I'm new to the forum and I'm not sure if this is the place to ask questions but here goes.

I started reading a book back in the late 80's/early 90's that was a romance novel. Honestly, there's a whole long story with it. My mother was cleaning hotel rooms at the time and someone left their book behind. After so many days of not being claimed, she bought it home. It sat on her bookshelf for about a week. It was summertime, I was bored, so I snitched it. I managed to get about halfway through it before she caught me with it and took it back. (Did I mention I was around ten at the time?) I have no idea what she did with it.

SO, for the past twenty years, this book has been in my head in an on and off fashion. I would like to know what happened in the story, but I can't remember the name of the book or the author. That puts me in quite a pickle, doesn't it? However, I do remember a few details:

The book was paperback. The inside cover also contained a beautiful blonde in a formal evening gown (?), that if I remember correctly was supposed to have Topaz eyes. I think her name was Valerie, but not quite sure.

She married Victor (Viktor maybe) who was quite a few years her senior. One of them couldn't have children so they hired a woman to carry a set of twins for them- her name was Ingrid (again, touchy on the name).

Victor had an older brother that Valerie didn't like...I think his name was Raymond and he had blue eyes.

I also think the surname of Victor, Raymond, and later Valerie started with a "P".

Victor died at one point in the book and Valerie became involved with a man named Max (Maxwell?). I think Valerie or Max was a musician at this point.

At this point the book was removed from my person... and I'm lost.

Someone recommended that I try this forum.

I know this isn't much to go on, but if someone could give me an author, title, inkling- anything- I would appreciate it!

Thanks,
D2

Hi, Debbie! Welcome to our little world of trashy novels!

On the search for your mystery book... Do you remember if it was fat (like a standalone/mass-market paperback) or thin (like a Harlequin/Silhouette category title)?

Also, you mentioned late 80's/early 90's as the time frame. Can you narrow that at all? You mentioned that you were 10 at the time. What year were you 10 years old?

Colleen

Hey Colleen!

The book was FAT!  It was one of those books with a cover, but another cover just behind it.  A definite stand alone or mmp. I was ten in '88, but I might have been eleven (my mother cleaned for a couple of years at that hotel.) I've narrowed the time to '89-'91.

If it helps you help me (haha) pick my brain all you want!

Debbie

Heroines with topaz eyes...  That only covers about a million heroines from the 80's:P  Is this contemporary or historical?

ETA...  I should mention, this automatically made me think of This Loving Torment by Valerie Sherwood, but the story line sounds wrong - although it's been a gazillion years and I can't even remember the storyline anyway - but I don't remember Victor.  It's just that the author's name is Valerie and the heroine had "topaz" eyes, so it seems like quite a coincidence.

I had the same thought Kim on the author, but couldn't remember the title. Sounds familiar though.

Do you remember what country it is set in? Or was it historical or modern? What did Victor do for a living?

Definitely contemporary.  I remember the storyline had in-vitro in it.  I had to look that up- along with quite a few other words! :P

Debbie

And they say we don't learn anything from our trashy novels!

heh heh too bad you had to take time to look it up ..you might've finished the book otherwise!  I remember sneaking my mom's Janet Dailey and Woodiwiss books..I was a bit older than 10 though ..had no interest in anything when I was 10 except  Boxcar Children LOL!

Definitely contemporary.  I remember the storyline had in-vitro in it.  I had to look that up- along with quite a few other words!

Lol, okay.  Cuz I was wondering how they'd do that in a historical & figured it must be the old fashioned way:P  I wouldn't "know" it because I'm almost exclusively an historical reader, but I will see if I can find it.  We should inbox Jess (seton) & ask her too.  That woman has read everything & has nearly total recall as far as I can tell:P

OK- who is jess and how do we pick her brain?!  And yeah- I did get a rather informative education that summer...the book was rather explicit! :-0 The dictionary and I became best friends.

This is Jess: seton

And this is her romance blog:  http://coulditbeseton.wordpress.com/

I doubt she'd mind if you PM her & ask her about the book.  You can tell her I told you to:P

I PM'd Jess and groveled a bit.  Thanks, Kim.

D2

No word from Jess yet.  I hope this isn't a bad sign...

I sent her a message on facebook, so maybe she'll log in later.

Maybe this book? http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780061000560-Elements+of+Chance

Elements of Chance by Barbara Wilkins

You are Valerie Penn, married to the richest man in the world. Your life is a whirl of private jets, charity balls, priceless antiques, mansions in London, New York, Paris, Beverly Hills. You are loved passionately, showered with gifts...and then it all suddenly ends. Victor Penn vanishes in a ball of fire when his corporate jet crashes in Mexico.

And you, Valerie, have nothing..nothing but the mystery of your own past, the mystery of who you really are and who your real parents were. Now is the time to fill int he gaps, to solve the riddle of yourself...to find your life.

But what you find instead is an abyss of betrayal and murder that threatens to consume you. There is a secret out there, a devastating secret that even the Penn family is desperate to keep hidden.

And you will do anything to reveal it .... ELEMENTS OF CHANGE

Bingo!  That's it!  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!  Now I can request it and finally finish it!

D2

Wow!      Wow!     I never would have gotten that one in a million years.  Good work Amber!

Your welcome. I hope you enjoy reading the rest of the book.

Hi, I finally retreived my message from Facebook (that place is the pits and hard to navigate too!) and stopped by but I see that Daisymau found the book. Yay Daisymau!

That is so cool that you found that!  This place is so helpful!