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A Wilder Shore
She gave five years away to the wrong man
At eighteen Elise had eagerly accepted Peter Westwood's engagement ring. He was handsome and ambitious, and her parents approved.
Then she met Shard Cortland--a construction man whose effect on her she found hard to resist. But she opted for the "good " life and hastily married Peter.
Now, after Peter's death and five years later, Shard had reappeared wanting to marry her. Their mutual attraction remained unchanged, but marriage with Shard would be risky: she doubted his integrity and knew he had no use for love!
At eighteen Elise had eagerly accepted Peter Westwood's engagement ring. He was handsome and ambitious, and her parents approved.
Then she met Shard Cortland--a construction man whose effect on her she found hard to resist. But she opted for the "good " life and hastily married Peter.
Now, after Peter's death and five years later, Shard had reappeared wanting to marry her. Their mutual attraction remained unchanged, but marriage with Shard would be risky: she doubted his integrity and knew he had no use for love!
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Daphne Clair
123 books64 followersDahpne Clair is one of many pseudonyms of Daphne de Jong, a New Zealand writer who also uses the names Laurie Bright, Claire Lorel and Clarissa Garland. She is the winner of the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award and has been a finalist for the Romance Writers of America Rita Award more than once.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 10, 2011
One of those “they don’t write ‘em like that anymore” stories. Elise was 19 and already engaged when she met sexy bad-boy Shard (oh help, that name! It bugged me through the entire book.) Not trusting him or her own feelings, she hurriedly married her fiance. When she’s widowed five years later, Shard (ouch!) comes back into her life, now very successful. There seems to be nothing to come between them anymore, except that Shard never really understood why she rejected him in the first place and completely misunderstands why she decides to accept him.
Shard, seen only through Elise’s point of view, is fascinating: very cool, utterly indifferent to other people’s opinions, and a passionate believer in following one’s heart and giving the people you love the same freedom. But of course he has a vulnerable side that Elise doesn’t see until the very end. Elise is not quite as vivid but she’s no doormat, and having matured, she fights for what she wants. The depiction of their relationship felt unusually rich and thoughtful for a Harlequin Presents, while still having the all-important angst and drama.
Shard, seen only through Elise’s point of view, is fascinating: very cool, utterly indifferent to other people’s opinions, and a passionate believer in following one’s heart and giving the people you love the same freedom. But of course he has a vulnerable side that Elise doesn’t see until the very end. Elise is not quite as vivid but she’s no doormat, and having matured, she fights for what she wants. The depiction of their relationship felt unusually rich and thoughtful for a Harlequin Presents, while still having the all-important angst and drama.
December 13, 2018
A somber second chance story. How somber you ask? Hero seizes his second chance with the heroine by showing up the night of her husband's funeral.
The heroine is in the fugue state of grief, but the sexxxy hero manages to pierce her grief and makes her feel alive again.
The story follows the DC pattern - flashbacks to the poor hero's and rich heiress heroine's immediate attraction with the impediment of the 19 year-old heroine's engagement to a much older man. The main present-day thrust of the story is questioning the behaviors and motivations of the characters who are never the most insightful of people until DC puts them through the wringer.
The heroine marries the other man - not out of love or duty - but because of her fear of the attraction she has for the "risky marriage prospect" hero.
Hero makes his fortune from the money h's grandfather gave him and returns in triumph to claim the heroine.
Heroine might as well be in a Regency novel, since it never occurs to her to take some time and learn to be independent. She has a pushy mother who thinks a woman needs the protection of a man and since the heroine is used to having sex, she'll need the decency of marriage to indulge those lustful feelings. Her mother is a piece of work, btw.
H/h do marry. Heroine thinks he only married her for sex. Hero thinks she only married him for money.
When the hero's business fails, he thinks he should give her the ultimate gift - a divorce. Heroine is livid (and pregnant) and they have an impasse until the heroine falls down a cliff and turns her ankle. Hero finally admits he can't live without her. HEA
This one was interesting in that DC didn't seem to mind having her alpha H lose money and tell the h she couldn't have her dream house right away.
And heroine had many stiff drinks during her pregnancy. OMG. I guess I should be happy she wasn't smoking.
For DC fans who like an introspective story.
The heroine is in the fugue state of grief, but the sexxxy hero manages to pierce her grief and makes her feel alive again.
The story follows the DC pattern - flashbacks to the poor hero's and rich heiress heroine's immediate attraction with the impediment of the 19 year-old heroine's engagement to a much older man. The main present-day thrust of the story is questioning the behaviors and motivations of the characters who are never the most insightful of people until DC puts them through the wringer.
The heroine marries the other man - not out of love or duty - but because of her fear of the attraction she has for the "risky marriage prospect" hero.
Hero makes his fortune from the money h's grandfather gave him and returns in triumph to claim the heroine.
Heroine might as well be in a Regency novel, since it never occurs to her to take some time and learn to be independent. She has a pushy mother who thinks a woman needs the protection of a man and since the heroine is used to having sex, she'll need the decency of marriage to indulge those lustful feelings. Her mother is a piece of work, btw.
H/h do marry. Heroine thinks he only married her for sex. Hero thinks she only married him for money.
When the hero's business fails, he thinks he should give her the ultimate gift - a divorce. Heroine is livid (and pregnant) and they have an impasse until the heroine falls down a cliff and turns her ankle. Hero finally admits he can't live without her. HEA
This one was interesting in that DC didn't seem to mind having her alpha H lose money and tell the h she couldn't have her dream house right away.
And heroine had many stiff drinks during her pregnancy. OMG. I guess I should be happy she wasn't smoking.
For DC fans who like an introspective story.
September 13, 2022
9/2022
I guess the last time I read this I hadn't started adding cover stuff? I owned and frequently re-read this Hqn in my teens and always thought this cover by William Biddle captured this couple perfectly: coloring, expressions, body language. It's always something of a surprise there are so many beach scenes in the book when the mood of the story is as decidedly overcast and toned down as the art is. The M&B cover by Will Davies is nice because Davies was incapable of ugly—but it doesn't grab me in the same way.
As for the story I can see why some might hate it; I still think it's gloomy but great. My newest theory as to why is that I have no attachment to "firsts". First sexual partner, first love...aren't automatically more romantic to me; not in real life and not in my escapist fiction.
2020
There is a scene in this book that's been lodged in my memory for 40 years:
Making AWS stand out from so many other rich girl/poor boy plots is that DC gives Elise's fiancé Peter (FP) such a significant role. FP is indistinguishable from a popular model of Harlequin Hero: handsome, successful, by turns amused, aroused and paternalistic towards Elise. Even the age difference is very on brand for the era, Elise is 18 while FP is in his early 30's.
She has a favorite game of taking a guy for a ride in her sports car and gauging how cool he remains as she careens recklessly up a mountain. Most are obviously panicked but we are told FP appears completely relaxed with an amused smile on his face..."they came out of a corner and she accelerated into the next one, and he turned his head so that his lips were close to her ear and said quietly, 'Stop showing off, Elise'"
Bravo, FP passes the test and with hero-like aplomb. Later she takes Hero Model #2, Shard, mid-twenties, dark, individualistic, a construction worker with ambitions and a chip on his shoulder for the same ride, he also passes, but with extreme contempt.
Regarding what some reviewers and even Elise describes as her bitchy behavior: Shard and Elise flirt with teeth bared from the moment they lay lustful eyes on each other. Where's the crime? a teenage girl acting like a teenage girl, testing her nascent sexual wiles on adult men, who in the cause of getting into her pants and/or a decorative and trainable wife, are deploying their own man-type wiles against her.
So it's a battle of the archetypes and we know the eventual outcome because we've read the blurb. Elise chooses to honor her engagement and marry FP rather than Shard, who scornfully proposes while presuming ownership and so is completely poleaxed when Elise won't break it off. And in an unexpected victory for decency over tackiness Shard doesn't even manage to finagle his way into sex with Elise before the wedding. Neither is Peter tragically cursed by Lesser Husband's flabby wang issues, contravening one of HP's favorite constructs that an h's virginity is an object and if it's still extant when the H comes on the scene then it belongs to him absolutely.
The marriage with FP isn't a disaster just a pleasantly unsatisfying mix of unrealized potential, hostess duties and meh, thereby sneakily casting doubt on legions of HEA's past and yet to come that promise little more than this. And had Elise chosen marriage with Shard first? I would give that marriage a year tops which would have had to be resolved in the future as an entirely different 2nd chance story then this one turned out to be.
I guess the last time I read this I hadn't started adding cover stuff? I owned and frequently re-read this Hqn in my teens and always thought this cover by William Biddle captured this couple perfectly: coloring, expressions, body language. It's always something of a surprise there are so many beach scenes in the book when the mood of the story is as decidedly overcast and toned down as the art is. The M&B cover by Will Davies is nice because Davies was incapable of ugly—but it doesn't grab me in the same way.
As for the story I can see why some might hate it; I still think it's gloomy but great. My newest theory as to why is that I have no attachment to "firsts". First sexual partner, first love...aren't automatically more romantic to me; not in real life and not in my escapist fiction.
2020
There is a scene in this book that's been lodged in my memory for 40 years:
Making AWS stand out from so many other rich girl/poor boy plots is that DC gives Elise's fiancé Peter (FP) such a significant role. FP is indistinguishable from a popular model of Harlequin Hero: handsome, successful, by turns amused, aroused and paternalistic towards Elise. Even the age difference is very on brand for the era, Elise is 18 while FP is in his early 30's.
She has a favorite game of taking a guy for a ride in her sports car and gauging how cool he remains as she careens recklessly up a mountain. Most are obviously panicked but we are told FP appears completely relaxed with an amused smile on his face..."they came out of a corner and she accelerated into the next one, and he turned his head so that his lips were close to her ear and said quietly, 'Stop showing off, Elise'"
Bravo, FP passes the test and with hero-like aplomb. Later she takes Hero Model #2, Shard, mid-twenties, dark, individualistic, a construction worker with ambitions and a chip on his shoulder for the same ride, he also passes, but with extreme contempt.
Regarding what some reviewers and even Elise describes as her bitchy behavior: Shard and Elise flirt with teeth bared from the moment they lay lustful eyes on each other. Where's the crime? a teenage girl acting like a teenage girl, testing her nascent sexual wiles on adult men, who in the cause of getting into her pants and/or a decorative and trainable wife, are deploying their own man-type wiles against her.
So it's a battle of the archetypes and we know the eventual outcome because we've read the blurb. Elise chooses to honor her engagement and marry FP rather than Shard, who scornfully proposes while presuming ownership and so is completely poleaxed when Elise won't break it off. And in an unexpected victory for decency over tackiness Shard doesn't even manage to finagle his way into sex with Elise before the wedding. Neither is Peter tragically cursed by Lesser Husband's flabby wang issues, contravening one of HP's favorite constructs that an h's virginity is an object and if it's still extant when the H comes on the scene then it belongs to him absolutely.
The marriage with FP isn't a disaster just a pleasantly unsatisfying mix of unrealized potential, hostess duties and meh, thereby sneakily casting doubt on legions of HEA's past and yet to come that promise little more than this. And had Elise chosen marriage with Shard first? I would give that marriage a year tops which would have had to be resolved in the future as an entirely different 2nd chance story then this one turned out to be.
May 15, 2026
The heroine is a poor little rich girl, easily manipulated by her mother, conscious of her position amidst her social circle: She does what's expected of her. The hero is a boy from the wrong tracks who disdains upper-class snobs but falls like a house of cards when he meets the heroine. He tries to convince her that love is not a currency, it should be freely given. Unfortunately, she is too young and chooses the safe path, marrying the socially acceptable, well-established man that her family approves of.
Years later, her husband dies and the heroine is left a very young widow. The hero immediately re-enters her life, intent on getting a second chance with her. He has spent years working hard and amassing a fortune, which he believes will buy him the heroine. Over the years, the heroine has grown and matured, but the hero operates under the assumption that this is the same, beautifully polished, but hollow, fragile doll that needs to be cosseted and spoiled, and he is now able and prepared to pay the price.
Soon after they marry, the hero gets into financial troubles and thinks the heroine will leave him. But the heroine is in love with him, money or not. After a lot of angst and misunderstandings, the two of them finally stop hiding behind their cool facade, and confess their passionate feelings for each other.
This was a well-executed second-chance story and its conclusion was believable and satisfying.
Years later, her husband dies and the heroine is left a very young widow. The hero immediately re-enters her life, intent on getting a second chance with her. He has spent years working hard and amassing a fortune, which he believes will buy him the heroine. Over the years, the heroine has grown and matured, but the hero operates under the assumption that this is the same, beautifully polished, but hollow, fragile doll that needs to be cosseted and spoiled, and he is now able and prepared to pay the price.
Soon after they marry, the hero gets into financial troubles and thinks the heroine will leave him. But the heroine is in love with him, money or not. After a lot of angst and misunderstandings, the two of them finally stop hiding behind their cool facade, and confess their passionate feelings for each other.
This was a well-executed second-chance story and its conclusion was believable and satisfying.
May 2, 2013
Yay -- a compelling, extremely angsty read! The whole book had kind of a dreamy feel to it, lots of introspection, but I thought it worked. And I have to say that I really do like an imperfect heroine who sometimes has negative or petulant thoughts and behaviors. I want a hero who can't help but love her, flaws and all. This hero showed he was smitten through his deeds only (yet his deeds implied that he was VERY smitten), but held part of himself aloof at all times -- made for great dramatic tension.
Some might find it outdated or lacking in actual plot progression, but this one really worked for me.
Some might find it outdated or lacking in actual plot progression, but this one really worked for me.
February 24, 2015
well, it did not work for me. as soon as they were married, shard retreated into his shell. he was cold, showed no emotion and i dunt see their relationship growing into something profound. the only part i enjoyed was the recap which told us what happened 5 years ago. this was interesting, elise was quite the lil madam, very arrogant and bitchy. believable..from the rich and privileged background she came from. infact, her bitchiness was her way of denying all dat smoldering attraction she was feeling. shard recognised dat, dats why he did not hold this against her. shard was really besotted, the way he wud buy anything she wanted, satisfied any of her desires after marriage. he did not even mind not having children if he cud be wid elise (she was believed to be sterile). but at the same time, he was cold bcoz he believed she had married him only bcoz he had money now and wud be accepted into her society.
April 23, 2017
Available on Open Library.
This was pretty good. The heroine was a bit of a bitch, but the Hero could take it.
They met when the heroine was 18 and Hero 25. She was already engaged to a man she loved. Hero at the time was unemployed, so I can understand her misgivings, despite there being a strong attraction between them. Also since she was just 18, it's entirely possible that what she was feeling was merely an infatuation. So she goes ahead and marries her fiancé.
She gets widowed 5 years later and the H is immediately on her doorstep. He wastes no time marrying her. This time he has made his fortune and naturally feels he is in a better position. The Hero is totally besotted, it shows in many ways but naturally he is wary since he thinks she only married him for his money.
It's a rocky road to their HEA but I think they earned it in the end.
This was pretty good. The heroine was a bit of a bitch, but the Hero could take it.
They met when the heroine was 18 and Hero 25. She was already engaged to a man she loved. Hero at the time was unemployed, so I can understand her misgivings, despite there being a strong attraction between them. Also since she was just 18, it's entirely possible that what she was feeling was merely an infatuation. So she goes ahead and marries her fiancé.
She gets widowed 5 years later and the H is immediately on her doorstep. He wastes no time marrying her. This time he has made his fortune and naturally feels he is in a better position. The Hero is totally besotted, it shows in many ways but naturally he is wary since he thinks she only married him for his money.
It's a rocky road to their HEA but I think they earned it in the end.
December 5, 2022
Shard Cortland - or at least his name - left an indelible mark on teenage me. Here I am, revisiting the passion of him and Elise, 40 years on, and still able to quote lines from it.
Loved this. The meeting when she was already engaged, the turning up on the day of her first husband's funeral, the wary dance they led each other on (when they weren't ripping each other's clothes off - tastefully). He had a harder edge and I liked his self contained, self reliant and guarded nature. They don't write many like that these days. Very enjoyable.
Loved this. The meeting when she was already engaged, the turning up on the day of her first husband's funeral, the wary dance they led each other on (when they weren't ripping each other's clothes off - tastefully). He had a harder edge and I liked his self contained, self reliant and guarded nature. They don't write many like that these days. Very enjoyable.
February 11, 2023
Poor man. He was crazy about her 5 years ago. But she was engaged to another man and she went through with the wedding. He leaves for another country. 5 years later she is a widow and he returns.
I didn’t like the fact that she still married that other man. She and the OM had a full marriage, it wasn’t just a platonic relationship. She was pregnant by the OM, but she lost the baby.
When he said to her that he cried on the day of her wedding with that other man, that was heartbreaking.
There should be a sequel of this book in which he dumps the h, marries another woman whom he loves more, and the h cries on his weddingday with that other woman.
I didn’t like the fact that she still married that other man. She and the OM had a full marriage, it wasn’t just a platonic relationship. She was pregnant by the OM, but she lost the baby.
When he said to her that he cried on the day of her wedding with that other man, that was heartbreaking.
There should be a sequel of this book in which he dumps the h, marries another woman whom he loves more, and the h cries on his weddingday with that other woman.
May 17, 2016
2008 Review: Wow, what can I say, this book was kinda angsty 0_0 My Mom lent me this book only cause I did her a favor and found the HP novels she was desperately searching for. AKA this is one of my Mom's favorite HP novels. Initially when my Mom told me the synopsis, I was semi turned off/not interested. She said something about the hero becoming poor later and giving the heroine whatever she wants to make her happy and I'm like: what??? you mean the hero is gonna be in poverty? why??? (I know I'm such a greedy person 0_0, but I figured it was fiction, so I want my usual mega rich heroes =P ) and why does the heroine sound like a "b" Mom??? I don't wanna read it! Mom's like, No, its good, its good. Needless to say I did read it, and yes, its good. But oh man!!! Just like the other novel I read, sometimes, its painful to me to read so much angst. SPOILERS ALERT Since my Mom basically spoiled the story for me, I already knew what to expect. The back cover already tells you most of the plot. Bottomline is, this is the story of a man who REALLY loves the heroine and does whatever he can to have her and keep her and make her happy 0_0 even though he knows (or should i say thinks =P) the heroine married him for his wealth. Now isn't that sweet!!! His love is one of those -> I only want her happiness even if I can't have her heart - a[...] As usual with angsty HP novels, it'll take me a few months to re-read coz I feel bad. It's not really a super angsty book its just that with my knowing that the hero loves the heroine more than she does him (or so he thinks) I kinda feel bad for the hero. But the heroine is not a bad cookie. In the beginning she ran away from her feelings and married someone else but after, she does make some sort of amends. Also usually I don't like those novels where the heroine was married before and if they were, I'd prefer their exhusband/dead husband was a bastard so I would love the hero more 0_0 But in this particular book, he seemed like a nice guy and I wasn't disappointed/mad or felt it retracted from that story. Yeah, poor dead husband, but at least he never knew that the heroine had deeper feelings for someone else. But yeah, I definitely still feel bad for the hero coz he really did love the heroine and she married someone else... a[...] anyway, I'm repeating myself. This book is really good. I wish I could say I'm gonna keep this book in my shelf but I can't - coz my Mom said I have to return it back to her!! Grrrr....!
November 25, 2019
She gave five years away to the wrong man
At eighteen Elise had eagerly accepted Peter Westwood's engagement ring. He was handsome and ambitious, and her parents approved.
Then she met Shard Cortland--a construction man whose effect on her she found hard to resist. But she opted for the "good " life and hastily married Peter.
Now, after Peter's death and five years later, Shard had reappeared wanting to marry her. Their mutual attraction remained unchanged, but marriage with Shard would be risky: she doubted his integrity and knew he had no use for love!
At eighteen Elise had eagerly accepted Peter Westwood's engagement ring. He was handsome and ambitious, and her parents approved.
Then she met Shard Cortland--a construction man whose effect on her she found hard to resist. But she opted for the "good " life and hastily married Peter.
Now, after Peter's death and five years later, Shard had reappeared wanting to marry her. Their mutual attraction remained unchanged, but marriage with Shard would be risky: she doubted his integrity and knew he had no use for love!
March 2, 2026
Ironic that the hero criticizes the FMC about her conformist, people-pleasing, compliant behaviour that “perverted” her courage and how she “didn’t become the person (she) wanted to be, to do what (she) wanted to do.” This lecture comes AFTER he essentially blackmailed her into a hasty marriage not four months after the death of her 1st hubby by threatening to walk out forever. What a hypocrite.
Nothing in his behaviour during their brief earlier encounter or after their marriage spoke of love on his part - he was brutally sarcastic, nasty, “cold and cruelly distant”. He wanted the pretty trophy wife because of thwarted obsession and physical desire, then treated her like shit once he’d gotten what he wanted. This was a couple that shared physical chemistry only. I would’ve hoped for a better fate for the FMC, but she WAS a doormat and thinks she landed a prize, so ... *shrug* As someone else here says, be happy she’s happy.
Nothing in his behaviour during their brief earlier encounter or after their marriage spoke of love on his part - he was brutally sarcastic, nasty, “cold and cruelly distant”. He wanted the pretty trophy wife because of thwarted obsession and physical desire, then treated her like shit once he’d gotten what he wanted. This was a couple that shared physical chemistry only. I would’ve hoped for a better fate for the FMC, but she WAS a doormat and thinks she landed a prize, so ... *shrug* As someone else here says, be happy she’s happy.
June 15, 2022
Boring. But at least the hero wasn’t an MCP!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews