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Love Battle
She wasn't the woman he thought her to be
Moonside had become like a home now to Wilda. The thought of once again starting a new life elsewhere filled her with panic. For she knew that if Damien told her employer about her past she would be thrown out.
It frightened Wilda that Damien Demonides had come, bringing with him memories of a time and place she wanted to forget. Memories that haunted her ....
The fact that she had been entirely innocent in the sordid affair was quite beyond proving.
Moonside had become like a home now to Wilda. The thought of once again starting a new life elsewhere filled her with panic. For she knew that if Damien told her employer about her past she would be thrown out.
It frightened Wilda that Damien Demonides had come, bringing with him memories of a time and place she wanted to forget. Memories that haunted her ....
The fact that she had been entirely innocent in the sordid affair was quite beyond proving.
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1977
About the author
Violet Winspear
176 books142 followersViolet Winspear was a British author renowned for her prolific output of romance novels, publishing seventy titles with Mills & Boon between 1961 and 1987. In 1973, she became a launch author for the Mills & Boon-Harlequin Presents line, known for its more sexually explicit content, alongside Anne Mather and Anne Hampson, two of the most popular and prolific British romance writers of the time. Winspear began writing while working in a factory and became a full-time novelist in 1963, producing her works from her home in South East England, researching exotic settings at her local library. She famously described her heroes as lean, strong, and captivating, “in need of love but capable of breathtaking passion and potency,” a characterization that provoked controversy in 1970 when she stated that her male protagonists were “capable of rape,” leading to considerable public backlash. Her novels are celebrated for their vivid, globe-spanning settings and dramatic tension, often employing sexual antagonism to heighten conflict between the alpha male hero and the heroine, who is frequently portrayed as naïve or overwhelmed by his dominance. Winspear never married or had children, and she passed away in January 1989 after a long battle with cancer, leaving a lasting influence on the romance genre.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 29, 2013
This is pretty hot for its day with Damien Demonides thinking the heroine, innocent Wilda Grayson formerly songstress Wilda Bird, is a fallen woman. IN fact the heroine sees the hero coming out of the ocean in all his naked glory in the first chapter...Greek God like...
He saw her two years ago in Monte Carlo being flung from a hotel room by a wronged wife half dressed and then cited in a divorce case.
Finding her living a low key life as his mothers nurse-companion in Florida is the last place he expected her to be.
But he has every intention of taking advantage of the situation.
Damien is one of those old fashioned rapey heroes Violet was so good at. Usually they are forgiveable because they are wounded and love the heroine with a passion greater than anyone has ever loved before. I just love that in an alpha male romance hero. So I'm politically incorrect when it comes to my romances novels. Just keep in between the covers of the books, okay.
Not that Damien does anything like that to Wilda but you get the feeling that if she pushed him just a little further...
I really enjoyed this re-read of a book I've read a few years ago.
He saw her two years ago in Monte Carlo being flung from a hotel room by a wronged wife half dressed and then cited in a divorce case.
Finding her living a low key life as his mothers nurse-companion in Florida is the last place he expected her to be.
But he has every intention of taking advantage of the situation.
Damien is one of those old fashioned rapey heroes Violet was so good at. Usually they are forgiveable because they are wounded and love the heroine with a passion greater than anyone has ever loved before. I just love that in an alpha male romance hero. So I'm politically incorrect when it comes to my romances novels. Just keep in between the covers of the books, okay.
Not that Damien does anything like that to Wilda but you get the feeling that if she pushed him just a little further...
I really enjoyed this re-read of a book I've read a few years ago.
July 1, 2014
3 1/2 Stars ~ Shortly after her father died, Wilda barely 18, traveled to Monte Carlo as a singer. When an older gentleman paid her fatherly attention, she laped it up. The man, a popular Hollywood bigwig, was only out to use Wilda as means to a speedy divorce. He'd spiked her drinks and set her up in his bed for his wife to discover, and the discovery was handled publicly as the wife dragged a barely conscious Wilda through the hotel dressed only in the man's pajama top. Damien had been a guest in the hotel and had watched Wilda perform several times, he also witnessed the public display with the wife. The press went wild with the news and Wilda was named as the tart who ruined a marriage. It's now two years later and Wilda has built a quiet life for herself as a companion to an older woman in Florida. When Damien learns that the young woman his mother has hired is named Wilda, he decides it's time for an extended visit.
The chemistry connection between Wilda and Damien jumps from the first pages, as Wilda's first sights of Damien after two years, is of him in all his naked glory emerging from the evening Florida surf on a secluded beach. The imagery is quite vivid and notches up the heat. Damien of course recognizes Wilda from the start and doesn't hesitate in letting her know what a good time girl he thinks she is. Though she protests her innocence, Damien refuses to listen. Holding the threat of disclosing her scandalous past over her, Damien sets out to seduce her, he'll either confirm her innocence or prove her lies.
I was totally enthralled with Damien and Wilda's story, and then with about a third left, it lost it's momentum. Damien is a typical Greek alpha hero from the 70's, while he doesn't condemn women who sleep around, he would never consider to marry one. He's quite enchanted with Wilda and admits that he could overcome her past if only she'd confess her part. Of course, Wilda's refusal only fuels his contempt and he makes her life a hell. At the beginning of his stay, he tells his mother that he's met a young woman who has fallen from grace and he's undecided on whether to marry her. Wilda doesn't recognize that she's that woman, but Damien clearly battles within himself to get over a past he cannot change. Their HEA seemed lacking as I couldn't quite buy into Damien's sudden declaration that he finally believed Wilda.
The chemistry connection between Wilda and Damien jumps from the first pages, as Wilda's first sights of Damien after two years, is of him in all his naked glory emerging from the evening Florida surf on a secluded beach. The imagery is quite vivid and notches up the heat. Damien of course recognizes Wilda from the start and doesn't hesitate in letting her know what a good time girl he thinks she is. Though she protests her innocence, Damien refuses to listen. Holding the threat of disclosing her scandalous past over her, Damien sets out to seduce her, he'll either confirm her innocence or prove her lies.
I was totally enthralled with Damien and Wilda's story, and then with about a third left, it lost it's momentum. Damien is a typical Greek alpha hero from the 70's, while he doesn't condemn women who sleep around, he would never consider to marry one. He's quite enchanted with Wilda and admits that he could overcome her past if only she'd confess her part. Of course, Wilda's refusal only fuels his contempt and he makes her life a hell. At the beginning of his stay, he tells his mother that he's met a young woman who has fallen from grace and he's undecided on whether to marry her. Wilda doesn't recognize that she's that woman, but Damien clearly battles within himself to get over a past he cannot change. Their HEA seemed lacking as I couldn't quite buy into Damien's sudden declaration that he finally believed Wilda.
September 2, 2012
Wilda lives peacefully at Moonside as maid/companion to a wealthy Greek lady. But unfortunately she must face her scandalous past again, when her employer’s son, Damien (H), comes to visit her mother.
Damien was a witness to her humiliation, when she was caught with a married man and exposed by the wife, who immediately asked for a divorce. The story made newspaper headlines. At the time, Wilda was working as a singer and Damien was one of her admirers.
On his arrival, Damien subjects Wilda to a certain blackmail, as he knows that his mother would most likely fire Wilda, should she learnt about her past. It also becomes obvious that Damien is much attracted to Wilda and wants to use his knowledge as a way to win her as a lover for a brief affair. Wilda is attracted to him too, but cannot bear his contempt.
A compelling and well-written story, full of angst and difficult to put down.
Damien was a witness to her humiliation, when she was caught with a married man and exposed by the wife, who immediately asked for a divorce. The story made newspaper headlines. At the time, Wilda was working as a singer and Damien was one of her admirers.
On his arrival, Damien subjects Wilda to a certain blackmail, as he knows that his mother would most likely fire Wilda, should she learnt about her past. It also becomes obvious that Damien is much attracted to Wilda and wants to use his knowledge as a way to win her as a lover for a brief affair. Wilda is attracted to him too, but cannot bear his contempt.
