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The Bending Reed
The Bending Reed by Elizabeth Dawson released on Dec 25, 1979 is available now for purchase.
- GenresHarlequin Romance
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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July 24, 2016Fiona Barclay begged her father to tell her fiancée, Alan Howard, that she was calling off their wedding. She was just 19 and they had been engaged for a year. Alan was 10 years older than her and they hadn't spent that much time together. Alan and traveled all the time because he was the captain of a ship. She told her father that she didn't think she was in love with him enough to get married. She went and stayed at a friends, Julie's, cabin because she couldn't tell him to his face that she didn't want to marry him. Her father reluctantly did as she asked.
Her father got sick and passed away 18 months later. She had stayed with Julie for awhile; until Julie met Frank and they got married. Fiona worked as a librarian and rented the top floor of the Dodridge's home.
Fiona came home one night and the Dodridge's told her that their widowed daughter, Sandra, had paid for her and a friend to go on a cruise. Her friend had cancelled at the last minute and they were wondering if Fiona would mind stepping in and going on the cruise with Sandra since they were close to the same age. Fiona agreed that it would be the chance of a lifetime and it wouldn't cost her anything since the trip had been paid for. Sandra needed someone to go with her because she was recovering from surgery.
Fiona met Sandra and they boarded the ship. They soon met Dr. Maynard with whom they would be spending a lot of time with as he was to watch over Sandra. He was younger than they anticipated and the Dr. was glad that the two women were young and attractive too. He told them that typically he was asked to watch over the recovery of much older passengers.
Fiona was looking at a brochure of the ship as they were preparing to dine with the Dr. and discovered that Alan was the captain of the ship they were on. They saw each other for the first time that evening when he entered the dining room. After dinner, a steward came to their room and asked Fiona to accompany him to meet with the captain. Sandra was curious and asked what was going on. Fiona assured her that she didn't know but everything was fine.
Fiona met with Alan and he told her that he didn't want her on the ship but he would be as courteous to her as he was to all of his passengers. He made it clear that he wasn't pleased that she was on the ship. She left upset and the Dr. sought her out. He told her that maybe she hadn't gotten over the relationship between the two of them as well as she thought.
She made her way back to the room and Sandra asked what was wrong. She explained some of the background of her relationship with Alan to Sandra. Despite being somewhat upset, Fiona and Sandra slept well that first night on board.
They got up the next morning and had coffee. The Dr. came and sat with them. He seemed particularly interested in Sandra. Fiona noticed. Then Alan stopped by and Fiona hastily left. She was going through a door when she miss timed the opening and the door shut on her fingers. She was in a lot of pain and Alan took her to the sickbay. Sandra came to sit with her and Alan came to check on her. He told her that she was spoiled and that he had come by to kiss the pain away and kissed her. She hit him and he left. He told her that he pitied the man who got stuck with her and was glad that he had married her then he left the room.
The girls went on a few excursions during their various stops. One of those trips was to visit an old friend of Alan and Robert's. Nancy was an older lady who had known the boys for a very long time. She spoke with Fiona and told her that she should accept Alan's proposal to be his mistress and to see where that would lead. Nancy told Alan to take Fiona for a walk through her garden and Alan was again hateful in his manner toward Fiona and asked her to forget what had happened between them and apologized for his behavior. Fiona tried but just couldn't do it.
They went back on board the ship and Nancy sent a broach to Fiona and she wore it that night to dinner. Alan was angry. Nancy had told her that there was a story behind it but she didn't tell her what that was. Alan asked for Fiona to come see him in his cabin and told her that he had purchased the broach for her and was going to give it to her when they were married. He was going to return it where he purchased it but decided to give it to Nancy instead. Fiona offered herself to Alan then and agreed to become his mistress. Alan kissed her and Fiona told him that she loved him and he pushed her aside and left. Fiona was surprised at his response.
A few days later, Alan interrupted dinner to make an announcement and a cake was brought out. He announced that Dr. Robert Maynard was engaged to Sarah. There was another announcement he was going to make but he was interrupted. A Greek ship had an explosion on board and they were the closest ship in the area and they were called to help. Sarah and Fiona offered to help in the sickbay and give up their cabin. Alan had a day cabin and a night cabin and offered to let the two stay in his day cabin.
They picked up the 100 or so people from the Greek ship and dropped them off at another port. The captain, Alan, came to dinner a few nights later and reminded the people on board that he was to supposed to make a double announcement the night of the celebration of the Dr.'s engagement. He was to announce his own engagement to Fiona. Fiona was ecstatic and surprised. She was called to sit by Alan for dinner. After dinner they went to his cabin to talk. Alan told her that he had already sent a note to Nancy that their wedding was back on. Alan told Fiona that he was still in love with her. He thought that he had heard of his promotion and came on board to pick up their relationship because of his new status. He realized that wasn't true when she offered herself to be his mistress with nothing in exchange.
Fiona mentioned that she didn't remember being asked to marry him and he told her that had been taken care of years ago and that he was having a special license prepared so they could be married as soon as possible so that she wouldn't have time to change her mind again.
Her father got sick and passed away 18 months later. She had stayed with Julie for awhile; until Julie met Frank and they got married. Fiona worked as a librarian and rented the top floor of the Dodridge's home.
Fiona came home one night and the Dodridge's told her that their widowed daughter, Sandra, had paid for her and a friend to go on a cruise. Her friend had cancelled at the last minute and they were wondering if Fiona would mind stepping in and going on the cruise with Sandra since they were close to the same age. Fiona agreed that it would be the chance of a lifetime and it wouldn't cost her anything since the trip had been paid for. Sandra needed someone to go with her because she was recovering from surgery.
Fiona met Sandra and they boarded the ship. They soon met Dr. Maynard with whom they would be spending a lot of time with as he was to watch over Sandra. He was younger than they anticipated and the Dr. was glad that the two women were young and attractive too. He told them that typically he was asked to watch over the recovery of much older passengers.
Fiona was looking at a brochure of the ship as they were preparing to dine with the Dr. and discovered that Alan was the captain of the ship they were on. They saw each other for the first time that evening when he entered the dining room. After dinner, a steward came to their room and asked Fiona to accompany him to meet with the captain. Sandra was curious and asked what was going on. Fiona assured her that she didn't know but everything was fine.
Fiona met with Alan and he told her that he didn't want her on the ship but he would be as courteous to her as he was to all of his passengers. He made it clear that he wasn't pleased that she was on the ship. She left upset and the Dr. sought her out. He told her that maybe she hadn't gotten over the relationship between the two of them as well as she thought.
She made her way back to the room and Sandra asked what was wrong. She explained some of the background of her relationship with Alan to Sandra. Despite being somewhat upset, Fiona and Sandra slept well that first night on board.
They got up the next morning and had coffee. The Dr. came and sat with them. He seemed particularly interested in Sandra. Fiona noticed. Then Alan stopped by and Fiona hastily left. She was going through a door when she miss timed the opening and the door shut on her fingers. She was in a lot of pain and Alan took her to the sickbay. Sandra came to sit with her and Alan came to check on her. He told her that she was spoiled and that he had come by to kiss the pain away and kissed her. She hit him and he left. He told her that he pitied the man who got stuck with her and was glad that he had married her then he left the room.
The girls went on a few excursions during their various stops. One of those trips was to visit an old friend of Alan and Robert's. Nancy was an older lady who had known the boys for a very long time. She spoke with Fiona and told her that she should accept Alan's proposal to be his mistress and to see where that would lead. Nancy told Alan to take Fiona for a walk through her garden and Alan was again hateful in his manner toward Fiona and asked her to forget what had happened between them and apologized for his behavior. Fiona tried but just couldn't do it.
They went back on board the ship and Nancy sent a broach to Fiona and she wore it that night to dinner. Alan was angry. Nancy had told her that there was a story behind it but she didn't tell her what that was. Alan asked for Fiona to come see him in his cabin and told her that he had purchased the broach for her and was going to give it to her when they were married. He was going to return it where he purchased it but decided to give it to Nancy instead. Fiona offered herself to Alan then and agreed to become his mistress. Alan kissed her and Fiona told him that she loved him and he pushed her aside and left. Fiona was surprised at his response.
A few days later, Alan interrupted dinner to make an announcement and a cake was brought out. He announced that Dr. Robert Maynard was engaged to Sarah. There was another announcement he was going to make but he was interrupted. A Greek ship had an explosion on board and they were the closest ship in the area and they were called to help. Sarah and Fiona offered to help in the sickbay and give up their cabin. Alan had a day cabin and a night cabin and offered to let the two stay in his day cabin.
They picked up the 100 or so people from the Greek ship and dropped them off at another port. The captain, Alan, came to dinner a few nights later and reminded the people on board that he was to supposed to make a double announcement the night of the celebration of the Dr.'s engagement. He was to announce his own engagement to Fiona. Fiona was ecstatic and surprised. She was called to sit by Alan for dinner. After dinner they went to his cabin to talk. Alan told her that he had already sent a note to Nancy that their wedding was back on. Alan told Fiona that he was still in love with her. He thought that he had heard of his promotion and came on board to pick up their relationship because of his new status. He realized that wasn't true when she offered herself to be his mistress with nothing in exchange.
Fiona mentioned that she didn't remember being asked to marry him and he told her that had been taken care of years ago and that he was having a special license prepared so they could be married as soon as possible so that she wouldn't have time to change her mind again.
December 27, 2024
This wasn’t awful, but never rose above average either. Having jilted the H just before their wedding, the h suddenly realizes during a holiday cruise, some three years later, how much she “loves” the H. All this seems to be based on is her physical desire for him, i.e. how hot he looks in uniform.
One of my issues with some of these older romances (and often new ones too) is that they tend to conflate lust and infatuation with love. That’s the case here - there’s no actual basis for building a relationship. They never have a proper conversation or address the reasons for her initial jilt. (Even a simple ‘I was too young and needed to grow up’ would have gone a long way). They never ‘rediscover’ why they initially loved each other or, better yet, learn to love their present, more mature selves. Instead, the h proves she has always loved the H by offering to become his mistress, and therefore a fallen woman. (Aside from being outdated, the logic of this escapes me).
I will add that on a positive note, there is no OW or OM. Nor do we have any evil or ‘psycho’ secondary characters - everyone tends to behave normally, even the one awful passenger.
One of my issues with some of these older romances (and often new ones too) is that they tend to conflate lust and infatuation with love. That’s the case here - there’s no actual basis for building a relationship. They never have a proper conversation or address the reasons for her initial jilt. (Even a simple ‘I was too young and needed to grow up’ would have gone a long way). They never ‘rediscover’ why they initially loved each other or, better yet, learn to love their present, more mature selves. Instead, the h proves she has always loved the H by offering to become his mistress, and therefore a fallen woman. (Aside from being outdated, the logic of this escapes me).
I will add that on a positive note, there is no OW or OM. Nor do we have any evil or ‘psycho’ secondary characters - everyone tends to behave normally, even the one awful passenger.
April 10, 2021
I wanted to like this one more but unfortunately the writing was all over the place. Needed more subtlety.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
May 9, 2022The wedding was off; she didn't love Alan!
Fiona had changed her mind three days before their wedding. She'd been young and afraid. Except for a brief glimpse as Alan boarded his ship, she had not seen him in three years.
If she'd known that he was now captain of the cruise ship on which she was sailing with a friend, Fiona certainly would never have agreed to come.
For, after the initial shock, she discovered that she loved Alan now, truly loved him. Now, when it was much, much too late!
Fiona had changed her mind three days before their wedding. She'd been young and afraid. Except for a brief glimpse as Alan boarded his ship, she had not seen him in three years.
If she'd known that he was now captain of the cruise ship on which she was sailing with a friend, Fiona certainly would never have agreed to come.
For, after the initial shock, she discovered that she loved Alan now, truly loved him. Now, when it was much, much too late!
August 3, 2025
how can i read the book
December 27, 2020
I’m giving this a four to round up from a 3.5 just to improve the average rating because I do think despite the dramatic H , the concept was interesting and it did make me think.
The h does the very awful and cringey thing of telling her dad to break off her engagement (not even a Dear John letter) with the H.
The story then continues to 3 years later.
There’s a lot of gaps in the book on the reasons why the characters change their mind but I got to give credit for the h and the author for the inner emotional conflict that redeemed her. I didn’t really like the protagonists but to my surprise , I also didn’t hate them. Secondary characters and the cruise setting also saves the story although I did skim a lot.
The h does the very awful and cringey thing of telling her dad to break off her engagement (not even a Dear John letter) with the H.
The story then continues to 3 years later.
There’s a lot of gaps in the book on the reasons why the characters change their mind but I got to give credit for the h and the author for the inner emotional conflict that redeemed her. I didn’t really like the protagonists but to my surprise , I also didn’t hate them. Secondary characters and the cruise setting also saves the story although I did skim a lot.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews