I saw that the average reader gives this older Harlequin Presents only 2 stars. I thought it was a bit better than that.
Unlike most heroines in a Harlequin romance novel, Selina, the heroine, has a legitimate reason for being around the alpha-male hero, Piers. Most of the other Harlequin heroines are being blackmailed into sleeping with the heroes because of a family member's debt, or something. Selina is the illegitimate child of a well-known London barrister. Raised solely by her bitter mother, who's now dead, Selina has worked her way up into the legal world and is trying to get closer to her unknowing father by working as his legal assistant. The father is impressed with her intelligence and warms to her, and their growing affection is nicely done. The hero is introduced as the favorite nephew who also works in the law chambers of the father. The author gives a nice portrait of Selina, who's been lonely and starved for affection all of her life, and the pathos of this girl's trying to get closer to her unknown father is the best part of the book. On the other hand, however, the book is flawed by Piers' instant suspicion and distrust of Selina, which gets somewhat annoying, and he does act like an unfeeling brute toward Selina at times. (It's at these times that I start getting annoyed with Selina for not giving it right back to him; instead she has the typical Harlequin-heroine-wimpiness around Piers.) Still, Penny Jordan does manage to pull it all together by the end, although I would have liked to see Piers grovel to Selina just a little more.
Even though I have problems with Piers as too-much of an alpha male, I have this book as a "keeper" on my shelf because the plot is so much better and stronger than the usual Harlequin Presents.
Unlike most heroines in a Harlequin romance novel, Selina, the heroine, has a legitimate reason for being around the alpha-male hero, Piers. Most of the other Harlequin heroines are being blackmailed into sleeping with the heroes because of a family member's debt, or something. Selina is the illegitimate child of a well-known London barrister. Raised solely by her bitter mother, who's now dead, Selina has worked her way up into the legal world and is trying to get closer to her unknowing father by working as his legal assistant. The father is impressed with her intelligence and warms to her, and their growing affection is nicely done. The hero is introduced as the favorite nephew who also works in the law chambers of the father. The author gives a nice portrait of Selina, who's been lonely and starved for affection all of her life, and the pathos of this girl's trying to get closer to her unknown father is the best part of the book. On the other hand, however, the book is flawed by Piers' instant suspicion and distrust of Selina, which gets somewhat annoying, and he does act like an unfeeling brute toward Selina at times. (It's at these times that I start getting annoyed with Selina for not giving it right back to him; instead she has the typical Harlequin-heroine-wimpiness around Piers.) Still, Penny Jordan does manage to pull it all together by the end, although I would have liked to see Piers grovel to Selina just a little more.
Even though I have problems with Piers as too-much of an alpha male, I have this book as a "keeper" on my shelf because the plot is so much better and stronger than the usual Harlequin Presents.
Linda H. (lindahaddix) - , reviewed Time Fuse (Harlequin Presents, No 826) on + 378 more book reviews
Selena arranged work with a prominent London QC not to break up his marriage-the way her mother had once tried-but to get to know her father secretly so that she could put her past behind her.