A compelling and well-written story, full of angst and difficult to put down.
April 12, 2015
What a great story! I love the whole thing I just wished she would have cleared her Name and I loved how you really felt for her losing her father to cancer. It was well written. Not glossed over but dealt with along with her explaining why he should not smoke. Omg so poignant!
January 12, 2022
Good story but I got awfully tired of the womanizer tearing his hair out because she was flawed.
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October 3, 2025Some scattered thoughts on this one:
* The author has does not know anything about the Florida Keys except that they exist. 1., "Having been in the 'sea' she didn't need a shower"; 2. The house is "above" the beach, has a storm CELLAR in case of hurricanes (!!?!), and is located on the water in the florida keys, but also very near such modern luxuries as high rise buildings with restaurants on the roof, good doctors who make house calls within minutes, a fancy hospital within emergency distance, fancy upscale shopping areas nearby, etc. Like, Miami is there, but it's a good hour's drive from anywhere feasible; also nothing is really "above" the beach. There aren't cliffs and hills in the keys, and if you go swimming in the water, you WILL need to shower after what is she even saying has she not heard of salt, sand, etc.? Like, this was the 70s; it was even LESS developed back then than it is now.
* "she glanced around and wondered how he could tell the 'deviates' from the real men" NOPE. Nice homophobia there, Ms. Winspear.
* An innocent tarantula was murdered by the H. Didn't appreciate that.
* And, not 2 pages later, "Obscene things, and some of them bite." Whaaaa tarantulas catching strays from the H for no reason.
* h is not helping H's old-fashioned, misogynistic ideas by freaking flirting with and kissing the OM. And then going with him to his apartment in the middle of a tropical storm. And then, when he gives her an out, pretty much declaring his intention to sex her up in said apartment, she just goes right along with it, while second thoughts, warning bells, etc.
* The author has does not know anything about the Florida Keys except that they exist. 1., "Having been in the 'sea' she didn't need a shower"; 2. The house is "above" the beach, has a storm CELLAR in case of hurricanes (!!?!), and is located on the water in the florida keys, but also very near such modern luxuries as high rise buildings with restaurants on the roof, good doctors who make house calls within minutes, a fancy hospital within emergency distance, fancy upscale shopping areas nearby, etc. Like, Miami is there, but it's a good hour's drive from anywhere feasible; also nothing is really "above" the beach. There aren't cliffs and hills in the keys, and if you go swimming in the water, you WILL need to shower after what is she even saying has she not heard of salt, sand, etc.? Like, this was the 70s; it was even LESS developed back then than it is now.
* "she glanced around and wondered how he could tell the 'deviates' from the real men" NOPE. Nice homophobia there, Ms. Winspear.
* An innocent tarantula was murdered by the H. Didn't appreciate that.
* And, not 2 pages later, "Obscene things, and some of them bite." Whaaaa tarantulas catching strays from the H for no reason.
* h is not helping H's old-fashioned, misogynistic ideas by freaking flirting with and kissing the OM. And then going with him to his apartment in the middle of a tropical storm. And then, when he gives her an out, pretty much declaring his intention to sex her up in said apartment, she just goes right along with it, while second thoughts, warning bells, etc.
September 28, 2019
It is interesting to read old romances to see how gender roles were viewed not so long ago. In this book, the "hero" is obsessed with virginity and falsely believes the heroine is a slut, even after she tells him otherwise.
April 7, 2021
I really liked this book. The love-hate relationship between Wilda and Damien is amazing.
June 9, 2021
She wasn't the woman he thought her to be. Moonside had become like a home now to Wilda. The thought of once again starting a new life elsewhere filled her with panic. For she knew that if Damien told her employer about her past she would be thrown out. It frightened Wilda that Damien Demonides had come, bringing with him memories of a time and place she wanted to forget. Memories that haunted her ....The fact that she had been entirely innocent in the sordid affair was quite beyond proving
August 17, 2011
The Plot is clear and very well organized.
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June 24, 2017Good read
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews