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Once Burned
"She wears his ring..."
Guy Harcourt is strong, forceful and dynamic. He is also irresistible to women.
Celine Langton is one of those women.
"When I left Guy three years ago it was because I felt he deserved someone more sophisticated. Someone like my cousin Ashley. But now my grandmother needs me, so I've come home to stay. Ashley's still making a play for Guy, but he seems determined to rekindle our romance. I know it will make grandmother happy to see us back together, but I can't imagine what the consequences will be if Guy finds out that I still love him and that I still wear his ring...
Guy Harcourt is strong, forceful and dynamic. He is also irresistible to women.
Celine Langton is one of those women.
"When I left Guy three years ago it was because I felt he deserved someone more sophisticated. Someone like my cousin Ashley. But now my grandmother needs me, so I've come home to stay. Ashley's still making a play for Guy, but he seems determined to rekindle our romance. I know it will make grandmother happy to see us back together, but I can't imagine what the consequences will be if Guy finds out that I still love him and that I still wear his ring...
- GenresRomance
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
11 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Way
617 books165 followersMargaret Way was born and educated in the river city of Brisbane, Australia. Before her marriage she was a well-known pianist, teacher, vocal coach and accompanist, but her hectic musical career came to a halt when her son was born and the demands of motherhood dictated a change of pace.
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 21, 2019
The focus is on a wealthy family’s inner dynamics rather than the romance.
H/h have known each other since heroine was installed in her grandparent’s home as a six-year-old-orphan.
Hero is the grandson of the patriarch’s bff who died fairly young leaving the company they co-founded solidly in the grip of the despotic rule of the heroine’s grandfather. Heroine’s grandfather has mentored the hero and lavished what little love he has on the heroine – to the extreme jealousy of the rest of the family.
So when the H/h become engaged when heroine is 19, one of her cousins (wannabe OW) works overtime to break them up. It works. Heroine jilts the hero and runs off for three years.
She only returns to the fold when despotic grandpa dies.
Heroine is remorseful because she wanted to make up with the old sociopath, but he stroked out before she had a chance.
Hero is bitter about the jilting (he just can’t see that a 19 year-old really needed some time away from the family before making a huge life decision), but he does nothing to get her back or to shoo her away. He’s a cardboard cut-out of a hero.
Heroine thinks the hero’s hatred of the OW (he knows her hand in their breakup) is hiding a sexual attraction. The only reason she thinks this is the OW told her that.
Ridiculous.
The hero relents and forgives the heroine when MW runs out of pages. (Heroine rushes into his arms after H goes out on a literal ledge and coaxes a suicidal employee back down.)
What was more interesting to me was the grandmother, wife of the despot – who instead of going into a decline when her husband died - has a re-birth (senior style). She moves out of the family mansion, has the hero design her a new house, and starts taking an interest in life again. I liked the idea that your life isn’t over until it’s over.
The OW is a typical Margaret Way OW, except she’s not homicidal. Her big act of violence was throwing a heavy statue out of an open upper floor window. LOL
This a family saga(lite), with little romance, but I enjoyed their antics.
H/h have known each other since heroine was installed in her grandparent’s home as a six-year-old-orphan.
Hero is the grandson of the patriarch’s bff who died fairly young leaving the company they co-founded solidly in the grip of the despotic rule of the heroine’s grandfather. Heroine’s grandfather has mentored the hero and lavished what little love he has on the heroine – to the extreme jealousy of the rest of the family.
So when the H/h become engaged when heroine is 19, one of her cousins (wannabe OW) works overtime to break them up. It works. Heroine jilts the hero and runs off for three years.
She only returns to the fold when despotic grandpa dies.
Heroine is remorseful because she wanted to make up with the old sociopath, but he stroked out before she had a chance.
Hero is bitter about the jilting (he just can’t see that a 19 year-old really needed some time away from the family before making a huge life decision), but he does nothing to get her back or to shoo her away. He’s a cardboard cut-out of a hero.
Heroine thinks the hero’s hatred of the OW (he knows her hand in their breakup) is hiding a sexual attraction. The only reason she thinks this is the OW told her that.
Ridiculous.
The hero relents and forgives the heroine when MW runs out of pages. (Heroine rushes into his arms after H goes out on a literal ledge and coaxes a suicidal employee back down.)
What was more interesting to me was the grandmother, wife of the despot – who instead of going into a decline when her husband died - has a re-birth (senior style). She moves out of the family mansion, has the hero design her a new house, and starts taking an interest in life again. I liked the idea that your life isn’t over until it’s over.
The OW is a typical Margaret Way OW, except she’s not homicidal. Her big act of violence was throwing a heavy statue out of an open upper floor window. LOL
This a family saga(lite), with little romance, but I enjoyed their antics.
August 8, 2023
DNF. This is not a romance, this is about a toxic family. It was annoying to read so much about her cousin, her grandmother, her other cousin, her uncle, her aunt and everyone but her and the H.
The h was unbearably stupid. I just couldn’t.
The h was unbearably stupid. I just couldn’t.
Read
February 28, 2018Celine Langton is a runaway bride (well, a runaway fiancée, more accurately) who fled her engagement to Guy Harcourt amid the pressure of growing up in a very rich, very dysfunctional and largely conniving family. At 19 she was naive, vulnerable and sheltered by her domineering grandfather; although she loved Guy she fled to Sydney to become her own person yet still wears his ring around her neck. Upon her grandfather’s death, Celine returns home to face the people she left behind and to discover a few truths about her family.
Celine manages to overcome a lot of her fears in the book, she learns to stand up for herself and she makes a positive impact on many members in her family. As a character she grows, yet she stays mostly true to herself and, ultimately, she puts all of her horrid relatives in their place.
However, her stubborn naivety really bugged me. She allows her cousin Ashley so much power and, in the beginning, never once thinks to question her or has any suspicions about what Ashley is trying to achieve. She started to verge on the dreaded TSTL (too stupid to live) and even after she redeemed herself and I wanted her to succeed in bringing down her relatives, I couldn’t quite relate to her as a character. I think had the she toughened up earlier on, I would have enjoyed Once Burned a little more.
Celine manages to overcome a lot of her fears in the book, she learns to stand up for herself and she makes a positive impact on many members in her family. As a character she grows, yet she stays mostly true to herself and, ultimately, she puts all of her horrid relatives in their place.
However, her stubborn naivety really bugged me. She allows her cousin Ashley so much power and, in the beginning, never once thinks to question her or has any suspicions about what Ashley is trying to achieve. She started to verge on the dreaded TSTL (too stupid to live) and even after she redeemed herself and I wanted her to succeed in bringing down her relatives, I couldn’t quite relate to her as a character. I think had the she toughened up earlier on, I would have enjoyed Once Burned a little more.
December 8, 2022
"Once Burned" is the story of Celine and Guy.
Dear LORD.
Heroine and heroine are separated by the heroine's inhibitions, and the catty OW (heroine's cousin). The heroine leaves her home heartbroken, and moves to another city. The OW then causes further miscommunications between heroine and her family, lies to heroine about the hero's feelings about OW. This continues for years until the heroine's grandfather dies, she returns and realizes she has been lied to all along. But does she finally see the truth? Nope.
Even though she madly loves the hero, and he hasnt forgotten her, we still see the heroine give 100 chances to the lying OW, who ends up leaving unpunished in the end. WHAT THE HELL! STOP PITYING THAT B.
UGH. Stupido.
PS I love the cover, relevant to the story!
SWE
2/5
Dear LORD.
Heroine and heroine are separated by the heroine's inhibitions, and the catty OW (heroine's cousin). The heroine leaves her home heartbroken, and moves to another city. The OW then causes further miscommunications between heroine and her family, lies to heroine about the hero's feelings about OW. This continues for years until the heroine's grandfather dies, she returns and realizes she has been lied to all along. But does she finally see the truth? Nope.
Even though she madly loves the hero, and he hasnt forgotten her, we still see the heroine give 100 chances to the lying OW, who ends up leaving unpunished in the end. WHAT THE HELL! STOP PITYING THAT B.
UGH. Stupido.
PS I love the cover, relevant to the story!
SWE
2/5
June 16, 2024
A seriously intense family drama, but at times the romance felt a bit... lacking? I'm still giving it a solid 4 stars because I was engrossed the whole way, but honestly we spent most of our time with Grandma, or with the heroine hashing out her relationship with her awful bitch cousin.
The climax of the book is, in fact, a show-down between the heroine and her awful bitch cousin. They get all the page space, and then we have this insanely rushed 1 page ending with the hero that felt so weirdly bolted-on and incredibly unsatisfying.
I would struggle to call this a romance. Guy is barely in it, and they don't actually seem to develop or resolve any romantic feelings between them. There are a few angry kisses, a great deal of bitterness, and nothing is ever actually brought into the light of talked about, at all!
So yes, amazing family drama not very good romance.
The climax of the book is, in fact, a show-down between the heroine and her awful bitch cousin. They get all the page space, and then we have this insanely rushed 1 page ending with the hero that felt so weirdly bolted-on and incredibly unsatisfying.
