SOLVED. Australian romance--maybe 1980's to early 90's publishing date [s]

[Ann aka Iftcan]

I was reminded of this book while reading through other requests just now. I am not totally sure how old the book is, just that it's definitely not newer than 1990. I was in hospital for 3 weeks for a very involved surgery and a friend brought me a brown grocery bag full of Harlequin romances. She said that since they required no brain cells to read, they'd keep me occupied when I wasn't going to various therapies. I hadn't given them much thought until recently, when I got to remembering a couple.

The story is set in a city in Australia. The mc is a young woman who owns a second hand shop. The male love interest is a wealthy man who is trying to buy her shop because he wants to raze the entire block for some reason which I no longer remember. Large shopping mall? Apartment blocks? Large business block? Anyway, she doesn't want to sell because she views it as a "perfect" site for her shop. It's close to a bus stop, there are plenty of other businesses around, there are housing developments/apartment blocks close by, and it has a private apartment above it, which is where she lives. He asks her if he can find her another shop that is just as "perfect," and I THINK he's willing to pay the moving costs for her, if she will then agree to sell to him. She agrees. They get interested in each other during the haggling and search for a new shop site. He finds out that she'd been to University and had a degree in something to do with textiles/fashion. (I think that part. Not totally positive, but I remember him being surprised that she ran a second hand shop with "her education and abilities.")

Anyway, he wants to marry her, but she isn't happy at the idea. It finally turns out that the reason she doesn't want to get married is that she's afraid of men. She had been kidnapped and gang raped as a young teenager, and had gotten no help with dealing with the mental aftermath. And, something that REALLY stuck in my mind was that she also remembered her Mum mourning that, "she'd never be able to wear white when she married, now." (Which had me totally frothing at the mouth.)

Anyway, if you remember this, any help would be appreciated.

[Cheryl]

yikes - sounded intriguing until the last paragraph - no clue but here's your first free bump :)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

The Enchanted Trap?
The Boomerang Girl?

I didn't realize how many Australian Harlequins there are. So to narrow the search, what do you think the earliest pub date on this would be? Based on cover art, for example.

[Cheryl]

abandoned - no, wait, it's Ann - it can't be abandoned!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Wow--didn't realize that I'd missed adding one to my "bump up" list. Adding it now.

And I would really love to find it again.

[CLM]

I'm guessing this could have been a Harlequin Presents, based on the twist at the end. I will ponder.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

It wasn't either of your suggestions Lobstergirl. She's a born and bred Australian girl (POME descent, but still. . . ) And the Mum's comment, I don't think, was meant to be a major part of the book, it just annoyed the living you know what out of me, which I think, is why it stuck in my mind.

These books might have even been from the late 70's--all I know was that my friend was almost cackling gleefully when she dumped them in my hospital room. She left them with me with orders to leave them at hospital for others when/if I finished them all off. And I think that they felt "dated" even then. And yes, a Harlequin Presents is possible.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

bump

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Time to bump up again.

[Kris]

The Loving Trap by Daphne Clair?

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Checking with a GR friend who did a review of the book to see if she still has her copy or not. But her review and the bits and bobs of the review are very similar to "my" book.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Only 18 months to find this. But, yes, I have finally found my book, thanks to Kris.

I'm sure if she were still alive my friend Marie would be pleased--and probably astounded--that someone actually knew the name of this book. Thanks again Kris.

I was really afraid that this one would take another 2 or 3 years if I was lucky. Now if I could just find the others.

[Kris]

She sounds like a wonderful friend.

Sadly I only read a fraction compared to the bibliophiles on this site. I rely on Google to track down these old volumes. Glad we could help. :)