her fragile (and now quite bare) psyche. The h tells him she is a big person and can handle the bad with the good and it is mutual love and marriage with the HEA being kicked off with another smack on the rear. The H and h have a daughter and a happy marriage and it is all good for rump smacking with shirt optional in HPLandia.
This one was sweet, not too wrecky and the H was massively in love for most of the book. The h held her own against the H's advances and took her time about deciding about the H and made sure he was serious in his intentions before succumbing to the power of the club. Check this one out for a solid love story not hindered by close fitting tops and a nice HEA, affectionate swats included.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
I think they realized they were in love TOO fast... but it was OK.
P.S. My computer broke down :( I will finish to add rest of the shelves soon.
P.S. My computer broke down :( I will finish to add rest of the shelves soon.
January 8, 2011
I enjoyed this story of a young woman who wakes up naked in a rich man's bed without knowing how she got there. Her fiance had died 5 years before and she is not interested in a relationship but the hero chases her and is very honest in his desire for her. She keeps turning him down and he just tries harder. He is very understanding of her feelings for her dead fiance and that's a strong theme in the book. He becomes so protective of her that it causes them problems in the end. That end was just a tiny bit far fetched but just a little and not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the story. I liked both characters and they were both very well drawn. She was not a timid wimp. He was arrogant but was not an ass to her. A very good story and a bit out of the norm plot wise.
June 12, 2011
Song for the story: here
I really liked this story cuz it dealt with the following issues
1) Moving on after the death of a loved one
2) Being skeptical of a new relationship
3) What most actors are like (insecure and petulant)
4) The suffering one faces when death occurs (not related to 1, by the way)
5) How a woman can damage the ego of a guy even though he's more experienced, just by saying: I don't want to be with you just so you can get your way with me
I think it's a book with surprising depth, insight and awesome resistance from the heroine. She's not cruel (although I do love my heroines strong) but she is consistent with her denial of a relationship which she considers too one-sided. Liked the story from all angles so recommended.
I really liked this story cuz it dealt with the following issues
1) Moving on after the death of a loved one
2) Being skeptical of a new relationship
3) What most actors are like (insecure and petulant)
4) The suffering one faces when death occurs (not related to 1, by the way)
5) How a woman can damage the ego of a guy even though he's more experienced, just by saying: I don't want to be with you just so you can get your way with me
I think it's a book with surprising depth, insight and awesome resistance from the heroine. She's not cruel (although I do love my heroines strong) but she is consistent with her denial of a relationship which she considers too one-sided. Liked the story from all angles so recommended.
October 9, 2012
Whenever I need something fun, exciting and different....that I know will totally absorb me, I reach for Carole Mortimer. She rarely disappoints. I loved this one about a woman who needs to move on from the loss of a loved one and a man that is bitter about life, but learns to love again.
A great story.
A great story.
August 2, 2020
3.5 stars
Good and angsty old school romance. May-December romance between an experienced/manw**re hero instantly besotted with a tortured-scarred by a painful past heroine. She wakes up naked in his bed ....what happened. He totally misjudges her but cannot stop pursuing her relentlessly.
As a background plot, a good grandfather- father- son relationship.
She resists, for a while, without great conviction, but he seduces her ruthlessly.
Nothing new but he was so H-O-T
Good and angsty old school romance. May-December romance between an experienced/manw**re hero instantly besotted with a tortured-scarred by a painful past heroine. She wakes up naked in his bed ....what happened. He totally misjudges her but cannot stop pursuing her relentlessly.
As a background plot, a good grandfather- father- son relationship.
She resists, for a while, without great conviction, but he seduces her ruthlessly.
Nothing new but he was so H-O-T
January 6, 2016
Older hero falls hard and fast for younger heroine but she is still in love with her dead fiance and she is not over his death. Still hero is determined to win her heart. Very romantic vintage Harlequin.
December 30, 2017
"No Longer a Dream" is the story of Cat and Caleb.
When writer Cat Howard wakes up after a night of unexpected hangover, she never expects to find herself naked- OR in bed with film studio owner Caleb Steele, whom she has been asking permission to interview his seclusive father!
She has been mourning her dead fiance Harry for 5 years now, but soon a dark figure starts shadowing her breast sucking daydreams..
I liked this in parts. While their chemistry was sizzling, the whole weird son drama (i.e. him walking on his father attached to her boob, while she bathed etc) made things awkward- so did the hero's volatile accusations.
The angst was a welcome break, so was all the obsession with butt spanking and nipple suckling(which made me LOL)!
Overall, a good read.
Safe
3/5
When writer Cat Howard wakes up after a night of unexpected hangover, she never expects to find herself naked- OR in bed with film studio owner Caleb Steele, whom she has been asking permission to interview his seclusive father!
She has been mourning her dead fiance Harry for 5 years now, but soon a dark figure starts shadowing her breast sucking daydreams..
I liked this in parts. While their chemistry was sizzling, the whole weird son drama (i.e. him walking on his father attached to her boob, while she bathed etc) made things awkward- so did the hero's volatile accusations.
The angst was a welcome break, so was all the obsession with butt spanking and nipple suckling(which made me LOL)!
Overall, a good read.
Safe
3/5
August 13, 2015
"No longer a dream", but kinda still is. It was fun rediscovering this book. I enjoyed the chemistry. It's an older besotted hero on the chase. I definitely have no objection to this dream.
August 30, 2015
Well that was awesome!!! He hits her ass and tell her she has an awesome body (best he has seen) but now she has to get up!!! All this before they have even been introduced. It goes on from there. The fiancé that died is so tragic and I liked how she told his son off. He was such an awesome hero. I loved this one. I can see this relationship lasting forever! They are really awesome together. The dream thing! Wow and the sex hot!!' Read again for sure a keeper.
July 24, 2022
3.5 ⭐️s for this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if it would have gotten a 4 from me on another day. I am a huge fan of CM’s work. This was a very well done romance and worth the read. Lots of great reviews for this one (Stmargarets, Boogenhagen, Azet etc…)so I won’t delve into too much here.
Things I liked, endured, or abhorred:
*May/December Romance (15 years 24/39)
*Shocking opening to the story(our h’s are not sluts! Come to find out she wasn’t)
*Alpha hero who has never been in love so he was a manwhore
*Virgin h who still loves her fiance who died on their wedding day when she was 19(ok, I am not so macabre as to like a dead fiance, but I like how the book dealt with it)
*19 year old jerk son of the hero took the place of an evil ow in this book. He was always trying to make trouble.(he makes a change by the end)
*Some excellent secondary characters
*Epilogue
*Glad that the dead fiancé was a good guy and not some cheating dope. The h would have married him and their lives would have been fulfilling. However, CM does a nice job making sure our h’s and H’s in her books take top billing. Usually the “new” loves have that extra spark of passion in addition to their other great characteristics. The new loves are not threatened by the old loves
*The deflowering of the h…..Ok so this handled differently then many of the HP’s I read. There was an actual discussion of it, and the H not only feels honored that he will be doing the deflowering, but he also gets a little flummoxed by it.
‘God, Cat, this is the most beautiful night of my life!'He hasn’t even slept with her yet! 😌
Tears glistened in her eyes. ‘I thought you knew, that you realised—'
‘No,’ he echoed. ‘Otherwise I wouldn't have— I didn't frighten you, did I, those other times I tried to make love to you?’ He frowned at the thought.
‘I'm a virgin, Caleb, not a simpleton,’ she gently mocked.
‘And I'm stark naked,’ he realised awkwardly, picking his robe up from the chair to pull it on and belt it about his waist. ‘Would you like to take a bath? A shower? Or something?’ He still frowned.
‘I bathed just before dinner, if you remember,’ she refused. ‘Caleb,’ she added softly, ‘I'm supposed to be the shy and innocent one,’ she chided. ‘You're the man of experience.'
He swallowed hard. ‘Never this experience,’ he admitted gruffly.”.
Things I liked, endured, or abhorred:
*May/December Romance (15 years 24/39)
*Shocking opening to the story(our h’s are not sluts! Come to find out she wasn’t)
*Alpha hero who has never been in love so he was a manwhore
*Virgin h who still loves her fiance who died on their wedding day when she was 19(ok, I am not so macabre as to like a dead fiance, but I like how the book dealt with it)
*19 year old jerk son of the hero took the place of an evil ow in this book. He was always trying to make trouble.(he makes a change by the end)
*Some excellent secondary characters
*Epilogue
*Glad that the dead fiancé was a good guy and not some cheating dope. The h would have married him and their lives would have been fulfilling. However, CM does a nice job making sure our h’s and H’s in her books take top billing. Usually the “new” loves have that extra spark of passion in addition to their other great characteristics. The new loves are not threatened by the old loves
*The deflowering of the h…..Ok so this handled differently then many of the HP’s I read. There was an actual discussion of it, and the H not only feels honored that he will be doing the deflowering, but he also gets a little flummoxed by it.
‘God, Cat, this is the most beautiful night of my life!'He hasn’t even slept with her yet! 😌
Tears glistened in her eyes. ‘I thought you knew, that you realised—'
‘No,’ he echoed. ‘Otherwise I wouldn't have— I didn't frighten you, did I, those other times I tried to make love to you?’ He frowned at the thought.
‘I'm a virgin, Caleb, not a simpleton,’ she gently mocked.
‘And I'm stark naked,’ he realised awkwardly, picking his robe up from the chair to pull it on and belt it about his waist. ‘Would you like to take a bath? A shower? Or something?’ He still frowned.
‘I bathed just before dinner, if you remember,’ she refused. ‘Caleb,’ she added softly, ‘I'm supposed to be the shy and innocent one,’ she chided. ‘You're the man of experience.'
He swallowed hard. ‘Never this experience,’ he admitted gruffly.”.
May 12, 2018
I just love these older stories it was so nice to read about a realistic story with realistic issues
October 17, 2012
A good, basic story with a satisfying conclusion. I liked the hero's relentless pursuit of the heroine. A little more plot-focused than I wanted, but otherwise good.
November 28, 2012
I found the novel to be a mix of good, boring, sad and all together annoying. It balanced out nicely by the end of the novel.
February 23, 2021
I liked this book because it's a story with characters that feel a bit more real. Cat's loss of her first love and how it affected her was deftly handled. She rebuilt her life after that tragedy but also was unable to take a risk on love and that's where Caleb came in. Caleb was a bit of a jerk at the beginning but once he's aware of her lost-love, he is actually somewhat kind in encouraging her to live life and move on. With him, of course. He has his jealous moments but I think for the most part, he's understanding of the sadness Cat experienced. Overall, this was a story with a good plot and I liked how the relationship developed with the MCs. Per usual with CM, big age gap. Cat is 26 and Caleb is 39. Cat is actually very mature and rational so the age didn't bother me as much. I enjoyed the steam level leading up to the actual consummation. The butt slaps were a bit much and I didn't like it but oddly enough, it makes the book stand out because I can't recall reading a book that starts and ends with a butt slap and some second base action until this one.
August 16, 2023
If you can get past the truly ridiculous age-gap and the fact that the twenty-four-year-old heroine is acting maternal towards the hero's (atrocious) nineteen-year-old son, this does some really nice things with grief and feelings and moving on. The heroine is still in love with her childhood boyfriend, who died (on their wedding day), and towards the end is assured - it was much more nuanced than I would usually expect from category romance of the era.
Bonus points for a note at the ending that . I mean at least Mortimer's going with it.
Bonus points for a note at the ending that . I mean at least Mortimer's going with it.
September 10, 2024
Opening scene is exactly why I love reading these types of books. Definitely not the norm meet cute that you expect to see lol. I enjoyed this book. Normally I'm not a fan of dead past loves but I think it helped that H was persistent and that as time goes on you realize that it was a valid but very young love and much different than what the h is experiencing now (although no less important!). I think my heart broke for h when she pulled back from the H with the realization that she couldn't remember how the dead fiancee took his coffee and sharing that with the H was a poignant moment instead of the usual complete shut out that could've happened.
September 9, 2020
I don’t like the book because of the teen (or adult?) son of the hero. His son is an idiot and very rude and the role/influence that he plays is too big. His son was just annoying.
I like the steamy sex scenes and sex talk between the hero and heroin, but not enough to make me want to keep this book.
I like the steamy sex scenes and sex talk between the hero and heroin, but not enough to make me want to keep this book.
October 5, 2025
It wasn't the worst, but I wouldn't want to re-read it.
I don't like that mmc had a son only 5 years younger than the fmc. Also didn't like that that son kept walking in on fmc being naked and lingering around making her uncomfortable. P.
I don't like that mmc had a son only 5 years younger than the fmc. Also didn't like that that son kept walking in on fmc being naked and lingering around making her uncomfortable. P.
December 20, 2021
The drama, the heat between the characters, the romance and the ending. How a virgin girl fantasized a famous actor and then their first encounter. Amazing
March 4, 2022
2.5*
Me aburrí un poco
Me aburrí un poco
June 8, 2024
The book opens with a slapped arse, brown silk sheets, and mirrors on the ceiling above the bed... pure CLASS I tell you. It's all uphill from there.
November 17, 2017
Now isn’t exactly the best time to read an old school Mills & Boon novel about a predatory Hollywood exec, but to be honest I found it kind of cathartic. Like, if he was a sensitive genuinely nice guy who totally respected women I probably would have found it really annoying and condescended to. Like, I know they actually are like that and it was nice it didn’t pretend otherwise.
It should, however, be said that if predatory heroes was a hard limit for me I wouldn’t have decided to read an old school 80s Mills & Boon in the first place, so...
It should, however, be said that if predatory heroes was a hard limit for me I wouldn’t have decided to read an old school 80s Mills & Boon in the first place, so...
July 17, 2025
If this be the stuff of dreams, I hope I get permanent insomnia!
Pages and pages (ad nauseum) about the h's dead fiancé that she's still obsessed with, trying to convince herself that what she feels for the H is only lust, as her heart belongs to guy she loved but never f---ed (though she sure was horny enough), while her body belongs to the guy she f---ed but doesn't love (of course not, she still loves the corpse); meanwhile the H's dad is still hung up on his late bat crap crazy movie star wife, and tells the h that if it hadn't been for his son, he'd have killed himself to be with her again, but since she didn't kill herself when her fiancé croaked, she loved life more than him, so why not live it with his son, whom she loves now more than she loved her dead childhood sweetheart (this old sick - both physically and mentally - dude sure thinks he's God's gift to psychiatry), and how would she feel if the H died??? WHAT??? This guy's grave obsessed, probably because he'll be in one soon, and no great loss there!
How will she feel if the H dies? She'll probably be as corpse obsessed as she was with her first love, until another guy comes along turns her on.
DNF, I went to the cemetery instead and had a much better time.
Pages and pages (ad nauseum) about the h's dead fiancé that she's still obsessed with, trying to convince herself that what she feels for the H is only lust, as her heart belongs to guy she loved but never f---ed (though she sure was horny enough), while her body belongs to the guy she f---ed but doesn't love (of course not, she still loves the corpse); meanwhile the H's dad is still hung up on his late bat crap crazy movie star wife, and tells the h that if it hadn't been for his son, he'd have killed himself to be with her again, but since she didn't kill herself when her fiancé croaked, she loved life more than him, so why not live it with his son, whom she loves now more than she loved her dead childhood sweetheart (this old sick - both physically and mentally - dude sure thinks he's God's gift to psychiatry), and how would she feel if the H died??? WHAT??? This guy's grave obsessed, probably because he'll be in one soon, and no great loss there!
How will she feel if the H dies? She'll probably be as corpse obsessed as she was with her first love, until another guy comes along turns her on.
DNF, I went to the cemetery instead and had a much better time.
December 26, 2017
I have steered away from Presents for a while now because I couldn't handle the over bearing Prince or Sheikh who thought they could just take what they want. This one absolutely shocked me. I am so glad I decided to give this book a try. I didn't get the results that had previously caused me to run. I got a satisfyingly great story! I couldn't put this book down.
A heartbroken virgin being tracked by a billionaire who fell in love at first sight. This book is amazing. I probably would have strangled the over bearing son in this book though. He was bit much. A 19 year old child who wanted to pretend to be a man but still act 2. Cat definitely has more patience and control than me.
A heartbroken virgin being tracked by a billionaire who fell in love at first sight. This book is amazing. I probably would have strangled the over bearing son in this book though. He was bit much. A 19 year old child who wanted to pretend to be a man but still act 2. Cat definitely has more patience and control than me.
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