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Island Fiesta
She was fighting for her freedom because of her cousin's crazy schemes to make money, Corinne suddenly found herself trapped in an arrangement with steely, autocratic Juan Martel.
And to protect her young sister, Joy, she swallowed her pride and went along with his ruthless demands for absolute obedience. But there was a point beyond which all of his threats became meaningless.
"You've chosen the wrong woman," she warned him when it seemed he would stop at nothing...
And to protect her young sister, Joy, she swallowed her pride and went along with his ruthless demands for absolute obedience. But there was a point beyond which all of his threats became meaningless.
"You've chosen the wrong woman," she warned him when it seemed he would stop at nothing...
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 31, 2022
I'm the most reluctant of romantics so of course one of my favorite M&B covers is this perfect example of alienated affections and/or overt disinterest from artist Josep Maria Miralles. No one actually smokes in the story but she's trying to look calm, like maybe she'll just be over here minding her business looking for her chance to escape...
The harlequin cover is good too, by Emile LaLiberté. He seemed to get tasked with a lot of Corrie's covers and his hero style is well suited to her hero style.
Island Fiesta features another hawk-nosed autocrat in a dove grey tie bossing around a hapless young woman. She's wrong-footed herself through an inability to say no to either noisome cousins or petty dictators. Now he's forcing her to do some things, refusing to let her do some other things, and that's it. TRAPPED FOR LIFE.
There are legions of M&Bs with this plot which I mainly avoid and for the sake of consistency I should hate this one too because it's awful. Except I've a rule that spontaneous laughter is worth a star and Juan's arrogance and insufferability is honed to such perfection....Like after one of Corinne's Juan why did you do this thing? questions:
'Because it suits me' he replied casually 'You're uncomplicated, pleasant to look at, and I'd say loyal to the point of stupidity.'
This author rarely bothers to show developing affection or even physical chemistry between her couples but in Island Fiesta she really lays down a marker. After a shockingly grim ILY scene it's obvious that the most notable component to their "relationship" is his intolerance of her wants or of her questioning him or doing anything independently. His scary need to control is to be the glue holding them together because he says so. Jane Corrie doesn't lose her nerve in this one even a bit, which is gruesome but impressive.
The harlequin cover is good too, by Emile LaLiberté. He seemed to get tasked with a lot of Corrie's covers and his hero style is well suited to her hero style.
Island Fiesta features another hawk-nosed autocrat in a dove grey tie bossing around a hapless young woman. She's wrong-footed herself through an inability to say no to either noisome cousins or petty dictators. Now he's forcing her to do some things, refusing to let her do some other things, and that's it. TRAPPED FOR LIFE.
There are legions of M&Bs with this plot which I mainly avoid and for the sake of consistency I should hate this one too because it's awful. Except I've a rule that spontaneous laughter is worth a star and Juan's arrogance and insufferability is honed to such perfection....Like after one of Corinne's Juan why did you do this thing? questions:
'Because it suits me' he replied casually 'You're uncomplicated, pleasant to look at, and I'd say loyal to the point of stupidity.'
This author rarely bothers to show developing affection or even physical chemistry between her couples but in Island Fiesta she really lays down a marker. After a shockingly grim ILY scene it's obvious that the most notable component to their "relationship" is his intolerance of her wants or of her questioning him or doing anything independently. His scary need to control is to be the glue holding them together because he says so. Jane Corrie doesn't lose her nerve in this one even a bit, which is gruesome but impressive.
August 14, 2014
A young woman ends up with more than she bargains for when she decides to masquerade as her cousin. This had all the angst that I love with Jane Corrie books. I would have given this five stars, but I knocked off two stars off for:
1) He slaps her hard for a comment she makes that he doesn't like so he went from delicious hero to scum right before my very eyes. I'm sorry I can't accept that behavior in a man. Secondly, it wasn't really necessary as far as the scene. It's almost like the author did it just for a reaction.
2). I wasn't convinced of his or her feelings. The ending was too rushed and too contrived.
1) He slaps her hard for a comment she makes that he doesn't like so he went from delicious hero to scum right before my very eyes. I'm sorry I can't accept that behavior in a man. Secondly, it wasn't really necessary as far as the scene. It's almost like the author did it just for a reaction.
2). I wasn't convinced of his or her feelings. The ending was too rushed and too contrived.
May 8, 2017
**spoilers ahead** Oh my god! If anyone want to stay sane, I advise you not to read this book or skim read it like I did. That is how I kept my sanity. I hated the book because at the end, I am like the heroine of the novel --what the hell? What was that? And sorry for other reviewers who rated it higher. You may all say that I didn't read it fully. But I did - I only "fwd" couple of paragraphs when the author made me so bloody angry. Ok I will tell you.
First of all it started well, hence the one star. The story had a plot line that I go for. First sign of trouble was when the darling hero blatantly lies to her in such an underhanded way and forces her to marry him! But hey this is harlequin - so I can forgive. Then after she joins him at his house with her sister, he does not call her by her given name. No explanation given (her cousin has same first name and was the one who started this fiasco). So bloody disrespectful, I mean everyone calls her by her preferred name except him. Ok, lets move on.
The poor girl was then told she will have to listen to him at all times and could not have a job, even though she desperately would like that. Grrh! When our confused heroine is found alone with ex-girlfriend's brother by twat, he goes berserk. At this point, I was just looking at the page number, thinking there are 190 pages or so in the book and I was more than half way..... but the heroine was absolutely not in love with the guy at this point! No matter what anyone says! So towards the end, he takes her away for honeymoon and during that time she almost begs him to let her help him with some accounting. But oh no, Mr Twat refuses. The final nail on the coffin for me (yes I was still hopeful) is when she mentions his ex-girlfriend and he slaps her! What? Almost in the next breadth he tells her or implies that he loves her! This happens nearly at the last pages of the novel. Our girl understandably does not believe him, and like myself she is confused. In fact, she was confused through out! She had a bit of spunk, not a complete doormat, I mean she was limited to what she could do in the face of this giant twat. I found no character development; he does not change in any shape or form. Earlier in the story, the nice stepmother told her, to just agree with everything her husband says for an easier life, like she did with twat's dad. Well that does not look good for the future does it? I couldn't see any redeeming features that will make our girl love him. But in the last page, she suddenly does. Um where is that inner harlequin thoughts that the heroine was falling in love? But lets face it - falling in love with what? I do like heroines who fall in love with guy quite late, but usually there is inner struggle and all that. But this was ridiculous on how suddenly she came to love him.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeh, so pow she loves him, and after slapping her, he loves her too. Match made in hell. Ahh.
First of all it started well, hence the one star. The story had a plot line that I go for. First sign of trouble was when the darling hero blatantly lies to her in such an underhanded way and forces her to marry him! But hey this is harlequin - so I can forgive. Then after she joins him at his house with her sister, he does not call her by her given name. No explanation given (her cousin has same first name and was the one who started this fiasco). So bloody disrespectful, I mean everyone calls her by her preferred name except him. Ok, lets move on.
The poor girl was then told she will have to listen to him at all times and could not have a job, even though she desperately would like that. Grrh! When our confused heroine is found alone with ex-girlfriend's brother by twat, he goes berserk. At this point, I was just looking at the page number, thinking there are 190 pages or so in the book and I was more than half way..... but the heroine was absolutely not in love with the guy at this point! No matter what anyone says! So towards the end, he takes her away for honeymoon and during that time she almost begs him to let her help him with some accounting. But oh no, Mr Twat refuses. The final nail on the coffin for me (yes I was still hopeful) is when she mentions his ex-girlfriend and he slaps her! What? Almost in the next breadth he tells her or implies that he loves her! This happens nearly at the last pages of the novel. Our girl understandably does not believe him, and like myself she is confused. In fact, she was confused through out! She had a bit of spunk, not a complete doormat, I mean she was limited to what she could do in the face of this giant twat. I found no character development; he does not change in any shape or form. Earlier in the story, the nice stepmother told her, to just agree with everything her husband says for an easier life, like she did with twat's dad. Well that does not look good for the future does it? I couldn't see any redeeming features that will make our girl love him. But in the last page, she suddenly does. Um where is that inner harlequin thoughts that the heroine was falling in love? But lets face it - falling in love with what? I do like heroines who fall in love with guy quite late, but usually there is inner struggle and all that. But this was ridiculous on how suddenly she came to love him.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeh, so pow she loves him, and after slapping her, he loves her too. Match made in hell. Ahh.
August 29, 2021
This book was published in 1980. And it is so bad. Not bad in a positive way, but bad in a bad way.
First of all, the h is really TSTL. Over the top TSTL. Unbearably TSTL.
The worst thing is when you’ve managed to wrestle yourself towards the end of the book, then you suddenly get a major shock because this H slaps the h in her face!
A real, painful slap in the face only because she asks him if he thinks about his girlfriend when he kisses her.
And after he slaps her, he declares his love for her. Huh??
I’ve given this book one star for the poor tree that had to suffer for printing this book on paper.
First of all, the h is really TSTL. Over the top TSTL. Unbearably TSTL.
The worst thing is when you’ve managed to wrestle yourself towards the end of the book, then you suddenly get a major shock because this H slaps the h in her face!
A real, painful slap in the face only because she asks him if he thinks about his girlfriend when he kisses her.
And after he slaps her, he declares his love for her. Huh??
I’ve given this book one star for the poor tree that had to suffer for printing this book on paper.
July 15, 2025
Normally Jane Corrie’s heroines have backbone, wtf happened here?????
Heroine (22) lets everyone walk all over her and ends up married to a HORrific hero (30s), who won’t let her have a job, talk to a man alone, etc.
As another review states, the “HEA” happens after he hits her face when she asks if he is thinking of the woman he has loved FOR YEARS when he kisses her. Then spends a few pages telling her about said woman, then says he has 8 weeks to woo her… and she gives in straight away.
I absolutely hated this book, this hero, and everyone else but the heroine’s sister.
Avoid.
Heroine (22) lets everyone walk all over her and ends up married to a HORrific hero (30s), who won’t let her have a job, talk to a man alone, etc.
As another review states, the “HEA” happens after he hits her face when she asks if he is thinking of the woman he has loved FOR YEARS when he kisses her. Then spends a few pages telling her about said woman, then says he has 8 weeks to woo her… and she gives in straight away.
I absolutely hated this book, this hero, and everyone else but the heroine’s sister.
Avoid.
April 22, 2020
This book was all over the place and couldn't pick what trope it wanted to continue with. So there were plenty of missed opportunities for a more cohesive plot. Plus there wasn't enough interactions between the Hero and heroine and WAY TOO much time spent on other family members.
The beginning of the plot drew you in but the middle was completely superfluous. Corrie should have started the middle of the book with the ending and went from there.
It was interesting though to learn about the island of La Palma which is part of the Canary Islands.
The beginning of the plot drew you in but the middle was completely superfluous. Corrie should have started the middle of the book with the ending and went from there.
It was interesting though to learn about the island of La Palma which is part of the Canary Islands.
December 10, 2023
Not familiar with this author but I enjoyed this story....Corinne has to go to an island because her cousin Claire's grandfather is dying. Claire has never paid any attention to her grandfather even though she expected him to leave his fortune to her when he died. She has a foot in plaster which keeps her going herself.
Corinne has brought up her younger sister, Joy and they have been living in a cottage that Corinne has and Claire has indicated that if she doesn't go to the island to see the grandfather posing as Claire, she will sell the cottage and take away the home the two girls have.
Corinne gets there just in time to say goodbye to the grandfather before he dies....but she finds out that Juan Martel is a partner of the grandfather's and his will states that in order for Claire to get the money, she has to marry Juan.
Instead Juan marries Corinne taking the place for Claire....
Corinne has brought up her younger sister, Joy and they have been living in a cottage that Corinne has and Claire has indicated that if she doesn't go to the island to see the grandfather posing as Claire, she will sell the cottage and take away the home the two girls have.
Corinne gets there just in time to say goodbye to the grandfather before he dies....but she finds out that Juan Martel is a partner of the grandfather's and his will states that in order for Claire to get the money, she has to marry Juan.
Instead Juan marries Corinne taking the place for Claire....
December 2, 2021
I felt there is a constant theme of gender subjugation in this one, a fact that, in my opinion, interfered with the romantic aspect of the story. The the H's dominance was carried too far, atleast to my liking it was. The heroine has to learn to play slave to the "master" H who is actually a psycho in disguise, I mean there was nothing normal about this H even by Hp standards.
January 21, 2026
I didn't like that fact that he was portrayed as cold and mean and yet she was also thinking of herself as a prude as what I grasped from the book as much as it was a hard read for me the story ended abit short and some of the story could have been left out and it wouldn't affect the telling of the story
September 20, 2020
Well to start with the title. The book takes place on an island but there was no fiesta. The story is no fiesta either. Jane Corrie has a way with unlikeable heroes and in this case he is severe, extremely controlling and abusive. Our heroine expects to be walking three feet behind him and in her free time will perfect the art of thumb twiddling. But hark! He loves her, in his way. All’s not well that ends not well.
July 8, 2023
She was fighting for her freedom because of her cousin's crazy schemes to make money, Corinne suddenly found herself trapped in an arrangement with steely, autocratic Juan Martel.
And to protect her young sister, Joy, she swallowed her pride and went along with his ruthless demands for absolute obedience. But there was a point beyond which all of his threats became meaningless.
"You've chosen the wrong woman," she warned him when it seemed he would stop at nothing.
And to protect her young sister, Joy, she swallowed her pride and went along with his ruthless demands for absolute obedience. But there was a point beyond which all of his threats became meaningless.
"You've chosen the wrong woman," she warned him when it seemed he would stop at nothing.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews