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A Secret Disgrace
A shocking Sicilian secret...
Louise Anderson's heart pounds as she approaches the imposing castello. Only the Duke of Falconari can grant her grandparents' dying wish-but this is the same man who said arrivederci without a backward glance after their night of unadulterated passion.... Caesar can't believe the woman who almost ruined his precious reputation still fiercely fires his blood. Discovering that their union created more than just salacious memories, he agrees to grant Louise's request...in exchange for a demand of his own. That she wears his band of gold!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 22, 2012
122 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,127 books668 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 23, 2019
I hate to give Penny Jordan’s last novel for Mills & Boon two stars but this sweet second chance story suffered from too much internal dialogue and repetition.
For example: The heroine’s father never loved her and she acted outrageously at 18 to get his attention. The hero felt the responsibilities of his Sicilian inheritance, therefore he couldn’t allow himself to ever feel passion for the heroine ever again. For the past ten years he’s felt guilty about the way he rejected her. Rinse, repeat.
Over and over. In their thoughts. In flashbacks. In present day conversation. We get it – two wrongs made a baby. A wedding ten years later and comfort in a thunderstorm made it right.
I really think this could have been pruned down to novella length for more impact.
For example: The heroine’s father never loved her and she acted outrageously at 18 to get his attention. The hero felt the responsibilities of his Sicilian inheritance, therefore he couldn’t allow himself to ever feel passion for the heroine ever again. For the past ten years he’s felt guilty about the way he rejected her. Rinse, repeat.
Over and over. In their thoughts. In flashbacks. In present day conversation. We get it – two wrongs made a baby. A wedding ten years later and comfort in a thunderstorm made it right.
I really think this could have been pruned down to novella length for more impact.
August 7, 2013
Caesar and Louise meet and fall in love in Sicily when heroine is only 18 years old. After their one night together heroine is left pregnant and alone. Back to England she is rejected by her parents because of the shame she has brought them. She faces the stigma of single parenthood and she is scorned by society. She raises her son all alone and 10 years later she is back in Sicily. Hero and heroine meet again and he discovers he is the father of her son. Now he is determined to marry her and finally redeem himself.
This story is deeply moving! Caesar carries a lot of guilt and pain. He feels hollow without Louise in his life. When she needed his help and support he abandoned her and fed her to the wolves. He needs her forgiveness desperately but he realizes he also needs her love.
Louise is a saint. She has dedicated her life to her son. She is incredibly classy, brave and strong. Still, her bad childhood has left her insecure and needy. She is afraid to trust and let Caesar in again. Watching these two reconnect, forgive and forget is an amazing journey. Loved the angst, the passion, the drama and the heartwarming epilogue!
This story is deeply moving! Caesar carries a lot of guilt and pain. He feels hollow without Louise in his life. When she needed his help and support he abandoned her and fed her to the wolves. He needs her forgiveness desperately but he realizes he also needs her love.
Louise is a saint. She has dedicated her life to her son. She is incredibly classy, brave and strong. Still, her bad childhood has left her insecure and needy. She is afraid to trust and let Caesar in again. Watching these two reconnect, forgive and forget is an amazing journey. Loved the angst, the passion, the drama and the heartwarming epilogue!
June 23, 2019
“Penny was a joy to work with – warm, charming, funny and yet shy and modest too. She was an instinctive writer, incredibly fast and prolific, and her number one priority was for her readers to enjoy her books. She bravely carried on writing throughout her illness, not telling her editors or indeed many of her friends that she was sick, as she did not want to be defined by her illness. Penny’s dignity and courage touched all who knew her and she will be sorely missed" - Bryony Green, Penny Jordan’s editor
PJ’s last book. A beautiful novel, elegantly written, highlighting what I feel were issues close to her heart: parental neglect, self-reliance, courage, sexual discovery at a young age and its repercussions, single motherhood, gender-based double standards, classism and yet never forgetting that it’s still a romance.
Penny J was my mode of escapism in my late teens when life was too real, wondering if I could afford to pay my next term’s tuition fees and still keep up my grades while working and studying. How I adored her alpha Heroes and innocent heroines! Reading her older novels so many years later with a more cynical eye, I still get transported and sometimes horrified though mostly entertained by some its trainwreckiness :)
Admittedly 5 star is a biased rating but I do remember reading it a few years back without knowing it was her last book and counted it as one of my favorites. Re-reading it recently knowing the circumstances under which she wrote was a little rough.
I recommend PJ fans to brace yourselves if you decide to read it, I could barely keep it together or write the review so I'm glad KC has saved me the trouble and wrote the perfect review detailing everything. You can find it here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 5, 2012
3.5/5 Stars
This being Penny’s last book as sadly she died from breast cancer on 31 December 2011. I have been reading Penny’s books for many years and easily recognize her name with Harlequin/Mills & Boon. It is very sad that there will not be any new titles from Penny but wish that she rests in peace, and my sincerest condolences go to her family and friends.
This had a slow and confusing start, several times I had to stop and try and process what I had read. I will be honest and say I was sorely tempted to throw in the towel and give up but I pushed on and was glad that I did. After a few chapters I finally caught onto what history the H/h had shared and what Ms Jordan was trying to tell us, it was at this point that I started to enjoy the book and recognised writing/story telling that is synonymous with Ms Jordan’s better works.
This is a classic Harlequin Presents in that it was full of unrequited love, misunderstandings and heartbreak, all of which Ms Jordan was the mistress of, and she will be sorely missed by all Harlequin readers.
ARC supplied by Harlequin via Netgalley
This being Penny’s last book as sadly she died from breast cancer on 31 December 2011. I have been reading Penny’s books for many years and easily recognize her name with Harlequin/Mills & Boon. It is very sad that there will not be any new titles from Penny but wish that she rests in peace, and my sincerest condolences go to her family and friends.
This had a slow and confusing start, several times I had to stop and try and process what I had read. I will be honest and say I was sorely tempted to throw in the towel and give up but I pushed on and was glad that I did. After a few chapters I finally caught onto what history the H/h had shared and what Ms Jordan was trying to tell us, it was at this point that I started to enjoy the book and recognised writing/story telling that is synonymous with Ms Jordan’s better works.
This is a classic Harlequin Presents in that it was full of unrequited love, misunderstandings and heartbreak, all of which Ms Jordan was the mistress of, and she will be sorely missed by all Harlequin readers.
ARC supplied by Harlequin via Netgalley
June 24, 2019
3.5 stars
Started out a little slow, but my patience was rewarded with an emotional, character-driven romance exploring the familiar themes of betrayal, unrequited love and redemption. It's not until the reader is given insight into Caesar and Louise's shared past, and the circumstances shaping their psyches, that the story reaches an emotional stride.
Both Louise and Caesar were so well-drawn that I couldn't help but sympathize with them. I especially felt for Louise who, starved of her father's love, sought to catch his attention in any way she could. Her father's rejection was cruel, but what was doubly cruel was being publicly rejected by the man she'd fallen in love with, Caesar.
Louise and Caesar were interesting foils for one another. They came from different worlds socially and economically, but their statuses as orphans gave them a shared connection, or at least it could have. In Caesar's case, his parents died when he was a young boy but not before instilling in him a strong sense of duty and responsibility. With Louise, her parents first abandoned her emotionally and then physically to her grandparents. What is notable is how they both reacted to this deprivation. Louise rebelled, seeking attention from boys, whereas Caesar conformed, seeking acceptance by adhering to proper behavior fitting his aristocratic lineage. Not surprisingly then it's Louise who pursued her feelings for Caesar with abandonment. In contrast, Caesar lacked the same courage and denied any feelings he felt for Louise. This caused them to both pay a price: Louise never pursued another romantic relationship again, while Caesar lived with guilt and regret.
So I was happy to see Louise finally finding the love she'd always wanted, and happy to see Caesar redeeming himself with his actions and acknowledging the love he felt for Louise . I especially liked how proud and protective Caesar became of Louise as the story progressed (the kind of loving attitude she'd never received from her parents). Their Happily Ever After was definitely a satisfying one!
Started out a little slow, but my patience was rewarded with an emotional, character-driven romance exploring the familiar themes of betrayal, unrequited love and redemption. It's not until the reader is given insight into Caesar and Louise's shared past, and the circumstances shaping their psyches, that the story reaches an emotional stride.
Both Louise and Caesar were so well-drawn that I couldn't help but sympathize with them. I especially felt for Louise who, starved of her father's love, sought to catch his attention in any way she could. Her father's rejection was cruel, but what was doubly cruel was being publicly rejected by the man she'd fallen in love with, Caesar.
Louise and Caesar were interesting foils for one another. They came from different worlds socially and economically, but their statuses as orphans gave them a shared connection, or at least it could have. In Caesar's case, his parents died when he was a young boy but not before instilling in him a strong sense of duty and responsibility. With Louise, her parents first abandoned her emotionally and then physically to her grandparents. What is notable is how they both reacted to this deprivation. Louise rebelled, seeking attention from boys, whereas Caesar conformed, seeking acceptance by adhering to proper behavior fitting his aristocratic lineage. Not surprisingly then it's Louise who pursued her feelings for Caesar with abandonment. In contrast, Caesar lacked the same courage and denied any feelings he felt for Louise. This caused them to both pay a price: Louise never pursued another romantic relationship again, while Caesar lived with guilt and regret.
So I was happy to see Louise finally finding the love she'd always wanted, and happy to see Caesar redeeming himself with his actions and acknowledging the love he felt for Louise . I especially liked how proud and protective Caesar became of Louise as the story progressed (the kind of loving attitude she'd never received from her parents). Their Happily Ever After was definitely a satisfying one!
May 9, 2012
The hero and heroine met when the heroine was only eighteen. After being neglected by her mother and father, she was doing bad things to get attention from her dad. Only it backfired when she met the hero and spent the night with him, giving him a precious gift, her virginity. When it was found out, she had brought shame to her whole family. But the hero did give her a gift, just one she didn't know about yet.. A pregnancy, her son!
Move forward almost ten years and the hero and heroine meet again. Only this time the hero is well aware of the possibility of her son, also being equally his. Now he's determined to have a DNA test and when it comes back positive, he knows he must do the right thing and marry her. Now he's learning everything he thought, his judgments and scorn, were wrong. His heroine is an amazing woman and all those years ago, he was in the wrong.
This is Penny Jordan's last book, ever. She was an amazing author and will always remain in my heart. She is also one of my favorite authors, ever! Once again and for the last time, her book has been brought to life through her characters and the emotions portrayed through them. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a great work of art. I will miss you Penny, you blessed us with amazing books, creative imagination, wondrous and enlightening emotions. Maybe your second life be as good as your first!
Move forward almost ten years and the hero and heroine meet again. Only this time the hero is well aware of the possibility of her son, also being equally his. Now he's determined to have a DNA test and when it comes back positive, he knows he must do the right thing and marry her. Now he's learning everything he thought, his judgments and scorn, were wrong. His heroine is an amazing woman and all those years ago, he was in the wrong.
This is Penny Jordan's last book, ever. She was an amazing author and will always remain in my heart. She is also one of my favorite authors, ever! Once again and for the last time, her book has been brought to life through her characters and the emotions portrayed through them. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a great work of art. I will miss you Penny, you blessed us with amazing books, creative imagination, wondrous and enlightening emotions. Maybe your second life be as good as your first!
November 29, 2015
4.5 stars.
Una novela muy emotiva e intensa, al puro estilo de Penny Jordan.
Me ha gustado muchísimo.
May 16, 2023
We get it, Penny. These Italians are really intense. They are intense all the time about everything. They can’t help it. However, reading about them is exhausting. There is so much written about how everyone around the heroine disappointed her and failed her and betrayed her, including the H. The H castigates himself many times for failing her, and not protecting her. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I was reminded that in real life, Penny Jordan had a very disappointing marriage to a man who tragically suffered from severe alcoholism. I think that is one of the reasons why so many of her books end not just with a promise of love and fidelity from the H but with an equally avid vow of support and protection, so that the often-careworn h will never have to worry about anything again.
But I digress. This book is one-note for me and lacks the surprising humor that Penny Jordon books often contain.
I was reminded that in real life, Penny Jordan had a very disappointing marriage to a man who tragically suffered from severe alcoholism. I think that is one of the reasons why so many of her books end not just with a promise of love and fidelity from the H but with an equally avid vow of support and protection, so that the often-careworn h will never have to worry about anything again.
But I digress. This book is one-note for me and lacks the surprising humor that Penny Jordon books often contain.
July 13, 2019
As my friend Jenny said, it was a bittersweet re-union story.
July 27, 2021
The heroine and the hero had a ons when she was a teenager. He was a rich son of a powerful family in Sicily, and the heroine was a rebellious teenager. She dressed like a goth and all the small village where she lived in Sicily considered a fallen woman. The description of the small town in Sicily where everyone knows everyone and everyone judges the other was amusing. It can be also realistic since the book is written in 1970. No! No! It was written in 2012. But maybe it refers to the 60. Because I don't think possible that even in a small village in Sicily (and I visited many) nowadays people could be so stuffy. Anyway, the heroine after her ons hopes that the hero keeps in touch with her, but the coward has run away. You know, family duty, pride, and all those things.
So she goes back to England where she gives birth to his son and goes on with her life.
They meet again years later. The hero has been told he has a secret son and wants to know if it's real.
Of course it is, so he proposes marriage, no, he forces marriage is more correct, and keeps on ignoring her.
Only in the last few pages we have a reconciliation, with the help of a big bad storm and their cupido/son.
Too much inner thoughts, the characters are always reliving their past and overthinking it.
I didn't feel any love in both of them.
It was really only a young infatuation with a living consequence, for both of them.
He went on with his life, had many women while she remained freezed and this is a thing I hate, because it's chauvinism.
They only got married for their son, and it would be better they didn't.
The author struggled in convincing us that he always loved her and never forgot her, but it is a bit difficult since he happily went on with his life never asking if there were consequences to his actions.
I appreciated that the heroine grew up, studied, went on with her carieer and loved her son. But I'd preferred she too had other men. It is unbelievable that a grown up woman, young and healthy, and also able to have a succesful carieer wasn't able to have any relationship with any other men. There are many pleasant and smart men in the world, don't you know? And since he behaved like a coward and a jerk, rejecting her after he had sex with her, she should have been able very easily to find better men than him. But she didn't because PJ loved her heroine to be martyr until the end.
The end was too abrupt.
I didn't like it very much, and I don't think I can recommend it.
So she goes back to England where she gives birth to his son and goes on with her life.
They meet again years later. The hero has been told he has a secret son and wants to know if it's real.
Of course it is, so he proposes marriage, no, he forces marriage is more correct, and keeps on ignoring her.
Only in the last few pages we have a reconciliation, with the help of a big bad storm and their cupido/son.
Too much inner thoughts, the characters are always reliving their past and overthinking it.
I didn't feel any love in both of them.
It was really only a young infatuation with a living consequence, for both of them.
He went on with his life, had many women while she remained freezed and this is a thing I hate, because it's chauvinism.
They only got married for their son, and it would be better they didn't.
The author struggled in convincing us that he always loved her and never forgot her, but it is a bit difficult since he happily went on with his life never asking if there were consequences to his actions.
I appreciated that the heroine grew up, studied, went on with her carieer and loved her son. But I'd preferred she too had other men. It is unbelievable that a grown up woman, young and healthy, and also able to have a succesful carieer wasn't able to have any relationship with any other men. There are many pleasant and smart men in the world, don't you know? And since he behaved like a coward and a jerk, rejecting her after he had sex with her, she should have been able very easily to find better men than him. But she didn't because PJ loved her heroine to be martyr until the end.
The end was too abrupt.
I didn't like it very much, and I don't think I can recommend it.
August 14, 2012
3.5 stars
This is Penny Jordan's final book, such a legend of romantic fiction, she will be missed.
I had to work myself up to read this book. As much as I love Penny's classic books, I haven't really enjoyed some of her more recent ones, but I knew that I couldn't not-read it!
She proves, in this book, that she is truly a master at weaving a deep and fulfilling romance into a wonderfully deep story. When it comes to story flow and descriptive writing she really can't be beaten. Yes, she's overly fond of metaphors, but somehow she makes it work.
This book, for me, didn't get off to a great start. The hero and heroine spent a lot of time in their own heads, there was hardly any dialogue between them, and a lot of backstory was given with only alludes to what happened between the characters in the past. As a result the pace felt very stilted, and the story dragged as it waffled along. For the first thirty pages or so I had no idea what was going on!
But, the last half of this book is beautiful. The hero and heroine really deserved to find happiness together, but Penny made sure they, and we, worked for it. It wasn't an easy journey.
The story itself is a little old fashioned, especially with all the 'shame' parts, but that kind of adds another layer of charm to this book. Not many authors would be able to pull this off, but Penny Jordan did.
A great book, but a little melancholic to read.
RIP Penny.
Originally posted at http://www.everyday-is-the-same.blogs...
This is Penny Jordan's final book, such a legend of romantic fiction, she will be missed.
I had to work myself up to read this book. As much as I love Penny's classic books, I haven't really enjoyed some of her more recent ones, but I knew that I couldn't not-read it!
She proves, in this book, that she is truly a master at weaving a deep and fulfilling romance into a wonderfully deep story. When it comes to story flow and descriptive writing she really can't be beaten. Yes, she's overly fond of metaphors, but somehow she makes it work.
This book, for me, didn't get off to a great start. The hero and heroine spent a lot of time in their own heads, there was hardly any dialogue between them, and a lot of backstory was given with only alludes to what happened between the characters in the past. As a result the pace felt very stilted, and the story dragged as it waffled along. For the first thirty pages or so I had no idea what was going on!
But, the last half of this book is beautiful. The hero and heroine really deserved to find happiness together, but Penny made sure they, and we, worked for it. It wasn't an easy journey.
The story itself is a little old fashioned, especially with all the 'shame' parts, but that kind of adds another layer of charm to this book. Not many authors would be able to pull this off, but Penny Jordan did.
A great book, but a little melancholic to read.
RIP Penny.
Originally posted at http://www.everyday-is-the-same.blogs...
June 17, 2019
Everything a Presents should be.
June 24, 2022
Yawn fest. I recall picking up this book and DNFing it each time in various stages of my life. This is PJ’s last book and I don’t want to be too harsh on it cuz PJ will always be one of my faves anyways in HPland!
There is much monologue and much angst but it falls short and doesn’t play out. The H is cool and calm and despite taking guilt trips in his head, he isn’t passionate or possessive for the h.
The h is young and has ugly parents who psychologically abuse her. She needs attention from her father and goes on to have a quick ONS with the H. Later when she falls pregnant she is faced by extreme backlash from her family and relatives. The H is also sent away and his agents tell the h that he regrets their short affair.
Years later the h goes to see the H to ask for his permission to lay her grandparents’ ashes to rest in a graveyard under his patronage. Whatevs. The H also receives a letter alerting him that he might have a son with the h.
There are barely a handful of exchanges between the MCs. The H was cold but not in a good way. He was just dispassionate and wouldn’t lay claim to the h or throw his weight around and get all territorial.
Basically it was just boring!
There is much monologue and much angst but it falls short and doesn’t play out. The H is cool and calm and despite taking guilt trips in his head, he isn’t passionate or possessive for the h.
The h is young and has ugly parents who psychologically abuse her. She needs attention from her father and goes on to have a quick ONS with the H. Later when she falls pregnant she is faced by extreme backlash from her family and relatives. The H is also sent away and his agents tell the h that he regrets their short affair.
Years later the h goes to see the H to ask for his permission to lay her grandparents’ ashes to rest in a graveyard under his patronage. Whatevs. The H also receives a letter alerting him that he might have a son with the h.
There are barely a handful of exchanges between the MCs. The H was cold but not in a good way. He was just dispassionate and wouldn’t lay claim to the h or throw his weight around and get all territorial.
Basically it was just boring!
June 5, 2012
A decent enough story. This was pretty slow moving and was mostly introspection as both the hero and the heroine spent enormous amounts of time in their own heads thinking stuff over. Very little actually happened in the book. Seriously. Interesting in how the former relationship between the H/h caused the heroine to grow up and become a social worker. And I did enjoy that they were both around the same age and were much more mature when reuniting than is usually the case with HPs.
I received this free from netGalley for review.
I received this free from netGalley for review.
May 3, 2018
*Very* angst-y! The young H was a total b*****d!
Re-read 05/03/2018- Yes, he was, but he realized it as he grew up and greatly regretted it.
Re-read 05/03/2018- Yes, he was, but he realized it as he grew up and greatly regretted it.
July 31, 2021
The writing…wow! I was in constant awe. Slow-paced yet moving and yet immensely lacking in romance 😭
August 25, 2024
Rereading.
I think the hero is a zero. He became orphaned at six. So getting approval from everyone seems to be his jam.
He sleeps with the seventeen year old heroine. She gets tarred and feathered while he runs away. Her parents abandon her. She has a baby.
They reunite because she needs his approval to bury her grandparents ashes. At her ancestral village and he’s a Duke and owns the church ground.
Terrible book. Terrible.
**********************
It’s one of her good ones. I like the hero and heroine. The plot line just went a little slack half way through.
Once he knows that’s his son with her and then? Nothing much happens.
Still. Not bad.
Go ahead. Read it.
Ok. I don’t know when I wrote the paragraphs above.
The hero and heroine are both very young when they meet for the first time.
She’s a girl who has a step mother and two evil step sisters (I think there were two or one. Can’t remember. One maybe) The father adores wife and her children. He neglects his own daughter.
Heroine has no mother and is being brought up by grandparents.
She is a total goth girl at school girl stage.
The father takes his family to the girl’s grand parents village. Her ancestral village from mothers side.
She looks so seductive in her black dreadlocks and black everything avatar and behaves so provocatively that the whole village thinks she’s a slut.
She meets hero on her forays alone on the island. He’s 22 years old I think and very unsure of himself.
They both get talking and there is some degree of understanding on both sides.
The heroine who’s searching for a father figure falls for the hero or gets infatuated.
She goes to his palace at night and enters his bedroom. Neither can control their hormones and the inevitable happens.
The hero goes and seeks advice from an old man in the village who tells him go away so the man does what most men do. Runs.
Heroine is slut shamed by village and hero’s name is never mentioned.
She goes home and discovers she’s pregnant. I think there’s therapy. She cleans up her act. Becomes a solid good mother.
Her grandparents die and they want to be buried in their ancestral place.
She goes back. To ask permission from the scoundrel hero.
He is now impotent because mumps. He realises he has a son. Forces her to marry him.
There’s huge thunderstorm and he comes and finds her cowering under his clothes in the closet.
They confess their love for each other.
I think there is another child in the epilogue.
I think the hero is a zero. He became orphaned at six. So getting approval from everyone seems to be his jam.
He sleeps with the seventeen year old heroine. She gets tarred and feathered while he runs away. Her parents abandon her. She has a baby.
They reunite because she needs his approval to bury her grandparents ashes. At her ancestral village and he’s a Duke and owns the church ground.
Terrible book. Terrible.
**********************
It’s one of her good ones. I like the hero and heroine. The plot line just went a little slack half way through.
Once he knows that’s his son with her and then? Nothing much happens.
Still. Not bad.
Go ahead. Read it.
Ok. I don’t know when I wrote the paragraphs above.
The hero and heroine are both very young when they meet for the first time.
She’s a girl who has a step mother and two evil step sisters (I think there were two or one. Can’t remember. One maybe) The father adores wife and her children. He neglects his own daughter.
Heroine has no mother and is being brought up by grandparents.
She is a total goth girl at school girl stage.
The father takes his family to the girl’s grand parents village. Her ancestral village from mothers side.
She looks so seductive in her black dreadlocks and black everything avatar and behaves so provocatively that the whole village thinks she’s a slut.
She meets hero on her forays alone on the island. He’s 22 years old I think and very unsure of himself.
They both get talking and there is some degree of understanding on both sides.
The heroine who’s searching for a father figure falls for the hero or gets infatuated.
She goes to his palace at night and enters his bedroom. Neither can control their hormones and the inevitable happens.
The hero goes and seeks advice from an old man in the village who tells him go away so the man does what most men do. Runs.
Heroine is slut shamed by village and hero’s name is never mentioned.
She goes home and discovers she’s pregnant. I think there’s therapy. She cleans up her act. Becomes a solid good mother.
Her grandparents die and they want to be buried in their ancestral place.
She goes back. To ask permission from the scoundrel hero.
He is now impotent because mumps. He realises he has a son. Forces her to marry him.
There’s huge thunderstorm and he comes and finds her cowering under his clothes in the closet.
They confess their love for each other.
I think there is another child in the epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2024
From the very first paragraph this book throws you into its drama and keeps you there. The tension between the h and H is palpable. You don't know their history, but you know it's there, hidden by the politeness, and it's intense.
As the story slowly unfolds you learn the history and realize that the h has been abandoned by the people who are supposed to love her. Her search for love and acceptance led her to make mistakes, the biggest with the H.
The H was young and arrogant. He way he treated the h after being with her made me dislike him. Even 10 years later when they met each other again and he learned that he was a father, he still treated the h with disdain.
It was great to see the H humbled as the H's real life was revealed to him. It made him realize the damage her did to her and how strong she is to rise above it all and become the women and mother that she is.
This is a book that I can highly recommend. It is emotional and at times heart breaking to read, and it absolutely wonderful.
As the story slowly unfolds you learn the history and realize that the h has been abandoned by the people who are supposed to love her. Her search for love and acceptance led her to make mistakes, the biggest with the H.
The H was young and arrogant. He way he treated the h after being with her made me dislike him. Even 10 years later when they met each other again and he learned that he was a father, he still treated the h with disdain.
It was great to see the H humbled as the H's real life was revealed to him. It made him realize the damage her did to her and how strong she is to rise above it all and become the women and mother that she is.
This is a book that I can highly recommend. It is emotional and at times heart breaking to read, and it absolutely wonderful.
April 20, 2014
This is the last ever book from Penny Jordan for Harlequin Mills and Boon and as such, I wanted to save it for a special occasion - therefore, I waited until I was on holiday from the call centre to savour it, and this one did not disappoint at all.
This is the story of Louise, a former wild child who has had a bit of a holiday fling with Caesar in the past and paid the price for it. Not only does she feel that she has brought shame on her (admittedly, rather old-fashioned) family but she also feels that she has destroyed any chance of finding love again and has therefore lived a much quieter, sensible life since falling pregnant with her son during a one-night stand with Caesar. The story takes time to develop in this one, but it's so very romantic, and I just loved every minute of it. Consider the following: "She wanted to go back inside and escape the memories of what it had meant to lie naked in a man’s arms in the scented warmth of the Sicilian night." and this is juxtaposed with the everyday reality of many women's lives, as the paragraph continues: "Behind her the safety of her hotel room would no doubt be smelly with the reality of Ollie’s trainers,…" pp. 64-65 Publishers Weekly famously said about Jordan: “Women everywhere will find pieces of themselves in Jordan’s characters’, and there can be no doubt that that there is something of all of us in Louise's insecurities as she struggles to cope with both her feelings for her old lover and an adolescent son.
I so enjoyed this one - it really showed how Jordan developed as a writer as I really do think this final offering was one of her finest novels to date, with some lovely romantic writing and a truly believeable heroine (the hero isn't that believeable, but let's face it, it's a Mills and Boon; he's not going to be, is he? Louise says of him at one point: "Caesar cast a powerful spell around her that robbed her of the ability to think straight." p. 98. I've got to say, going into Tesco has that effect on me, and it's not always a pleasant feeling!) However, I loved this book. It really was worth the wait and I'm glad I saved it for a time when I could really concentrate on it and enjoy it (i.e. not during a night shift, which is where I do my normal Penny Jordan reading).
Definitely recommended for all Penny Jordan fans everywhere who will, like me, really miss her work.
This is the story of Louise, a former wild child who has had a bit of a holiday fling with Caesar in the past and paid the price for it. Not only does she feel that she has brought shame on her (admittedly, rather old-fashioned) family but she also feels that she has destroyed any chance of finding love again and has therefore lived a much quieter, sensible life since falling pregnant with her son during a one-night stand with Caesar. The story takes time to develop in this one, but it's so very romantic, and I just loved every minute of it. Consider the following: "She wanted to go back inside and escape the memories of what it had meant to lie naked in a man’s arms in the scented warmth of the Sicilian night." and this is juxtaposed with the everyday reality of many women's lives, as the paragraph continues: "Behind her the safety of her hotel room would no doubt be smelly with the reality of Ollie’s trainers,…" pp. 64-65 Publishers Weekly famously said about Jordan: “Women everywhere will find pieces of themselves in Jordan’s characters’, and there can be no doubt that that there is something of all of us in Louise's insecurities as she struggles to cope with both her feelings for her old lover and an adolescent son.
I so enjoyed this one - it really showed how Jordan developed as a writer as I really do think this final offering was one of her finest novels to date, with some lovely romantic writing and a truly believeable heroine (the hero isn't that believeable, but let's face it, it's a Mills and Boon; he's not going to be, is he? Louise says of him at one point: "Caesar cast a powerful spell around her that robbed her of the ability to think straight." p. 98. I've got to say, going into Tesco has that effect on me, and it's not always a pleasant feeling!) However, I loved this book. It really was worth the wait and I'm glad I saved it for a time when I could really concentrate on it and enjoy it (i.e. not during a night shift, which is where I do my normal Penny Jordan reading).
Definitely recommended for all Penny Jordan fans everywhere who will, like me, really miss her work.
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December 12, 2017This is an odd book.
If you remove the pages and pages of psychoanalysis about how the heroine is trying to attract her father's attention by being "bad"--and this concept is repeated so many times it's like being hit over the head with a cast-iron skillet 473 times until you get a severe concussion and need to be hospitalized--there is not much left to the book.
Most of the book is a convoluted backstory. However, the story that is hidden in all of this stuff is actually pretty sweet.
Not sure how to rate it. If I re-read this one again, I will skip all of the backstory and psycho babble.
If you remove the pages and pages of psychoanalysis about how the heroine is trying to attract her father's attention by being "bad"--and this concept is repeated so many times it's like being hit over the head with a cast-iron skillet 473 times until you get a severe concussion and need to be hospitalized--there is not much left to the book.
Most of the book is a convoluted backstory. However, the story that is hidden in all of this stuff is actually pretty sweet.
Not sure how to rate it. If I re-read this one again, I will skip all of the backstory and psycho babble.
February 8, 2015
Not sure what happened with this book, because Penny Jordan's are usually pretty good. Was oddly written, with an extremely high amount of inner monologue that made it often read like a textbook.
The first chapter was quite confusing, right up until the last line where suddenly you got a glimmer of what Caesar and Louise's conflict was. But then everything is resolved quickly and without any fuss or angst at all, so no escalating stakes to speak of. Very disappointing.
Really sad this was her last book, because she wrote some classic categories.
The first chapter was quite confusing, right up until the last line where suddenly you got a glimmer of what Caesar and Louise's conflict was. But then everything is resolved quickly and without any fuss or angst at all, so no escalating stakes to speak of. Very disappointing.
Really sad this was her last book, because she wrote some classic categories.
June 4, 2021
A shocking Sicilian secret... Louise Anderson's heart pounds as she approaches the imposing castello. Only the Duke of Falconari can grant her grandparents' dying wish-but this is the same man who said arrivederci without a backward glance after their night of unadulterated passion.... Caesar can't believe the woman who almost ruined his precious reputation still fiercely fires his blood. Discovering that their union created more than just salacious memories, he agrees to grant Louise's request...in exchange for a demand of his own. That she wears his band of gold! (
June 22, 2015
It's what I call a brooding book, where the characters spend a lot of time narrating their feelings and thoughts, and not so much dialogues.
The up side of these kinds of books is we get to know what's inside the characters minds. But the down side is if the author not careful it can get a bit boring. For me at least.
But it's a nice book with lovable characters and the ending is very touching.
RIP Penny Jordan.
The up side of these kinds of books is we get to know what's inside the characters minds. But the down side is if the author not careful it can get a bit boring. For me at least.
But it's a nice book with lovable characters and the ending is very touching.
RIP Penny Jordan.
June 29, 2016
I always enjoyed the books by penny. She had this kind of drama queen story style in every her books. And yap I just love it.
This one, the beginning is okay and I really really into it, but the ending was kind of disappointing.
JUDGING people everywhere. Wish they go bald
This one, the beginning is okay and I really really into it, but the ending was kind of disappointing.
JUDGING people everywhere. Wish they go bald
December 23, 2012
Just couldn't get into it - the first chapters had only about three sentences of dialogue hidden amongst pages and pages and pages of backstory and repetitive internal angst.
September 30, 2025
the hero is a certified loser.... lol no character development. He remains a coward through and through, which is worse than a beta... selfish prick eww
January 22, 2013
The heroine, Louise, has returned to her grandparents’ home in Sicily, on a mission to lay their ashes to rest there. But first she must get permission from the local patronne, Caesar, which opens a whole can of worms, given that the last time she saw Caesar she was a rebellious teenager who slept with him, was rejected and then disappeared to secretly bear his child. As the story unfolds, we see Louise and Caesar trying to untangle the past, their secrets and their sense of duty to family and villagers, all the while wrestling with their ongoing attraction to each other.
Abundantly passionate, beautifully written, this book drew me in from the first paragraph. I especially like Penny’s way of focusing on the emotional aspect of the story at all turns – coupled with her ability to smoothly move the reader between Louise’s and Caesar’s point of view, I felt a great sense of being in each character’s mind and really understanding them.
My favourite scene in the book is the one in which the two lovers finally shed their defences and come together. I don’t want to spoil the plot-line, but I will say that the power of the stormy weather wonderfully adds drama and passion to the sequence: ‘“One storm is over, but there is another, I think, that is possessing us both with equal ferocity of need – if you trust me with that need, with our love?”’
The ending left me with a warm, happy glow – just the happy ever after you crave in a book such as this, with loose ends neatly tied up and a lovely surprise twist.
In all, a great romantic read and a wonderful testament to this prolific and much-loved writer.
Abundantly passionate, beautifully written, this book drew me in from the first paragraph. I especially like Penny’s way of focusing on the emotional aspect of the story at all turns – coupled with her ability to smoothly move the reader between Louise’s and Caesar’s point of view, I felt a great sense of being in each character’s mind and really understanding them.
My favourite scene in the book is the one in which the two lovers finally shed their defences and come together. I don’t want to spoil the plot-line, but I will say that the power of the stormy weather wonderfully adds drama and passion to the sequence: ‘“One storm is over, but there is another, I think, that is possessing us both with equal ferocity of need – if you trust me with that need, with our love?”’
The ending left me with a warm, happy glow – just the happy ever after you crave in a book such as this, with loose ends neatly tied up and a lovely surprise twist.
In all, a great romantic read and a wonderful testament to this prolific and much-loved writer.
January 24, 2018
Agak sebal dengan paragraf-paragrafnya. Terlalu 'nembok'. Dan terlalu banyak pergumulan hati yang dibahas berulang-ulang. It's ok, jika hanya satu atau dua kali, tapi kalau sepanjang buku?! Astaga, aku sampai menskip semua bagian itu dan membaca hanya bagian yang dikasi tanda petik (yang artinya adalah bagian-bagian dialog saja), itu pun aku bisa menangkap apa yang dimaksud oleh si penulis koq. Hanya bagian klimaks ending saja yang membuatku tidak memberikan satu bintang. :)) Yah, kalau klimaksnya tidak begitu, sudah aku throw entah di mana dah. :3
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Baca ulang, lupa kalau sudah pernah baca sebelumnya. :))) Kali ini lebih dapat feel dan chemistry-nya. Paragraf tetap nembok, tapi aku bertahan membaca hampir semuanya di bagian awal, dan aku suka dengan endingnya, gemes-gemesin gimana gitu. Aku merubah bintang dari 2 menjadi 3 karena baca ulang ini. :D
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Baca ulang, lupa kalau sudah pernah baca sebelumnya. :))) Kali ini lebih dapat feel dan chemistry-nya. Paragraf tetap nembok, tapi aku bertahan membaca hampir semuanya di bagian awal, dan aku suka dengan endingnya, gemes-gemesin gimana gitu. Aku merubah bintang dari 2 menjadi 3 karena baca ulang ini. :D
May 21, 2012
Slow, confusing start. Took a couple chapters for me to really get engaged in the story.
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