Sweet Harvest

by Kerry Allyne

Return to Maiyatta? it was unthinkable. But a long bout with pneumonia had left Alix Whitman too weak to argue with her estranged husband, Kirby. Despite her objections she was being whisked off to recuperate at his plantation in North Queensland. Four years earlier Alix had left Kirby because of his secretary, attractive Melanie Gordon, and now she knew that Melanie was still very much a part of Maiyatta. Alix felt she was being forced to return to a heartbreaking repetition of the past

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Second Chance, Harlequin Romance

188 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 9, 1979

About the author

Kerry Allyne was born in England, UK. Her early childhood was uneventful, she remembered, until her father came home one day and began talking about emigrating to Australia. When they eventually arrived in Australia, Kerry took to her new land with a passion. During the family's first years "down under," she explored as much of the country as she could, journeying northward into Queensland and out onto the Great Barrier Reef, and sometimes south through New South Wales into Victoria. As a adult she returned to England for a short time. A long working holiday enabled her to travel the world before returning to Australia where she met her engineer husband-to-be, and they had a couple of children. The family eventually moved to a rural area and she started to write. She used the people and countryside as inspiration for her romances. She was published by Mills & Boon from 1976 to 1994.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine example of a vintage second chance story - where the heroine married at 18 and regretted it at 181/2. Now, four years later, she's in the hospital being treated for pneumonia. Her mother can't afford to take care of her, so she calls the heroine's proud, bitter, hot hunk of sugar cane plantation owner husband to take her back north to recover.

Let the fun begin.

Heroine main problem 4 years before was the secretary who was making a play for the hero. OW is still there and making speeches about how she is going to get the hero this time for sure. Hero says mean things. Heroine says mean things. Thankfully, these arguments are broken up with the heroine running into an old friend and her brother and spending time with them. Hero is jealous of OM and takes heroine out on his own to the beach. But he tries to put the moves on her and it backfires.

They have weeks of a silence standoff until they attend a local party. Hero dances with OW. Heroine hangs out with OM. H/hr are still at each other's throats. The next notable event occurs when heroine helps friend and OM go through the contents of an old house for the heritage society, and hero finds out. (He had forbidden her from seeing OM) After arguing, hero rapes heroine. Heroine wants to leave but hero won't let her. OW keeps egging on the heroine to file for divorce. When heroine finds out she's pregnant, she buys a bus ticket. Hero gets her off the bus. They talk it out. OW has resigned. Hero's pride got in the way the first time and heroine was so young. He loves his wife and wants the baby. HEA.

This is so old skool, I think this was an ur-skool - a true origin story.

Let's count the ways:
Heroine married while teenager after knowing each other for a few weeks.
Mother who thinks any problem in the marriage must have been the heroine's fault.
Side characters who think it's the heroine fault.
Heroine smokes while recovering from pneumonia.
Heroine faints at least three times.
Prideful hero who leaves red marks on the heroine's arms whenever he touches her.
Marital rape is the only sex scene in the whole story
Crazy jealous hero.
Crazy stupid heroine who lets herself be seen with OM
Crazy OW - who makes hissing declarations to the heroine and lies to the hero.
Both H/h say things they don't mean and don't make sense.
Heroine smokes while pregnant.
And a trip through the sugar mill and an explanation of how sugar is harvested and processed, just because.

Now you can see why I gave it three stars. Sometimes you just need a vintage second chance story.

[Leona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing read. For most of the book, the Hero and heroine were truly vile to one another. He in particular.

I was actually walking on eggshells while reading this book because as a reader, I was uncomfortably and unwillingly thrust into the role of voyeur to an abusive marriage. Abuse which ultimately ends in rape, one of the most horrific things that can ever happen to a woman. Yet, the heroine continues to love the hero and unrealistically goes on with her everyday life showing absolutely no signs of trauma. To make matters worse a child is conceived as a result of this rape which again I found offensive.

Rape isn't an uncommon occurrence in these vintage HP's, but for some reason this one was more graphic and vulgar. As a reader I couldn't move past it, or the other 100 pages of abuse.

I don't see a HEA for this couple. He will either kill her or hopefully she will eventually wise up and leave him. Save yourself two hours, and find a book that really is romance. Honestly, this one was too hard to stomach.

I'm sorry to be so brutal about this review, but I can't help it.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirby's arms crushed her to him tightly, his expression so adoring that it took her breath away. Ì don't deserve you,' he murmured huskily.
For the love of sweet angst, he was absolutely right even if our dumb h didn’t think so.

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seething H and ill, petulant h make each other miserable while OW stirs up things. One of the most irascible Hs I have encountered. It's easy to believe that he has been faithful because he is obvious very frustrated across the board. Non-consent.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how she mouthed off the OW and also the H. She was one tough cookie. This was different from other h’s that I give it 4 stars.

He is abusive to her with a few times grabbing her hair so it hurts. And one night he rapes her.

She is better off without him.

[Lede · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every single interaction between these two was caustic, rude and aggressive.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's enjoyable despite a very bitter hero (34) who is blind to the machinations of the OW. Clearly the heroine was dumb and unable to cope at 18, but she's getting it together better at 22 and is more likeable (if still acting very young). The OW was horrid - a lying, manipulating, tell-tale secretary who was there before the husband met the wife, but never as anything more than staff (the OW mum is housekeeper and the dad is head stockman). The OM is lovely, not deluded at all about the heroine, and yet manages to make the hero extremely jealous. He's a bit stiff and doesn't make enough effort, but I get the feeling from the HEA that he won't make that mistake again (and the OW is dispatched).

[Live2Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depending on how much angst you like in your romance, unnecessary angst that is. Obviously I didn’t mind, it worked for me. The angst didn’t feel forced. I enjoy the banter between the hero/heroine & the war between the heroine/OW. Hands down to the heroine/OW for best verbal smackdown of all time. LOL, like literally. They were like two dogs fighting over a bone. Heroine gave as good as she got, OW played the hero & heroine against each other so well too. The only thing I wish we got was sweet scenes. No tender scenes exist in this book, hero was too angry for that. I don’t blame him though, not after heroine walking out on him. I’m glad they got their happily after.

[RomLibrary]

Return to Maiyatta? it was unthinkable. But a long bout with pneumonia had left Alix Whitman too weak to argue with her estranged husband, Kirby. Despite her objections she was being whisked off to recuperate at his plantation in North Queensland. Four years earlier Alix had left Kirby because of his secretary, attractive Melanie Gordon, and now she knew that Melanie was still very much a part of Maiyatta. Alix felt she was being forced to return to a heartbreaking repetition of the past

[More Books Than Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this. Although both h and H said nasty things it was easy to see they had love. The rape scene thankfully is fade to black, and better H and h call it rape and H condemns himself. Marital rape is ugly, hateful, disgusting. However I find the endless manipulation, control and mind games more recent HP alpha Hs indulge in are even worse, more cruel, more disturbing.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

there wasn't one moment of fun between these two.... well he took her on a tour of the sugar factory.... woo hoo.....and the OW was so awful and he believed all her lies.....so it wasn't a very believable reconciliation by the end.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Harley adventure with a mean H and wanna be other woman.

That doesn't mean it wasn't fun though.

Three hours of my life I don't regret.

[Kerry Allyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four years after they had separated Alix found she was forced to be in the constant company of her husband's lover. Something had to give...but what?

http://www.amazon.com/SWEET-HARVEST-e...

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked how the h kept shooting down the OW, who came of as younger then the h but was actually much older then her. It was refreshing with a h that could give as good as she got!