I would struggle to call this a romance. Guy is barely in it, and they don't actually seem to develop or resolve any romantic feelings between them. There are a few angry kisses, a great deal of bitterness, and nothing is ever actually brought into the light of talked about, at all!
So yes, amazing family drama not very good romance.
January 29, 2021
Stupid is as stupid does. If you have a chronic liar telling you stories why do you continue to believe them without question? Celine our heroine believes implicitly in her cousin Ashley and so causes damage and distress to her family and loved ones.
While I am a fan of Margaret Way she does tend to use certain vignettes in many of her books. This story has one of the very frequent examples of a tyrannical grandfather who loves and dotes on a pretty little girl who outshines the members of his own family. The involved family then become hostile and unfriendly. Who wouldn’t? Probably about a quarter or even a third of Margaret Way’s books have some similar theme as this. The problem is that I find it very hard to accept and this accounts for my rating.
While I am a fan of Margaret Way she does tend to use certain vignettes in many of her books. This story has one of the very frequent examples of a tyrannical grandfather who loves and dotes on a pretty little girl who outshines the members of his own family. The involved family then become hostile and unfriendly. Who wouldn’t? Probably about a quarter or even a third of Margaret Way’s books have some similar theme as this. The problem is that I find it very hard to accept and this accounts for my rating.
July 4, 2023
Oh, man. DNF. Meanwhile endless monologue can be quite bothersome, this one with its full on dialogues was just as tiring. Seems like everyone always got something unnecessary or necessary to say here. Two many characters, freely offering their two cents, I started skimming through it all. Btw, as for plot wise, it was dull. He seems easygoing & she was kind of annoying. They openly confessed their love (repeatedly, too) so what more is there? They obviously love each other so the story technically was a waste of time. No deeper plot, a whole lot took off from Grandfather’s will & business things. I think it’s safe to say this was mainly based on family’s antagonism, disputes & jealousy. The life & business of the rich. Ughh, major pass.
March 23, 2022
Margaret Way never disappoints. This was my gazillionth read so I figured might as drop in a review lol. Delicious angst, the classic Way hero head over heels over head in love with the h and making obscure love declarations to the h throughout the book with his words, looks, actions. The h is as always, clueless and unable to articulate her feelings lol. HEA. Way always lets us guessing in the end as she usually fades to black just when they move to bed lol.
July 20, 2017
Solid HR read. All the feels. Sensitive, tragic heroine. Possessive, Alpha hero. Psycho OW. Crazy, dysfunctional family. Hard won and earned HEA.
February 15, 2025
😩
I didn’t enjoy it, too chaotic, not much of a romantic thing going on. Waste of time and money for me.
I didn’t enjoy it, too chaotic, not much of a romantic thing going on. Waste of time and money for me.
November 11, 2010
Once Burned by Margaret Way
"She wears his ring..."
Guy Harcourt is strong, forceful and dynamic. He is also irresistible to women.
Celine Langton is one of those women.
"When I left Guy three years ago it was because I felt he deserved someone more sophisticated. Someone like my cousin Ashley. But now my grandmother needs me, so I've come home to stay. Ashley's still making a play for Guy, but he seems determined to rekindle out romance. I know it will make grandmother happy to see us back together, but I can't imagine what the consequences will be if Guy finds out that I still love him and that I still wear his ring...
"She wears his ring..."
Guy Harcourt is strong, forceful and dynamic. He is also irresistible to women.
Celine Langton is one of those women.
"When I left Guy three years ago it was because I felt he deserved someone more sophisticated. Someone like my cousin Ashley. But now my grandmother needs me, so I've come home to stay. Ashley's still making a play for Guy, but he seems determined to rekindle out romance. I know it will make grandmother happy to see us back together, but I can't imagine what the consequences will be if Guy finds out that I still love him and that I still wear his ring...
February 14, 2013
This book was a bit boring for me. The only parts I did like were the scenes that Guy and Celine had together, and there weren't enough for me through out the story. I hoped that there would be a saving grace for Ashley, something other than the fact that she'd been jealous of Celine her whole life.
If there was an actual plot to the story, I maybe would have enjoyed it more. But since there was nothing but a measley love triangle (which didn't really exist except in the minds of Celine), the story was slow and boring.
If there was an actual plot to the story, I maybe would have enjoyed it more. But since there was nothing but a measley love triangle (which didn't really exist except in the minds of Celine), the story was slow and boring.
October 14, 2012
The heroine was really stupid. The only thing that kept me going was the author. This book was really disappointing!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews