The Velvet Glove

by Rebecca Stratton

paperback

Genres: Harlequin Romance, Harlequin

187 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1978

About the author

Rebecca Stratton wrote two books as a Harlequin Presents author. Writing for the Harlequin Romance imprint, she published 43 novels. She also wrote under the name Lucy Gillen. She passed away in 1982.



Biography from Harlequin Romance #2489 The Golden Spaniard

"When one happens to be an unmarried woman of forty-five and apparently fixed for the rest of her working life in a safe and settled job," Rebecca Stratton says of herself, "it is apt to be regarded as bordering on the insane to suddenly give it all up and become a full-time writer."

But that is precisely what British-born and -bred Rebecca did one August day in 1967. Writing had always been her ultimate aim, and she felt that if she didn't make the move right then and there she'd end her days as "one more elderly lady sighing for what might have been."

When Rebecca Stratton's first attempt at a romance novel was accepted, she didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. So she did both. Then she celebrated with friends and relatives. And then sat down to the job of writing more books - and reveled in it!

Reviews

[bookjunkie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was kind of unique in that the heroine was deeply immersed in a traditional Muslim society, and even the HEA at the end happened in a non-Western way (He approached his father, her pseudo-father (foster father?) with his intentions/proposal, and actually the father is the one who spoke to her about it.). So that was strange, but not unpleasant, but also not very romantic IMO.

Laurette's been living in Turkey for 8 years after her father died, practically adopted by his best friend's family. She's very close with her pseudo-family, except sparks have been flying with the eldest son, Nuri. *Note: even after living there for 8 years, she hasn't picked up the language in even a basic way. She was 13 when she was sent there... how you live from 13 to 21 in a whole different country without enough intellectual curiosity to pick up even a little of the native language just baffles me. It indicated to me that she's either stupid, lazy, or gives no damns. By the end I decided it must be all three.

Her English "cousin" was constantly touching and kissing her and she let him even though they had just met and she lived in an ultra-conservative community where women weren't even allowed out without a male relative. I noticed it in other books by Rebecca Stratton too: her heroines are just kissy as all hell with other men, and they never think it means anything.

I hated the way her cousin kept attacking and harping on the native customs, and the way she responded with feeble Stahp it!s that did nothing to defend herself and her family. Actually I had a strong negative opinion on the oppressiveness of the Turkish women's lives myself, but clearly Laurette was indoctrinated and content in her lifestyle so I wanted her to stand up for her beliefs, not just murmur protests and then let this obnoxious truculent stranger barrage her with kisses after insulting her household and culture. What a wimp.

I didn't find the romance convincing at all as the Hero mostly showed up to be disapproving of her "wild" behavior (going out without reporting to the male household members exactly where she was going, oh no! Wearing a swimsuit to go swimming, my God!). Coupled with her repulsively compliant behavior with her infuriating cousin, I ended up unable to like this story.

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Stratton has a fairly tried and true formula with most of her romances. There is a young, fairly immature heroine on the cusp of adulthood, there is a young man who is wooing her and then there is an older man who is the hero.

Laurette has spent the last few years as the adopted daughter of a Turkish family who were close friends with her father. She is good friends with the daughter who is soon to be married and Laurette is told she will not be able to stay in the household as things are after the marriage. Halel's older brother Nuri has always been there and Laurette fights with him but when she realises she can't stay in an all male household of Nuri and his father it makes her rethink things.

Just as this moment, her cousin Ian comes from England to work in Turkey for several months. He romances Laurette and wants to take her back to England. He is dismissive of the protective culture Laurette submits to as part of a Turkish household.

Nuri is good with the bossing around and the punishing kisses and Laurette finds herself looking at him differently now she knows she might be parted from him.

An enjoyable story with a yummy hero and a heroine growing up.

[Chantal ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute story you would not mind your young teen reading. It's about coming of age and discovery of love and family. Nuir the hero was a little confusing in that left her a lot and I did not really feel he loved her until the end. He was just so caught up in customs and family obligations. Now I understand what happened at the beginning when he asked her want she wanted to do when they were going to be alone in the house. Did she feel confused. Good story

[RomLibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Marry? But I don't want a husband!"

Laurette made the declaration firmly--as if trying to convince herself, as well as Nuri, that it was true.

In fact, ever since Ian, the handsome British diplomat, had offered her love and a return to England, Laurette's thoughts were confused.

How could she leave Turkey and her adopted family? And especially Nuri. Nuri, whom she found aggravating and fought with; Nuri, whom she had just discovered she loved! Could he possibly love her, too? (l

[Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like her playful risqué character. She pushes his buttons and she gets away with murder. He, in his autocratic impossible way allows her to twirl him around her fingers without exerting brute force. He makes her face the consequences of her actions and patiently waits for her to realize love.

[Bea Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The location and setting were lovely - our h is an English-born Scot who was adopted into a conservative Turkish family after the death of her father. Growing up she balanced precariously between the customs and cultures of her birth family and her adoptive family, and found herself not quite fitting in with either. I really enjoyed reading about this side of her.

The romance was ooookay - it was one of those books where the h spends almost all of her time dating/hanging out with the 'other man' and since I hated him I just felt myself chafing at how much page time he was getting. I cannot figure out WHY she felt compelled to hang out with this Ian dude so much, and why she was so mystified by his very obvious motives.

The H was stern, traditional, obsessive and broody. The kind of H I absolutely dig.

Also... anybody know why this book is called The Velvet Glove? I'm sure it's some idiom or metaphor I'm missing, I just don't get it.

[Mrs J Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turkish romance autocratic mc, foster brother. No heat

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another romance. I've been reading them to kill time while I've been in bed with the flu. They are all filled with the same old characters, the same old stories, just ok.

[Caz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the MMC - he was traditional and rigid/uptight, but he was besotted with the MFC and very protective. I did not like the MFC, who was an immature, empty-headed idiot who lived in a foreign country for 8 years yet never bothered to learn the language. She was also too easily manipulated by her cousin, whom she let kiss her on the mouth and paw her within a day of meeting him. The cousin was a slimy bully (with WAY too much page time - she spends more time with him than the MMC) who incessantly insults the country, its inhabitants, their customs/traditions, and her foster family - and announces his plans to take her to the UK after 5 days' acquaintance, then gets angry & whines about her not putting him first when she refuses to miss her foster-sister's wedding. It was a rare instance of the insipid FMC not succumbing to his manipulations. He was vile, but right about one thing - she was a mouse. A feeble, weak mouse.

[Mireille · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a really old book and definitely of its time. I have had it in my collection for more years than I care to admit. I enjoy re reading it every so often as it’s a bit of escapism and reminds me of how good I’ve got it living in this day and age.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Turkey and a nice enough romance. There are cultural Issues regarding Eastern and Western culture particularly between men and women which are at odds with 21st century sensibilities.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of those books where the H and h barely spend time together. Two thirds of the book is her and the OM talking (and as another reviewer said, kissing). The other third is her talking to everybody else.
This could have been such a sweet story if the MC’s actually interacted with each other!