What do you think?
Rate this book
ハロー、マイ・ラヴ
It was entirely Whitney's fault that businessman Sloan Illingworth's engagement had ended so disastrously. And it was only fair that she should offer to make amends. But wasn't it going a bit far for Sloan to expect her to take Gleda's place in his life? He was rich, attractive and an answer to every girl's dream. But Whitney simply wasn't interested. Or was she?
- GenresRomanceHarlequin Romance
Paperback Shinsho
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Jessica Steele
343 books113 followersJessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 21, 2017
This is a cute engagement of convenience story that was weakened by the clunky writing (ex: "she left her place of employment." "He said, toughly") and the pages and page of inner monologue which went beyond repetitious and headed to obsessive. The heroine's precise use of the calendar (ex: two days since Saturday. Four weeks since Wed lunch) got very old very fast.
When the H/h had dialogue they were charming and believable - but those inner thoughts, doubts, and precise measuring of exactly how hurt and angry she was - uh. Time to skim.
So the premise. Heroine is bored by a drunken party so she escapes upstairs and falls asleep in the hero's bed. Hero is jet lagged and doesn't notice her there. His fiance catches them in bed together and the engagement is off. Heroine feels guilty and says she'll do anything to make it right.
Twenty days later (ask me how I know) the hero calls and says the heroine should act as his fiance since his mother is in the hospital and it would upset her that his engagement has been called off. She never met his previous fiance, so the heroine could be a stand in. But first they have to go around together.
Here the story line sags as the H/h both fight their attraction to each other. The hero by being cranky. The heroine by using a soppy OM as a smokescreen.
They finally go to bed together and the heroine is happy until the housekeeper informs her that the hero's mother was never in an accident. She's in America with her new hubby. The heroine feels like she was lied to and used as revenge for messing up the hero's engagement. So in true bunny boiler fashion, she writes in lipstick on his pillow. I'll never forgive you.
Hero leaves her alone because he thinks she's angry that he took her virginity. He sends her a painting she admired, which she promptly slashes. (Girlfriend has anger issues)
Finally he calls and she blurts out that she is pregnant and then slams down the phone. Hero breaks land speed records to get to her side. They finally talk it out. Hero was hiding behind his lies to get heroine to spend time with him. He was going to confess about his mother after he had gone to the garden to pick her a red rose - but she had left.
The ending was well done and almost brought this up to a weak three stars. But when I do that much skimming, I can't give it a higher score.
When the H/h had dialogue they were charming and believable - but those inner thoughts, doubts, and precise measuring of exactly how hurt and angry she was - uh. Time to skim.
So the premise. Heroine is bored by a drunken party so she escapes upstairs and falls asleep in the hero's bed. Hero is jet lagged and doesn't notice her there. His fiance catches them in bed together and the engagement is off. Heroine feels guilty and says she'll do anything to make it right.
Twenty days later (ask me how I know) the hero calls and says the heroine should act as his fiance since his mother is in the hospital and it would upset her that his engagement has been called off. She never met his previous fiance, so the heroine could be a stand in. But first they have to go around together.
Here the story line sags as the H/h both fight their attraction to each other. The hero by being cranky. The heroine by using a soppy OM as a smokescreen.
They finally go to bed together and the heroine is happy until the housekeeper informs her that the hero's mother was never in an accident. She's in America with her new hubby. The heroine feels like she was lied to and used as revenge for messing up the hero's engagement. So in true bunny boiler fashion, she writes in lipstick on his pillow. I'll never forgive you.
Hero leaves her alone because he thinks she's angry that he took her virginity. He sends her a painting she admired, which she promptly slashes. (Girlfriend has anger issues)
Finally he calls and she blurts out that she is pregnant and then slams down the phone. Hero breaks land speed records to get to her side. They finally talk it out. Hero was hiding behind his lies to get heroine to spend time with him. He was going to confess about his mother after he had gone to the garden to pick her a red rose - but she had left.
The ending was well done and almost brought this up to a weak three stars. But when I do that much skimming, I can't give it a higher score.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
4 1/2 Stars ~ Whitney is a young woman who has learnt from bitter experience how deceitful men can be. First by her father who had destroyed her mother when his mistress of five years aired their affair. Then after her mother's death in a horrible car accident, she'd moved to London, she'd been flattered by the attentions of a co-worker. But it turned out that Dermot was married with young children, and heart-broken Whitney quit her job and sought another. Determined to stay clear of men, she reluctantly agreed to go out with a young man her age. Toby was like a brother, and when he invited her to a party in a posh neighbourhood outside London, she agreed to go. The surprise party, given by his fiancee, was for the owner of the gorgeous house as a homecoming from his three months away. But Whitney soon found the party had turned into a drunken frenzy and she escaped to one of the quiet bedrooms. Tired, she only thought to close her eyes for a moment and next she remembered the overhead lights coming up and a rush of feminine screaming as there was a naked man in the bed beside her. The screaming was from the fiancee at the doorway, as she's just discovered Whitney in bed with the man of the hour. Sloan is too tired to put up with any more disruptions to his sleep. After quickly getting rid of all his houseguests and his now ex-fiancee, he returns to discover Whitney still in his house. He promises to see her home but first he has to get some much needed sleep.
Thinking she's just ended this poor man's engagement, Whitney is overridden with guilt. So when Sloan seeks her out a few weeks later, she agrees to see him, hoping maybe she can help get them back together. She's surprised to learn that Sloan doesn't want help with his ex-fiancee, but he does need Whitney to pretend to take her place with his mother. Seems his mother's had an accident and is eager to finally meet the woman he plans to marry. Still burdened with guilt, Whitney agrees to the farce, only the more time she spends with Sloan the more vulnerable she becomes to him.
Ms. Steele has a delightful tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that just shines in this love story. The banter between Whitney and Sloan is deliciously witty and I found myself laughing out loud. At one point ... Whitney felt her heart suddenly give one almighty bump. For, out of nowhere, but probably triggered by the thought that Sloan had no feeling for her, the idea was suddenly conversely in her head that the reason why he was acting as if every one of his toe-nails was ingrowing was that he was—jealous!
Whitney is rather naive but she's not push over. Sloan is quite taken with her right from the start and finds himself making every excuse just to spend time with her. The lie about his mother's accident gets poor Sloan into deep hot water and he finds himself faced with a fear that Whitney will never forgive him. Determined that she hear him out, I was proud of her when she declares... ‘I feel certain that any explanation you wish to make must surely begin “Once Upon A Time”.’
For those that love a most delicious helping of crow, poor Sloan eats his with relish! I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride Ms. Steele cleverly sent these two on.
Thinking she's just ended this poor man's engagement, Whitney is overridden with guilt. So when Sloan seeks her out a few weeks later, she agrees to see him, hoping maybe she can help get them back together. She's surprised to learn that Sloan doesn't want help with his ex-fiancee, but he does need Whitney to pretend to take her place with his mother. Seems his mother's had an accident and is eager to finally meet the woman he plans to marry. Still burdened with guilt, Whitney agrees to the farce, only the more time she spends with Sloan the more vulnerable she becomes to him.
Ms. Steele has a delightful tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that just shines in this love story. The banter between Whitney and Sloan is deliciously witty and I found myself laughing out loud. At one point ... Whitney felt her heart suddenly give one almighty bump. For, out of nowhere, but probably triggered by the thought that Sloan had no feeling for her, the idea was suddenly conversely in her head that the reason why he was acting as if every one of his toe-nails was ingrowing was that he was—jealous!
Whitney is rather naive but she's not push over. Sloan is quite taken with her right from the start and finds himself making every excuse just to spend time with her. The lie about his mother's accident gets poor Sloan into deep hot water and he finds himself faced with a fear that Whitney will never forgive him. Determined that she hear him out, I was proud of her when she declares... ‘I feel certain that any explanation you wish to make must surely begin “Once Upon A Time”.’
For those that love a most delicious helping of crow, poor Sloan eats his with relish! I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride Ms. Steele cleverly sent these two on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2026
Heroine (23) is off men after finding out the guy she is in love with is married to. So she moves jobs, and starts causally dating a nice guy her own age. He takes her to a party at the house of the hero (35), who is expected back from three months abroad. The beautiful, snotty blonde fiancée of the hero has arranged it as a surprise for him. The heroine has to endure the clammy hands of a fellow guest, who manages to damage her dress, so she decides to circumvent the stair barriers and goes to lie on the biggest bed she can find. Sleeping beauty awakens to find herself in bed with the naked hero, with the now ex-fiancée screaming at them. Awkward. Moreover, very unromantic.
And so it goes on (as per two other detailed reviews so no need for me to recount the storyline here). It’s cute in places, but there are a few problems that for me make this a mid-range Jessica Steele. 1. The hero really had been engaged to the cold, unpleasant, but beautiful woman - which makes me doubt that he’d suddenly be interested in the homespun (but beautiful) heroine. He had thought himself in love with his fiancée, but her actions had made him pull back (before the scene in the bedroom, as she’d cheated on him whilst he was away), and be totally unbothered by her afterwards (apparently). Seems off. 2. The heroine has a backstory about cheating men, but that did not seem relevant to the current scenario. 3. She only realises she is in love when he kisses her and then this after seeing him quite a few weeks (so it’s not his personality she fell for). 4. They had no real connection, no chemistry. 5. He’d had a fiancée and probably countless girlfriends and yet did not protect the heroine against pregnancy (or anything else!) I was quite shocked Jessica Steele had a storyline of sex before marriage.
Oh well, it is inoffensive, so 3 stars.
And so it goes on (as per two other detailed reviews so no need for me to recount the storyline here). It’s cute in places, but there are a few problems that for me make this a mid-range Jessica Steele. 1. The hero really had been engaged to the cold, unpleasant, but beautiful woman - which makes me doubt that he’d suddenly be interested in the homespun (but beautiful) heroine. He had thought himself in love with his fiancée, but her actions had made him pull back (before the scene in the bedroom, as she’d cheated on him whilst he was away), and be totally unbothered by her afterwards (apparently). Seems off. 2. The heroine has a backstory about cheating men, but that did not seem relevant to the current scenario. 3. She only realises she is in love when he kisses her and then this after seeing him quite a few weeks (so it’s not his personality she fell for). 4. They had no real connection, no chemistry. 5. He’d had a fiancée and probably countless girlfriends and yet did not protect the heroine against pregnancy (or anything else!) I was quite shocked Jessica Steele had a storyline of sex before marriage.
Oh well, it is inoffensive, so 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2020
Funny because they were so silly but I liked the story.
November 23, 2020
There was no doubt she was to blame
Whitney Lawford never imagined that when she slipped into an empty bedroom to escape a tedious drunken party, she would wake up next to Sloan Illingworth, the tall, attractive owner of Illingworth International.
So when Sloan's engagement was broken and he asked her to pose as his fiancee, Whitney felt obliged to agree. However, Sloan wanted to be the only man in her life.
When she learned how Sloan had deceived her, Whitney swore never to forgive him. Then circumstances changed.
Whitney Lawford never imagined that when she slipped into an empty bedroom to escape a tedious drunken party, she would wake up next to Sloan Illingworth, the tall, attractive owner of Illingworth International.
So when Sloan's engagement was broken and he asked her to pose as his fiancee, Whitney felt obliged to agree. However, Sloan wanted to be the only man in her life.
When she learned how Sloan had deceived her, Whitney swore never to forgive him. Then circumstances changed.
July 27, 2017
First off, when I was a teen I loved Jessica Steele. I bought all her books. I think they were 75 cents at that time. Maybe 50 cents but I digress. But OMG! I must have been on drugs or something because this had to be the most boring book I have read in a long time. The h was just so weird and don't get me started on Sloan, the H. They did have some cute banter back and forth but not enough to make this an enjoyable read. Sadly I can only give it two stars. One of those stars is only due to the memory of my teenage crush on Jessical Steele. And where the heck did that title come from? That is one of the greatest titles ever. I want to write a book with that title because it has so much potential and it was definitely wasted on this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2020
Some departure from JS's usual, but most of the components are there.
This one wore thin with the hero's lying for me. I recognize he had fallen for her quite early, and in true JS form, he knew it without realizing it and so went through a lot of machination to have time with her. And he was on the verge of telling her...
But it didn't quite gel.
The too-bad part is they had an enjoyable falling in love that was believable. They were obviously suited and obviously going to do well in their HEA. But... again, not quite hanging together.
I think some of it is her spikes of rage to swooning. And his ignoring her until he couldn't. But them falling in love same time. This can work--it didn't here. Her destruction of the painting he seemed to offhandedly send was classic JS; too much in the wrong directly too late in the going, but why not chuck in Moar Emotion while there's still time.
Almost secret baby. Fake engagement of a strange kind. Intriguingly different set up and one that made it clear they were compatible from the start. And another JS departure: he recognized her as "different" from the start instead of the oft trod 'he misjudges her as terrible, likes her anyway, kind of hates them both for it.' JS's ongoing obsession with the leads' obsession with virginity. He is gallant & she is sweet but they roil where it doesn't quite work.
Plenty of good grovel. Full force of that in this one. And it sells the fell-in-love and the HEA that's to follow, which somewhat forgives & elevates the rest.
This one wore thin with the hero's lying for me. I recognize he had fallen for her quite early, and in true JS form, he knew it without realizing it and so went through a lot of machination to have time with her. And he was on the verge of telling her...
But it didn't quite gel.
The too-bad part is they had an enjoyable falling in love that was believable. They were obviously suited and obviously going to do well in their HEA. But... again, not quite hanging together.
I think some of it is her spikes of rage to swooning. And his ignoring her until he couldn't. But them falling in love same time. This can work--it didn't here. Her destruction of the painting he seemed to offhandedly send was classic JS; too much in the wrong directly too late in the going, but why not chuck in Moar Emotion while there's still time.
Almost secret baby. Fake engagement of a strange kind. Intriguingly different set up and one that made it clear they were compatible from the start. And another JS departure: he recognized her as "different" from the start instead of the oft trod 'he misjudges her as terrible, likes her anyway, kind of hates them both for it.' JS's ongoing obsession with the leads' obsession with virginity. He is gallant & she is sweet but they roil where it doesn't quite work.
Plenty of good grovel. Full force of that in this one. And it sells the fell-in-love and the HEA that's to follow, which somewhat forgives & elevates the rest.
July 9, 2024
A good story, excellent characters (even if too dumb to breathe), decent setting, but my oh my, why didn't Mills & Boon edit Jessica Steele's books? Surely she could have hit her page count with a few more incidents or dinners out or dancing or dialogue or... or anything except the never-ending inner monologue and the horrible clunky sentences filled with extra words.
It took me several days to read this because the writing style is so poor.
Tried to read once more because I forgot and didn’t check GR. Really bad, over the top melodrama. Could not finish. Lowering to 2 stars. You know it’s bad when this author’s style is better than the story.
It took me several days to read this because the writing style is so poor.
Tried to read once more because I forgot and didn’t check GR. Really bad, over the top melodrama. Could not finish. Lowering to 2 stars. You know it’s bad when this author’s style is better than the story.
May 5, 2009
This story was so old-fashioned even though it came out of the 80s, it read more like the original harlequins from the 60s.
These are the stories that are safe for anyone too read. I love when I find the older books. Good quick light reading that you can't help but enjoy.
These are the stories that are safe for anyone too read. I love when I find the older books. Good quick light reading that you can't help but enjoy.
April 28, 2024
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews