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A Savage Adoration
Dominic acted as if nothing had happened
As though Christy's adolescent advances had not aroused his anger and contempt. The humiliation of his words had haunted her since and stood between her and all other men.
Her career in London had come to a sudden stop because she had been unwilling to engage in an affair, so her ailing mother's need was reason enough to run home.
The last thing she wanted was to see Dominic Savage. She disliked and despised him. But in the end that proved poor protection against his desires and her own needs.
As though Christy's adolescent advances had not aroused his anger and contempt. The humiliation of his words had haunted her since and stood between her and all other men.
Her career in London had come to a sudden stop because she had been unwilling to engage in an affair, so her ailing mother's need was reason enough to run home.
The last thing she wanted was to see Dominic Savage. She disliked and despised him. But in the end that proved poor protection against his desires and her own needs.
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1987
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,132 books672 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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September 1, 2016
Re A Savage Adoration - no connection to Savage Atonement except PJ must have liked the name Savage and we get a hint of the future Official HP Title Generator where you can just replace Savage with Virgin or Billionaire and some adjectives or formal nouns and provide titles for an entire genre of books.
This is not PJ's best book, but I like it for it's utter PJNess. If there was a typical generic PJ story that demonstrates almost every aspect of her long career, this is the one to go for. I recommend this one for newbie PJ readers, it is a kinder, gentler way to show them the ropes of all things PJ and no one has gone screaming for the safety of old skool Silhouette after finishing it - unlike some of the other PJ works we have already covered.
This story has it all, semi-mature 25ish h who is borderline neurotic because of a Terrible Rejection suffered in the past. A Typical PJ H for this time who delivered the Terrible Rejection when the h shyly tried to seduce him when she was 17 and he was 25, and thus subjected our shy but surprisingly career competent h to 8 years of tormented self doubt about her ability to please a man.
Our H is also tortuously filled with what he thinks is unrequited love for the h, and it makes him a bit Mr. Crankypants for most of the book. It also has an evil wanna be OW, who is the epitome of HP OW Scheming Harlotness - but makes the virginal h appear to be a bigger Tart than Babylon because she has a fox fur coat that was gift from her former boss and his wife, (who picked the colour,) - and thus drives our erstwhile DR. Crankypants H to even more heights of tormented longing that just has to be expressed in punishing kisses to the h.
There is bickering, there is angsty burning longing, (and no H POV), there is a Masked Romantic Valentine Ball to raise funds to build the H a medical clinic with all mod cons AND the h also gets to demonstrate her sponge cake making expertise - thus proving she is a multilayered h with both efficient secretarial skills - she worked for and a fought off a serial Lothario but Highly Productive Married boss in London for 8 years- and she is also a Domestic Goddess of all things hearth and home. (Sadly no Rag Rolling Painting Techniques were required in the lead up to the Big Romantic Masqued Ball, so PJ missed a little shot to also show the h's home improvement/decorating skillz.) There are seekritly conniving matchmaking parents, who just delight in tormenting our h with frequent dinner invitations to the H in the family home.
PJ has the Orphan angle covered in this one too, the Dr. H's parents have moved on to a higher existence and the H has nobly taken his Dr. Father's place in the community because our H is handsome, manly, hot for the h and Knows His Duty as the third generational physician to a community his family has served for yonks. (Which practically makes him local gentry right along with the h's solicitor father and her Women's Institute organizing mum. Sadly the mum is a bit under the weather in the book, so the h, who also Knows Her Duty, leaps into the fundraising/Romantic Ball planning fray as her mum's deputy.) All of this is taking place in another stock PJ trope, the Small But Unique English Village and all it's attendant hot house encapsulation. Oh yes, PJ takes all her favorite ingredients, plops them in the cocktail shaker of this book and pours out what can only be called the PJcolada of HP beverages.
So this story goes with the h fleeing the tormenting affections of her married, Lothario boss. Her mum is ill - which gives her a handy out to avoid traveling with the Lothario, his long suffering wife and his kids, to the sunny climes of California - where the Lothario is set to do some movie business. The h was attracted to the boss, but he is Married and Thus Not To Be Trifled With - plus the h likes his wife who has excellent taste in Fox Fur Coats (though I am pretty sure it was probably supposed to be a Faux Fox Fur Coat - as animal rights had already hit HPlandia at this point, but the copy editor was probably old skool and not au courant on modern fashion sensibilities.) So she chucks up the London job and heads for the hills of home.
Only to be greeted with the news that our Dr. Crankypants H has returned to the old home turf to take over for his deceased dad AND her dad has cheerfully volunteered her Excellent Secretarial Skillz as the H's adjunct in helping raise funds for the Small But Unique English Village Self Contained Medical Care Facility that the H desperately wants to build so all the old gaffers don't have to travel beyond the Village Borders - cause is it a dangerous world out there doncha know.
Our h is NOT PLEASED about this, because of the aforementioned Terrible Trauma that the H inflicted when she was 17. But the h goes along with plan anyways, cause it is the PJ Thing To Do. The h just makes it clear to our Obviously Lovestruck Without Saying A Word H that she hates him and she makes terrible glarey faces at the H too. The H's Tremendous Frowns when he receives one of these looks makes the reader aware that our H IS NOT HAPPY either and is now have Terrible Suffering over the h. Well good! I say, he was really mean in his rejection of the h and hurt her feelings and damaged her frail self esteem ENORMOUSLY, so he can just stew for a bit.
Except it doesn't look like our H is stewing alone. OH NOES! The Evil Divorced OW of Harlotness is making a play for our H, and he is having dinner with the OW and her Grandmother! This just drives the h to more neurotic angsting - She HATES the H and she Will Never Forgive Him, but she doesn't want him slagging off the OW either OR her Grandmother.
Then the h manages to put her mum's car in the ditch during a snow storm. The accident is very jarring. Not to worry tho, the H was following right behind the h and sweeps out of his trusty big Drmobile and carries the befuddled h into his home - where he checks her over, pronounces her a mess and unable to face to her mother and tries to get the h out of her clothes. (Unrequited love fool our H may be, but he is quick on the clothes removing draw when he needs to.) The h refuses and the befuddledness passes, she is now in a Fiery Scots Temper - which she got from her ancestors- and tells the H off. How Dare He Try to Get Her Clothes Off When He Doesn't Want To Ravish Her Beguiling Body! The h finally expresses all the pent up 8 years of hurt for his rejection.
The H is thunderstruck, He Always Wanted Her! He Wouldn't Turn Her Down Now if she Would Just Take off Her Clothes! He had to reject her 8 years ago, she was an innocent 17 yr old and her parents Trusted Him. This ends with a punishing kiss of course, and the h pushes the H away of course - cause now the h knows that the H Only Wants Her for the Body - and not because he loves her or anything like that. The h runs home and the plannings for the Romantic Masqued Ball continues.
Then the h's Lothario's Wife calls the h up and insists that she come to London. Lothario has lost a very important script and the lovely wife needs the h to find it. The h goes and manages to put the fear of the Lovely Wife Dumping the Lothario into him after the Lovely Wife confides that she is preggers again and tired of the infidelities - Lothario has managed to find a new girlfriend. The h finds the script and a beautiful gown with mask for the Romantic Ball.
Lothario gives the h a ride to the train station home and as he is enthusiastically kissing the h goodbye (as he kisses all the ladies,) the H happens to be moseying along and sees the embrace. The H is Shocked At the Changes in the formerly nice girl h. But they wind up riding home on the train together anyways and then going to the h's house so the H can check on her mum.
The h announces that the Lovely Wife is preggers and the H is looking shellshocked. The Conniving Parent trope is back into play as the mum cannily maneuvers the H into escorting the h to and from the Romantic Ball. The h is apoplectic at being thus manipulated, because by now the h realizes that she is in Love Forever With the H. Cue bitter moping Angsty Angst for the h. The H is just caustic and mocking cause his Beloved Good Girl Has Gone to the Bad - he isn't worried tho- he still has his OW of Harlotness and Biting Comments to torment the h with. The mum is very sad that her Conniving just did not work out - she had Hoped, but alas that horse has run now that the OW of Harlotness has got her leg under.
Preparations for The Ball continue on and we get a hint of a secondary romance between the Village's Crusty Elder Major General and the equally Elderly Local Lady of the Manor (who is also the OW of Harlotness's Grandmother) - it seems the Local Lady was widowed as a bride when her husband (a distant cousin and last male heir to the Lady's Family line) died in the War. The Lady's Father apparently banned the Crusty Major from the house and they have been bickering acquaintances all these long, lonely years - perhaps the Ball will see more than one union in the making?
Finally the Night of the Romantic Masque Ball arrives and our tormented, lovelorn h has her hair teased into a Fiery Flurry of Abandoned Curls - very in keeping with her Ivory Toned Historically Correct Costume That Is Provocative In the Nicest Possible Way but fits a bit looser in the waist as our h has lost some weight. The h dons her mask for utmost sartorial Romantic Masque Ball splendour and the Magnificently Tuxed and Handsome H arrives to take her to the Ball.
The H makes Bitter Comments about just who purchased the h's costume that she refused to show them, for some reason he believes the Lothario bought the dress for the h and she refuses to tell him otherwise because He Only Wants Her Body and she Wants To Be Loved. The OW of Harlotness swoops down to extract the H as they arrive at the ball, the h removes her cloak and steps out to check on the decorations for the Ball - feeling the Blaze of the H's Burning Contempt all the way across the ballroom as the festivities begin. The h is miserable from the H's Punishing Gaze and as he dines with the OW of Harlotness and separates himself from the organizer's table, the h knows her heart is truly broken.
Heart broken as she is, this doesn't stop the h from bringing the Crusty Major and Local Lady together for a bit of a romantic dance. Then the Midnight Dance arrives and the H manhandles the h onto the dance floor. They dance and the H tortures the h with Long Virile Body Dancing Moves and then it is time to Unmask. The h stops the H from removing her mask and that means he gets to claim a forfeit.
He sweeps her over his arm for a Passionate Punishing Roofie Kiss right in the middle of the floor. The kiss ends, the H and h are now Fodder for All the Village to Gossip about and the OW of Harlotness is quick to rush over, Glare Daggers at the h and Restake Her Claim on the
H's arm. The h helps to clean up with the Women's Institute ladies and tries to figure out a ride home. Then the H returns to escort her out with the OW of Harlotness's lipstick all over his mouth.
The H drags the h back to his house, rips her rented costume gown off and proceeds with the Lurve Clubbing of Ecstasy - where he finally realizes the h is a virgin and that he just ruined a really pricey theatrical costume. (There was no mention if he was still sporting the OW's Jungle Red lipstick.)
The h realizes that she was subbing for the OW of Harlotness after the Lurve Club High recedes (and she is probably wearing OW lipstick in unmentionable places,) and the H believes the h was using him as a Sub for the Lothario Boss who has now left the country and is being nice to his wife. The h and H part in mutual antagonism and cue more Angsty Angst h moping and Bewailing by the h that there is No Seekrit Baby.
The h's mum is back up to par and ready to run, she also conveys the news that Crusty Major and Local Lady are finally marrying after All These Years of Tormented Love and the h decides she needs to look for another London job. Before that can happen, the h's parents take off gallivanting out of town and the H is forced to drag the h off to assists with a pregnant Farmer Wife About To Give Birth In A Terrible Snowstorm.
Upon returning from the delivery, the h's house is cold cause the central heating died when the Terrible Snowstorm cut the power. The sitting room fire is out too and the H can't seem to remember the rules of fire building in the Boys Guide To Woodcraft. So he just drags the h of to his house, cause while he may not be able to build a fire, he can certainly keep his own going. There he and the h have their Big Romantic Reconciliation with Extra Fiery and Passionate Ecstasy Boudoir Bouncing and the H finally gets around to explaining that he wasn't dating the OW of Harlotness, he was just stuck with her a lot and that he has Always Loved the h Forever, but he was Wildly Jealous and he just wants the h to love him back and marry him and then have a gazillion kids together. The h enthusiastically endorses this plan with her own Always Loved the H Forever Vow, and the two continue to lurve it up in the Boudoir of Bliss that the h wants to redecorate in the cheering shades of Peach and French Blue for the PJ HPlandia HEA.
As I went through this spoilerization, I tried to capitalize all the classic PJ isms of PJness to give newer readers a sense of the typical PJ ingredients that go into her confabulations. Like I said at the start, this isn't PJ's best book but it is one that best illustrates the Classic PJ Style. All the capitalized ingredients are presented in all of her stories in one form or another and it is her mastery of blending the mix of ingredients that keeps PJ at the top of the HPlandia Hierarchy and why so many HP travelers always keep one or twenty of her books on standby. Give this one a read if you are unfamiliar with PJ or just read it cause you're an HP Veteran and need to get your PJ Fix.
This is not PJ's best book, but I like it for it's utter PJNess. If there was a typical generic PJ story that demonstrates almost every aspect of her long career, this is the one to go for. I recommend this one for newbie PJ readers, it is a kinder, gentler way to show them the ropes of all things PJ and no one has gone screaming for the safety of old skool Silhouette after finishing it - unlike some of the other PJ works we have already covered.
This story has it all, semi-mature 25ish h who is borderline neurotic because of a Terrible Rejection suffered in the past. A Typical PJ H for this time who delivered the Terrible Rejection when the h shyly tried to seduce him when she was 17 and he was 25, and thus subjected our shy but surprisingly career competent h to 8 years of tormented self doubt about her ability to please a man.
Our H is also tortuously filled with what he thinks is unrequited love for the h, and it makes him a bit Mr. Crankypants for most of the book. It also has an evil wanna be OW, who is the epitome of HP OW Scheming Harlotness - but makes the virginal h appear to be a bigger Tart than Babylon because she has a fox fur coat that was gift from her former boss and his wife, (who picked the colour,) - and thus drives our erstwhile DR. Crankypants H to even more heights of tormented longing that just has to be expressed in punishing kisses to the h.
There is bickering, there is angsty burning longing, (and no H POV), there is a Masked Romantic Valentine Ball to raise funds to build the H a medical clinic with all mod cons AND the h also gets to demonstrate her sponge cake making expertise - thus proving she is a multilayered h with both efficient secretarial skills - she worked for and a fought off a serial Lothario but Highly Productive Married boss in London for 8 years- and she is also a Domestic Goddess of all things hearth and home. (Sadly no Rag Rolling Painting Techniques were required in the lead up to the Big Romantic Masqued Ball, so PJ missed a little shot to also show the h's home improvement/decorating skillz.) There are seekritly conniving matchmaking parents, who just delight in tormenting our h with frequent dinner invitations to the H in the family home.
PJ has the Orphan angle covered in this one too, the Dr. H's parents have moved on to a higher existence and the H has nobly taken his Dr. Father's place in the community because our H is handsome, manly, hot for the h and Knows His Duty as the third generational physician to a community his family has served for yonks. (Which practically makes him local gentry right along with the h's solicitor father and her Women's Institute organizing mum. Sadly the mum is a bit under the weather in the book, so the h, who also Knows Her Duty, leaps into the fundraising/Romantic Ball planning fray as her mum's deputy.) All of this is taking place in another stock PJ trope, the Small But Unique English Village and all it's attendant hot house encapsulation. Oh yes, PJ takes all her favorite ingredients, plops them in the cocktail shaker of this book and pours out what can only be called the PJcolada of HP beverages.
So this story goes with the h fleeing the tormenting affections of her married, Lothario boss. Her mum is ill - which gives her a handy out to avoid traveling with the Lothario, his long suffering wife and his kids, to the sunny climes of California - where the Lothario is set to do some movie business. The h was attracted to the boss, but he is Married and Thus Not To Be Trifled With - plus the h likes his wife who has excellent taste in Fox Fur Coats (though I am pretty sure it was probably supposed to be a Faux Fox Fur Coat - as animal rights had already hit HPlandia at this point, but the copy editor was probably old skool and not au courant on modern fashion sensibilities.) So she chucks up the London job and heads for the hills of home.
Only to be greeted with the news that our Dr. Crankypants H has returned to the old home turf to take over for his deceased dad AND her dad has cheerfully volunteered her Excellent Secretarial Skillz as the H's adjunct in helping raise funds for the Small But Unique English Village Self Contained Medical Care Facility that the H desperately wants to build so all the old gaffers don't have to travel beyond the Village Borders - cause is it a dangerous world out there doncha know.
Our h is NOT PLEASED about this, because of the aforementioned Terrible Trauma that the H inflicted when she was 17. But the h goes along with plan anyways, cause it is the PJ Thing To Do. The h just makes it clear to our Obviously Lovestruck Without Saying A Word H that she hates him and she makes terrible glarey faces at the H too. The H's Tremendous Frowns when he receives one of these looks makes the reader aware that our H IS NOT HAPPY either and is now have Terrible Suffering over the h. Well good! I say, he was really mean in his rejection of the h and hurt her feelings and damaged her frail self esteem ENORMOUSLY, so he can just stew for a bit.
Except it doesn't look like our H is stewing alone. OH NOES! The Evil Divorced OW of Harlotness is making a play for our H, and he is having dinner with the OW and her Grandmother! This just drives the h to more neurotic angsting - She HATES the H and she Will Never Forgive Him, but she doesn't want him slagging off the OW either OR her Grandmother.
Then the h manages to put her mum's car in the ditch during a snow storm. The accident is very jarring. Not to worry tho, the H was following right behind the h and sweeps out of his trusty big Drmobile and carries the befuddled h into his home - where he checks her over, pronounces her a mess and unable to face to her mother and tries to get the h out of her clothes. (Unrequited love fool our H may be, but he is quick on the clothes removing draw when he needs to.) The h refuses and the befuddledness passes, she is now in a Fiery Scots Temper - which she got from her ancestors- and tells the H off. How Dare He Try to Get Her Clothes Off When He Doesn't Want To Ravish Her Beguiling Body! The h finally expresses all the pent up 8 years of hurt for his rejection.
The H is thunderstruck, He Always Wanted Her! He Wouldn't Turn Her Down Now if she Would Just Take off Her Clothes! He had to reject her 8 years ago, she was an innocent 17 yr old and her parents Trusted Him. This ends with a punishing kiss of course, and the h pushes the H away of course - cause now the h knows that the H Only Wants Her for the Body - and not because he loves her or anything like that. The h runs home and the plannings for the Romantic Masqued Ball continues.
Then the h's Lothario's Wife calls the h up and insists that she come to London. Lothario has lost a very important script and the lovely wife needs the h to find it. The h goes and manages to put the fear of the Lovely Wife Dumping the Lothario into him after the Lovely Wife confides that she is preggers again and tired of the infidelities - Lothario has managed to find a new girlfriend. The h finds the script and a beautiful gown with mask for the Romantic Ball.
Lothario gives the h a ride to the train station home and as he is enthusiastically kissing the h goodbye (as he kisses all the ladies,) the H happens to be moseying along and sees the embrace. The H is Shocked At the Changes in the formerly nice girl h. But they wind up riding home on the train together anyways and then going to the h's house so the H can check on her mum.
The h announces that the Lovely Wife is preggers and the H is looking shellshocked. The Conniving Parent trope is back into play as the mum cannily maneuvers the H into escorting the h to and from the Romantic Ball. The h is apoplectic at being thus manipulated, because by now the h realizes that she is in Love Forever With the H. Cue bitter moping Angsty Angst for the h. The H is just caustic and mocking cause his Beloved Good Girl Has Gone to the Bad - he isn't worried tho- he still has his OW of Harlotness and Biting Comments to torment the h with. The mum is very sad that her Conniving just did not work out - she had Hoped, but alas that horse has run now that the OW of Harlotness has got her leg under.
Preparations for The Ball continue on and we get a hint of a secondary romance between the Village's Crusty Elder Major General and the equally Elderly Local Lady of the Manor (who is also the OW of Harlotness's Grandmother) - it seems the Local Lady was widowed as a bride when her husband (a distant cousin and last male heir to the Lady's Family line) died in the War. The Lady's Father apparently banned the Crusty Major from the house and they have been bickering acquaintances all these long, lonely years - perhaps the Ball will see more than one union in the making?
Finally the Night of the Romantic Masque Ball arrives and our tormented, lovelorn h has her hair teased into a Fiery Flurry of Abandoned Curls - very in keeping with her Ivory Toned Historically Correct Costume That Is Provocative In the Nicest Possible Way but fits a bit looser in the waist as our h has lost some weight. The h dons her mask for utmost sartorial Romantic Masque Ball splendour and the Magnificently Tuxed and Handsome H arrives to take her to the Ball.
The H makes Bitter Comments about just who purchased the h's costume that she refused to show them, for some reason he believes the Lothario bought the dress for the h and she refuses to tell him otherwise because He Only Wants Her Body and she Wants To Be Loved. The OW of Harlotness swoops down to extract the H as they arrive at the ball, the h removes her cloak and steps out to check on the decorations for the Ball - feeling the Blaze of the H's Burning Contempt all the way across the ballroom as the festivities begin. The h is miserable from the H's Punishing Gaze and as he dines with the OW of Harlotness and separates himself from the organizer's table, the h knows her heart is truly broken.
Heart broken as she is, this doesn't stop the h from bringing the Crusty Major and Local Lady together for a bit of a romantic dance. Then the Midnight Dance arrives and the H manhandles the h onto the dance floor. They dance and the H tortures the h with Long Virile Body Dancing Moves and then it is time to Unmask. The h stops the H from removing her mask and that means he gets to claim a forfeit.
He sweeps her over his arm for a Passionate Punishing Roofie Kiss right in the middle of the floor. The kiss ends, the H and h are now Fodder for All the Village to Gossip about and the OW of Harlotness is quick to rush over, Glare Daggers at the h and Restake Her Claim on the
H's arm. The h helps to clean up with the Women's Institute ladies and tries to figure out a ride home. Then the H returns to escort her out with the OW of Harlotness's lipstick all over his mouth.
The H drags the h back to his house, rips her rented costume gown off and proceeds with the Lurve Clubbing of Ecstasy - where he finally realizes the h is a virgin and that he just ruined a really pricey theatrical costume. (There was no mention if he was still sporting the OW's Jungle Red lipstick.)
The h realizes that she was subbing for the OW of Harlotness after the Lurve Club High recedes (and she is probably wearing OW lipstick in unmentionable places,) and the H believes the h was using him as a Sub for the Lothario Boss who has now left the country and is being nice to his wife. The h and H part in mutual antagonism and cue more Angsty Angst h moping and Bewailing by the h that there is No Seekrit Baby.
The h's mum is back up to par and ready to run, she also conveys the news that Crusty Major and Local Lady are finally marrying after All These Years of Tormented Love and the h decides she needs to look for another London job. Before that can happen, the h's parents take off gallivanting out of town and the H is forced to drag the h off to assists with a pregnant Farmer Wife About To Give Birth In A Terrible Snowstorm.
Upon returning from the delivery, the h's house is cold cause the central heating died when the Terrible Snowstorm cut the power. The sitting room fire is out too and the H can't seem to remember the rules of fire building in the Boys Guide To Woodcraft. So he just drags the h of to his house, cause while he may not be able to build a fire, he can certainly keep his own going. There he and the h have their Big Romantic Reconciliation with Extra Fiery and Passionate Ecstasy Boudoir Bouncing and the H finally gets around to explaining that he wasn't dating the OW of Harlotness, he was just stuck with her a lot and that he has Always Loved the h Forever, but he was Wildly Jealous and he just wants the h to love him back and marry him and then have a gazillion kids together. The h enthusiastically endorses this plan with her own Always Loved the H Forever Vow, and the two continue to lurve it up in the Boudoir of Bliss that the h wants to redecorate in the cheering shades of Peach and French Blue for the PJ HPlandia HEA.
As I went through this spoilerization, I tried to capitalize all the classic PJ isms of PJness to give newer readers a sense of the typical PJ ingredients that go into her confabulations. Like I said at the start, this isn't PJ's best book but it is one that best illustrates the Classic PJ Style. All the capitalized ingredients are presented in all of her stories in one form or another and it is her mastery of blending the mix of ingredients that keeps PJ at the top of the HPlandia Hierarchy and why so many HP travelers always keep one or twenty of her books on standby. Give this one a read if you are unfamiliar with PJ or just read it cause you're an HP Veteran and need to get your PJ Fix.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2016
3.5 stars. I'll round up since it was a nice read on a cold yucky day. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the small town on the border of England and Scotland as well as some of the supporting characters like the older Lady and the stuffy old army man who obviously had an old flame for one another. Sometimes it's nice to delve into the older HPs that didn't require jaunting all over the world or gazillionaire heroes.
This hero was a doctor. He'd grown up around the heroine since his parents and hers were best friends. He was 8 years older and when the heroine became a teen her feelings changed from sisterly to romantic love. She (on some dubious advice from a wilder school friend) tried to seduce him at 17. He angrily rejected her and gave her a speech about the dangers of such behavior before carting her home like a naughty child. She was humiliated and confused. I could feel her to a certain extent. Society tells us that men want one thing and that they are almost always willing to give it to any reasonably attractive and receptive female. If they reject you, it makes you wonder if something isn't wrong with you. After all, many of us are conditioned to believe they have virtually no standards or interests outside of sex. So, if they reject you, you must obviously be a leper. Of course, she was only 17. But, at 17 I liked to think I was a woman too. I'd have been hurt and humiliated, even though it was done very much for her own good. Plus, of course, he loved her all along.
Anyway, she moves to London to be a secretary (hello 80's HPLand) and he moves to America to practice medicine. They don't see one another for 8 years when she moves home to escape a lecherous boss and he moves back to the area to start up a family practice. It's kind of sweet how obviously thrilled he is to see her and I love it how the author was able to exclusively use the h's POV, yet successfully convey all the longing from the hero (it all flew over the h's head, of course). IMHO that takes more talent than being privy to pages of the H's emo navel gazing feels. YMMV.
There are lots of misunderstandings, beginning with the heroine's lingering anger over the rejection at 17. Once that is set aside she assumes that he just wants her for sex and she can't handle that, so she lets him believe she actually is having an affair with her married boss. I'll never understand why heroine's do that. I can see not begging some narrow minded ass to see the truth, but this was deliberate. This hero wasn't even that big of an ass. By HP and especially PJ standards he was a nice, reasonable man. He shook her once, but come on I'm pretty sure shaking the heroine hard at least once was a contractual obligation in the old days.
Just be warned, if you aren't aware. You can't read a PJ and expect the heroine not to be sometimes annoyingly overwrought. They always teeter on the edge of a nervous breakdown throughout most of the book.
This hero was a doctor. He'd grown up around the heroine since his parents and hers were best friends. He was 8 years older and when the heroine became a teen her feelings changed from sisterly to romantic love. She (on some dubious advice from a wilder school friend) tried to seduce him at 17. He angrily rejected her and gave her a speech about the dangers of such behavior before carting her home like a naughty child. She was humiliated and confused. I could feel her to a certain extent. Society tells us that men want one thing and that they are almost always willing to give it to any reasonably attractive and receptive female. If they reject you, it makes you wonder if something isn't wrong with you. After all, many of us are conditioned to believe they have virtually no standards or interests outside of sex. So, if they reject you, you must obviously be a leper. Of course, she was only 17. But, at 17 I liked to think I was a woman too. I'd have been hurt and humiliated, even though it was done very much for her own good. Plus, of course, he loved her all along.
Anyway, she moves to London to be a secretary (hello 80's HPLand) and he moves to America to practice medicine. They don't see one another for 8 years when she moves home to escape a lecherous boss and he moves back to the area to start up a family practice. It's kind of sweet how obviously thrilled he is to see her and I love it how the author was able to exclusively use the h's POV, yet successfully convey all the longing from the hero (it all flew over the h's head, of course). IMHO that takes more talent than being privy to pages of the H's emo navel gazing feels. YMMV.
There are lots of misunderstandings, beginning with the heroine's lingering anger over the rejection at 17. Once that is set aside she assumes that he just wants her for sex and she can't handle that, so she lets him believe she actually is having an affair with her married boss. I'll never understand why heroine's do that. I can see not begging some narrow minded ass to see the truth, but this was deliberate. This hero wasn't even that big of an ass. By HP and especially PJ standards he was a nice, reasonable man. He shook her once, but come on I'm pretty sure shaking the heroine hard at least once was a contractual obligation in the old days.
Just be warned, if you aren't aware. You can't read a PJ and expect the heroine not to be sometimes annoyingly overwrought. They always teeter on the edge of a nervous breakdown throughout most of the book.
February 21, 2021
Classic Penny Jordan. Heroine was rejected by hero when she was 17 and has suffered from that sting ever since (8 years!)
Now she's home from London and taking care of her mother in their Northern village. Hero is their family doctor.
There are many good reviews (Boogenhagen has all the spoilers) so I'll leave a note to self:
*This is the one with the fancy dress Valentine's Ball where heroine wears a rented costume and the elderly Lady of the Manor finally gets together with her true love.
*Heroine also helps hero with delivering a baby during a snow storm.
*Hero thinks heroine is/was having an affair with her married boss because he gave her a fox coat for Christmas. (See cover)
All I can think about is how those cheap fox coats used to shed - everywhere. My nose is itchy just looking at that cover.
Now she's home from London and taking care of her mother in their Northern village. Hero is their family doctor.
There are many good reviews (Boogenhagen has all the spoilers) so I'll leave a note to self:
*This is the one with the fancy dress Valentine's Ball where heroine wears a rented costume and the elderly Lady of the Manor finally gets together with her true love.
*Heroine also helps hero with delivering a baby during a snow storm.
*Hero thinks heroine is/was having an affair with her married boss because he gave her a fox coat for Christmas. (See cover)
All I can think about is how those cheap fox coats used to shed - everywhere. My nose is itchy just looking at that cover.
February 12, 2021
"A Savage Adoration" is the story of Christy and Dominic.
Lmaoooo WTF.
17 year old heroine is madly in love with the hero. Comes on to his 25 year old self, and rightly gets rejected. Heartbroken, moves out of the city and becomes a modern girl. Few years pass. She is now a grown up. Is sexually attracted to her married boss and almost has an affair with him- but not because she likes his wife? Anyways, mother gets sick and is asked to move back. Meets hero again, who is now their family GP. She hates him, he is obviously taken with her. Some OW drama happens. He thinks she's in love with her married boss. She thinks he likes OW. Loads of drama and lovemaking later, their brain migrates from their anus to their skull.
It sucked. LOL.
SWE
2/5
Lmaoooo WTF.
17 year old heroine is madly in love with the hero. Comes on to his 25 year old self, and rightly gets rejected. Heartbroken, moves out of the city and becomes a modern girl. Few years pass. She is now a grown up. Is sexually attracted to her married boss and almost has an affair with him- but not because she likes his wife? Anyways, mother gets sick and is asked to move back. Meets hero again, who is now their family GP. She hates him, he is obviously taken with her. Some OW drama happens. He thinks she's in love with her married boss. She thinks he likes OW. Loads of drama and lovemaking later, their brain migrates from their anus to their skull.
It sucked. LOL.
SWE
2/5
March 4, 2020
Reread: March 3, 2020
So I've re-read this quite a few times already but this last re-read I feel as though I totally absorbed it so much that got a different viewpoint about the h/H than when I was 12 -15 years old.
So at 12 years old my impression of the h/H was down below. I felt more sympathy for the h than I did the H. 12 year old me (and my other re-reads at various ages) felt that H really traumatized the h.
Well, 40 year old me now thinks a little bit different. As I read from chapter to chapter, the h was grating on me. She was so cold, mean and just clueless especially on the overtures the H was seemingly throwing at her. h was definitely immature not to see how totally wrong she was for “hating the H” when he “rebuffed” her. 17 <-> 25. As I read on and on, I definitely felt for the H. Even though we the reader are not given the H’s private thoughts I could see throughout the book how he was really dead for the h. But h was totally clueless and kept being totally bitchy to him in words and actions. She would act one way and her thoughts would be like (how could he now know that I totally lurveee him??) Uh… your words and actions throughout the book??!
As for the H, aww, poor him. He was actually a commendable H who loved and protected the h from his own desires especially since she was underage and her parents fully trusted leaving her with him. (yea parents, why you always leaving them alone together! That's how troubles start!) Female teen hormones, randy 25 year old male? Yes, H was definitely a hero for not taking advantage of her. I’m just a little sad that it took 8 years for them to get together – sad for the H I mean. Although I'm not exactly sure what attracted him to the h as she was kinda unlikeable in the book. As for the h, I was a tiny bit confused why she was such a wuss with her her ex-boss and I’m not sure I still understood how she had to run away from ex-boss and that whole she might have given in to him, etc.
I still love this book and is in my keeper list and still plan to re-read. There was a hot scene in it hahaha although the fall from grace came too quickly after that. And I wish there was a longer HEA or epilogue.
I think you get a different impression of books when you read it at different ages and stages in your life. I guess at 12 – 25 years old the whole older man thing was the fantasy for me so I sided with the h at the time. Now at 40 years old I’m like these overactive hormone teens! – Keep it together hahaha!
----------
Nostalgia book for me – This was one of the first romance novels I read at 12 years old (secretly swiped it from my Mom, got punished later hahaha) When I came to the US I bought a copy for my collection. Its been awhile since I re-read it but based from memory and with older eyes I know it wasn’t really a perfect story. I think the H seemed a bit cold and distant. However, this was my first book so I’m quite fond of it and will be in my keeper shelf. I think the title stayed with me all these years “savage adoration” because it was just interesting/unique to me at the time. The two words seemed so opposite next to each other “SAVAGE”. Then “ADORATION”. Id like to think the title is based on the h’s savage adoration for the H (hahaha) when she was a teenager or actually the h adored the H but H had a savage reaction to her. Anywhoo... felt so sad for the h that because of that incident she stayed away from her hometown in embarrassment. I love HP’s titles. I feel they were much more creative, poetic and significant to the story. I’m going to have to re-read it again and will try to give a better review in the future.
So I've re-read this quite a few times already but this last re-read I feel as though I totally absorbed it so much that got a different viewpoint about the h/H than when I was 12 -15 years old.
So at 12 years old my impression of the h/H was down below. I felt more sympathy for the h than I did the H. 12 year old me (and my other re-reads at various ages) felt that H really traumatized the h.
Well, 40 year old me now thinks a little bit different. As I read from chapter to chapter, the h was grating on me. She was so cold, mean and just clueless especially on the overtures the H was seemingly throwing at her. h was definitely immature not to see how totally wrong she was for “hating the H” when he “rebuffed” her. 17 <-> 25. As I read on and on, I definitely felt for the H. Even though we the reader are not given the H’s private thoughts I could see throughout the book how he was really dead for the h. But h was totally clueless and kept being totally bitchy to him in words and actions. She would act one way and her thoughts would be like (how could he now know that I totally lurveee him??) Uh… your words and actions throughout the book??!
As for the H, aww, poor him. He was actually a commendable H who loved and protected the h from his own desires especially since she was underage and her parents fully trusted leaving her with him. (yea parents, why you always leaving them alone together! That's how troubles start!) Female teen hormones, randy 25 year old male? Yes, H was definitely a hero for not taking advantage of her. I’m just a little sad that it took 8 years for them to get together – sad for the H I mean. Although I'm not exactly sure what attracted him to the h as she was kinda unlikeable in the book. As for the h, I was a tiny bit confused why she was such a wuss with her her ex-boss and I’m not sure I still understood how she had to run away from ex-boss and that whole she might have given in to him, etc.
I still love this book and is in my keeper list and still plan to re-read. There was a hot scene in it hahaha although the fall from grace came too quickly after that. And I wish there was a longer HEA or epilogue.
I think you get a different impression of books when you read it at different ages and stages in your life. I guess at 12 – 25 years old the whole older man thing was the fantasy for me so I sided with the h at the time. Now at 40 years old I’m like these overactive hormone teens! – Keep it together hahaha!
----------
Nostalgia book for me – This was one of the first romance novels I read at 12 years old (secretly swiped it from my Mom, got punished later hahaha) When I came to the US I bought a copy for my collection. Its been awhile since I re-read it but based from memory and with older eyes I know it wasn’t really a perfect story. I think the H seemed a bit cold and distant. However, this was my first book so I’m quite fond of it and will be in my keeper shelf. I think the title stayed with me all these years “savage adoration” because it was just interesting/unique to me at the time. The two words seemed so opposite next to each other “SAVAGE”. Then “ADORATION”. Id like to think the title is based on the h’s savage adoration for the H (hahaha) when she was a teenager or actually the h adored the H but H had a savage reaction to her. Anywhoo... felt so sad for the h that because of that incident she stayed away from her hometown in embarrassment. I love HP’s titles. I feel they were much more creative, poetic and significant to the story. I’m going to have to re-read it again and will try to give a better review in the future.
January 14, 2016
I can't respect a heroine who is tempted to sleep with her best friend's husband.
wishlist
February 17, 2021I just put this book on my wishlist after reading some of my fellow friends' reviews. Then I read the hero's name: Dominic Savage. Is this not one of the most played-out names in all of Romancelandia? There have been at least 2 Dominic Savages in HP's (this book and Emma Darcy's High Risk, and I can't count how many Dominics, Nicks, and Mr. Savages I've come upon in all sorts of romances. It's weird how ubiquitous those names are, but I've yet to encounter a Bob Butts or Dick Cockburn. It's like no woman would be proud to call herself Mrs. Heiney, or for a more modern woman, even Mrs. Goode-Heiney.
(I didn't know there actually was a Dominic Savage out there in the real world, who is an accomplished British filmmaker. He was a cute kid, but won't be posing for romance covers in today's market.)
(I didn't know there actually was a Dominic Savage out there in the real world, who is an accomplished British filmmaker. He was a cute kid, but won't be posing for romance covers in today's market.)
August 16, 2021
Typical PJ with heroine in love with hero since she was born, hero who rejected her when she was a teenager, heroine who ran away and came back years later a mature woman ( twenty and something for PJ is a mature woman). BM because the hero thinks she has an affair with her married boss and slut shamed her for most part of the book.
Actually she’s a virgin who suffered for his rejection until he explained that he only did it to prevent himself from bedding a teenager, even if he wanted to.
Good angst, ow/om drama and celibacy (his) unclear.
Actually she’s a virgin who suffered for his rejection until he explained that he only did it to prevent himself from bedding a teenager, even if he wanted to.
Good angst, ow/om drama and celibacy (his) unclear.
March 30, 2022
Misunderstandings, jealousy, and angst rule in this story of (supposed) unrequited love.
*some spoilers*
Turns out the hero has always loved the heroine!
I liked this overall, but didn't enjoy Dominic's continually cruel and distant treatment of Christy throughout the book. He's especially harsh with her when she tried seducing him at age 17. His rejection was done in her best interests because he loved her, which is noble, but he still could have let her down more gently.
In the present, Dominic is so pleased to see Christy again that he attempts to renew their friendship after eight years apart. But his intentions are sabotaged after he mistakenly concludes Christy is in love with her married boss. Racked with jealousy and contemptuous of what he perceives as Christy's love for the other man, Dominic rapidly descends into "savage", push-pull behavior. He finally snaps out of it after they have The Much-Needed Talk at the end.
The fact that Dominic never kept in touch during the intervening years doesn't signify deep and abiding love to me. The lack of communication is a mystery but he may have believed Christy resented him and felt embarrassed after his rejection, so kept his distance. He may also have wanted to give Christy time to grow up. But the long separation and needless anguish could have been avoided if he'd just confessed his love and motivations from the start. After all he was the adult and the experienced one. However, that would be a dull story so maybe I'm asking for too much. LOL
*some spoilers*
Turns out the hero has always loved the heroine!
I liked this overall, but didn't enjoy Dominic's continually cruel and distant treatment of Christy throughout the book. He's especially harsh with her when she tried seducing him at age 17. His rejection was done in her best interests because he loved her, which is noble, but he still could have let her down more gently.
In the present, Dominic is so pleased to see Christy again that he attempts to renew their friendship after eight years apart. But his intentions are sabotaged after he mistakenly concludes Christy is in love with her married boss. Racked with jealousy and contemptuous of what he perceives as Christy's love for the other man, Dominic rapidly descends into "savage", push-pull behavior. He finally snaps out of it after they have The Much-Needed Talk at the end.
The fact that Dominic never kept in touch during the intervening years doesn't signify deep and abiding love to me. The lack of communication is a mystery but he may have believed Christy resented him and felt embarrassed after his rejection, so kept his distance. He may also have wanted to give Christy time to grow up. But the long separation and needless anguish could have been avoided if he'd just confessed his love and motivations from the start. After all he was the adult and the experienced one. However, that would be a dull story so maybe I'm asking for too much. LOL
August 11, 2016
the heroine was pathetic ! she was jealous of dominic's interactions wid amanda, awfully aware of him and at the same time, she was barely civil to the man! she was so annoying! she was back in town as she had been on the brink of sleeping wid a best friend's husband. not to say dat at 17, she attempted to seduce dominic! her morals were clearly lacking and also, she had a tendency to act slutty. yet, she cud not stand dominic and then all of a sudden she realised she now loved dominic, really loved him not a teenager's infatuation anymore. i simply cud not believe in this story. as the french would say, "ca ne tient pas la route"! :p
January 13, 2020
The story felt a bit dragged on but it started out promising falling flat in the end.
January 3, 2022
Cute. The h is a little immature, but it all works --3.5 stars.
March 6, 2012
4 Stars! ~ Ms. Jordan has a knack of drawing you into the characters' lives right from the first pages. In this intense lovestory, our heroine, Christy, returns home after eight years away only to find that her teenage crush and the man who humiliated her, has moved in next door to her parents. Dominic had crushed her tender heart with brutal words of rejection, words that have stayed with her, scarring her self worth. Thrown together constantly, these two hide their emotional pain behind exteriors of anger and resentment. Theirs is a hard won HEA.
September 30, 2011
A common Penny Jordan plot, and yet I still love it -- I really like stories where the hero has been in love with the heroine for a long time and she has no idea (but we can tell through subtle cues). Great emotion and angst.
May 5, 2015
When I started reading it I realised I had read this before. I did not like the h and found her silly. The angst created unnecessary as there was no big issue between them.
I still give this a 2 star as I like penny Jordans writing style.
I still give this a 2 star as I like penny Jordans writing style.
July 27, 2025
She was too dense and her parents were too overbearing. Towards the ending of the book even he became annoying.
January 17, 2022
The entire story is built over the sexual repressions of a stupid girl, the heroine, Christy !!!
And there is nothing remotely savage about the poor hero, except that his name is Dominic Savage !@?!#@$? PJ, what were you thinking !
The girl is 17 years old, been making gooey eyes at the 25 year old hero, her family friend. The fellow being decent n all, is resisting the kid. Now our kiddo decides to become a femme fatale and goes to his house to JUST DO IT. He says NO, yells at her, gives her a moral science cum sex-ed lecture and packs her home.
Cut to 8 years hence. The girl in question is now a 25 year working professional in London. But she is bitter about love, sex and the whole works, thanks to the hero's educational lecture !
The hero is a doctor who has quit a thriving practice in the US and got back home, to some non-descript small British town. He claims to fancy the girl right from the start. So what prevents him from getting to London and wooing the girl after she grew up !?! Don't ask ...
Our London miss also comes back home after quitting her job. Why, because the OM, her boss, wants to DO IT with her and she doesn't want to. There is an inordinate amount of time PJ spends on the indiscretions of the much married OM. Which is entirely irrelevant to the story.
The OM serves only one purpose, to build a stupid misconception in the hero's mind about his sweet innocent miss turning into a wanton woman after going away to London. He keeps taunting her about it too. And she keep taunting him about NOT WANTING HER in the past, and not LOVING HER in the present.
They just keep going round and round in circles with their taunts. I was yelling in frustration out here - just KISS, DO IT and be DONE WITH it, you two !!
But no, they have to wait for some masked ball before they can rip off each other's attire and get down to business. If you thought the taunts would end there, you are wrong ! She is a virgin, he is livid about that too ! Because now he thinks the girl used him as a substitute stud to the OM whom she cant have !!! Arghhhhhgh, I was tearing my hair apart by this time !!
Finally, a totally out of place medical emergency in town, a woman is giving birth in a blizzard. Our crazy pair land up to help. And when they get back, they just say the one sentence they had to say to each other - "Its always been you". And that's it. The entire story collapses into a meaningless puddle. Sigh !
And there is nothing remotely savage about the poor hero, except that his name is Dominic Savage !@?!#@$? PJ, what were you thinking !
The girl is 17 years old, been making gooey eyes at the 25 year old hero, her family friend. The fellow being decent n all, is resisting the kid. Now our kiddo decides to become a femme fatale and goes to his house to JUST DO IT. He says NO, yells at her, gives her a moral science cum sex-ed lecture and packs her home.
Cut to 8 years hence. The girl in question is now a 25 year working professional in London. But she is bitter about love, sex and the whole works, thanks to the hero's educational lecture !
The hero is a doctor who has quit a thriving practice in the US and got back home, to some non-descript small British town. He claims to fancy the girl right from the start. So what prevents him from getting to London and wooing the girl after she grew up !?! Don't ask ...
Our London miss also comes back home after quitting her job. Why, because the OM, her boss, wants to DO IT with her and she doesn't want to. There is an inordinate amount of time PJ spends on the indiscretions of the much married OM. Which is entirely irrelevant to the story.
The OM serves only one purpose, to build a stupid misconception in the hero's mind about his sweet innocent miss turning into a wanton woman after going away to London. He keeps taunting her about it too. And she keep taunting him about NOT WANTING HER in the past, and not LOVING HER in the present.
They just keep going round and round in circles with their taunts. I was yelling in frustration out here - just KISS, DO IT and be DONE WITH it, you two !!
But no, they have to wait for some masked ball before they can rip off each other's attire and get down to business. If you thought the taunts would end there, you are wrong ! She is a virgin, he is livid about that too ! Because now he thinks the girl used him as a substitute stud to the OM whom she cant have !!! Arghhhhhgh, I was tearing my hair apart by this time !!
Finally, a totally out of place medical emergency in town, a woman is giving birth in a blizzard. Our crazy pair land up to help. And when they get back, they just say the one sentence they had to say to each other - "Its always been you". And that's it. The entire story collapses into a meaningless puddle. Sigh !
January 30, 2016
This is an Old Skool HP, so take it with the normal amount of 80's-era male lead asshattery, female lead TSTL tendencies, vile OW tropes, etc. Basically, Christy and Dominic were friends when she was a kid, but when she was 17, she attempted to seduce him and he slapped her down pretty harshly. Of course it scawwed her wittle soul and she hasn't been able to have a normal relationship as a result. Now, as adults, they meet again when Christy returns home to find Dominic has done the same. At first, Dominic is pretty eager to pick up their friendship and the reader definitely gets the sense that he's interested in more, only Christy's pride is still hurt and she does her best to antagonize him. Eventually Dominic's pride starts getting away with him as well and what follows is almost a French farce of miscommunication, both deliberate and not, with both characters doing their best to throw red herrings at the other.
Dominic isn't as hateful as most 80s HP males are and honestly, in some ways, you kind of get why he acts the way he does -- Christy doesn't leave him a whole lot of choice sometimes. Both of these characters were a bit too concerned with their own pride, but it brought a lot of campy fun with it, so I was okay with it.
Honestly, it's not a "good" book, but I did thoroughly enjoy reading it and for me that means a lot. If you don't like the miscommunication trope, this won't be the book for you. If a heroine who is pretty much every 80s virginal overreacting silly HP heroine you've ever read is going to bother you, this is not the book for you. If, however, you enjoy that sort of escapism, you might dig this one.
Dominic isn't as hateful as most 80s HP males are and honestly, in some ways, you kind of get why he acts the way he does -- Christy doesn't leave him a whole lot of choice sometimes. Both of these characters were a bit too concerned with their own pride, but it brought a lot of campy fun with it, so I was okay with it.
Honestly, it's not a "good" book, but I did thoroughly enjoy reading it and for me that means a lot. If you don't like the miscommunication trope, this won't be the book for you. If a heroine who is pretty much every 80s virginal overreacting silly HP heroine you've ever read is going to bother you, this is not the book for you. If, however, you enjoy that sort of escapism, you might dig this one.
June 1, 2021
Originally published as A Savage Adoration in 1987
Dominic acted as if nothing had happened
As though Christy's adolescent advances had not aroused his anger and contempt. The humiliation of his words had haunted her since and stood between her and all other men.
Her career in London had come to a sudden stop because she had been unwilling to engage in an affair, so her ailing mother's need was reason enough to run home.
The last thing she wanted was to see Dominic Savage. She disliked and despised him. But in the end that proved poor protection against his desires and her own needs.
Dominic acted as if nothing had happened
As though Christy's adolescent advances had not aroused his anger and contempt. The humiliation of his words had haunted her since and stood between her and all other men.
Her career in London had come to a sudden stop because she had been unwilling to engage in an affair, so her ailing mother's need was reason enough to run home.
The last thing she wanted was to see Dominic Savage. She disliked and despised him. But in the end that proved poor protection against his desires and her own needs.
September 29, 2020
3.5 ***
January 5, 2026
A fun angsty read, but there is an over-reliance on incorrect inferences and miscommunication.
February 21, 2021
Aaah the angst of unrequited love!
Boogenhagen has a very thorough recap/review.
I really enjoyed this one. No H POV BUT you knew how much he loved her by the things he said and didn’t say...you know when the writer puts in a “brief look of pain” or “tightened jaw muscles” ...I think there was even some shaking. It took them 8 years but once they got together you could feel the intense energy coming off the H.
Our heroine was a little bit of a drama llama in that she really took his rejection at 17 to mean she was obviously repugnant sexually to the opposite sex. Our h probably would have committed suicide in a Diana Palmer book, as those hero’s tend to reject the wanted heroine with nasty insults to cover their own attraction putting a heroine’s self esteem in the garbage heap. I think some reviewers were really put off by her relationship with her boss, but she never seriously contemplated having an affair with him AND I do believe she is responsible for him to maybe cherish his wife a wee bit more. (He is a toad, so I secretly hope the wife meets a nice, even more successful man in Cali and kicks the wandering eye husband to the curb)
So this book checked off many things on my list:
Angst✅
Alpha non douche Hero✅
“Save myself for my one true love heroine✅
OM for means of jealousy and more angst✅
Evil OW with ruby red 👄 ✅
Supportive mom and dad✅
Cosy little English hamlet✅
Enjoy!!!
Boogenhagen has a very thorough recap/review.
I really enjoyed this one. No H POV BUT you knew how much he loved her by the things he said and didn’t say...you know when the writer puts in a “brief look of pain” or “tightened jaw muscles” ...I think there was even some shaking. It took them 8 years but once they got together you could feel the intense energy coming off the H.
Our heroine was a little bit of a drama llama in that she really took his rejection at 17 to mean she was obviously repugnant sexually to the opposite sex. Our h probably would have committed suicide in a Diana Palmer book, as those hero’s tend to reject the wanted heroine with nasty insults to cover their own attraction putting a heroine’s self esteem in the garbage heap. I think some reviewers were really put off by her relationship with her boss, but she never seriously contemplated having an affair with him AND I do believe she is responsible for him to maybe cherish his wife a wee bit more. (He is a toad, so I secretly hope the wife meets a nice, even more successful man in Cali and kicks the wandering eye husband to the curb)
So this book checked off many things on my list:
Angst✅
Alpha non douche Hero✅
“Save myself for my one true love heroine✅
OM for means of jealousy and more angst✅
Evil OW with ruby red 👄 ✅
Supportive mom and dad✅
Cosy little English hamlet✅
Enjoy!!!
November 11, 2014
Plot was decent but by gawd the heroine was annoying as #@%&!! h was mad because when she was 17 she wanted the H to screw her but he let her know he wasnt into the pedo thang...fast-forward 8 years she moves back home and is on super-bitch mode because she still habors bitterness toward the H, who btw have forgotten about the 'event'. The number of times the heroine brought up the OW's name was super sickening to the point where I was actually rooting for the OW.
Don't know why this was tagged as cruel hero because the H was a darling, patient and not at all cruel alpha cave man...the heroine could kick rocks imo.
Don't know why this was tagged as cruel hero because the H was a darling, patient and not at all cruel alpha cave man...the heroine could kick rocks imo.
December 10, 2017
Christy misunderstood what Dominic lectured her on when she asked him to make love to her at seventeen. For the next eight years, she avoided all relationships. When she went home, she ran into Dominic again who also returned to his home town. After several misunderstandings, they finally get together when Christy confesses that she loves him. The only regret they have is that they wasted eight years that they could have been together.
May 12, 2019
Young love that was thought to be forgotten and returns stronger, more intense despite the denial. Throw in a self-involved, possessive woman who thinks she can get away with getting the good man, you get the usual love triangle though not really a love triangle in the first place. I like the chatacter of Dominic, he is responsible and mature, even when he was younger.
Read
March 2, 2013liked...good read.
March 25, 2019
The heroine was annoying. What a waste of a hunk.
April 2, 2022
A Savage Adoration (also titled: An Innocent's Surrender: An Emotional and Sensual Romance) was about Miss Christy Marsden, secretary, and Dr. Dominic Savage.
Side Note: As with most older Harlequin Presents books, this one had only one POV, and that was Christy's. The reader never got to know Dominic's POV, so it was hard to know what he was thinking and/or feeling at any given moment throughout the story.
Christy and Dominic grew up in the same small town. Their parents had been close friends, as had the two of them...until she was sixteen and had a crush on him. At the age of 17, a friend convinced her she should "make a move" on Dominic to show him how she felt about him. However, when she did, he cruelly crushed her romantic dreams with some of the harshest treatment she had ever experienced. Unable to stay in the same town as him, she convinced her parents to send her away to school.
Eight years later when her mother was in need of an operation, Christy took the opportunity to quit her job and move back home, not realizing that Dominic too had returned to his roots, working as the local general practitioner as had his father and grandfather had before him.
When Dominic let Christy know that he did desire her, he was shocked to learn that she still held a grudge for how he had treated her when she was a teenager. This kept the feud going between them for the entire book, with all manner of hateful words being slung from one to the other, especially from Dominic as he believed her to be carrying on an affair with a married man.
This book was definitely full of misconstrued ideas and accusations. While the sexual tension was sky high between Dominic and Christy, they really didn't have much of a relationship other than the vicious verbal war they engaged in whenever together. The angst and drama were, for want of a better word, stupid. The lack of communication between them was even worse.
The characters were so immature. Christy, at age 25, and Dominic, at age 33, seemed to be stuck in a time loop from what had happened eight years before, and neither was willing to dig themselves out of it, which made for a bad read. Because of all the negativity, this book did not earn a five-star rating.
Side Note: As with most older Harlequin Presents books, this one had only one POV, and that was Christy's. The reader never got to know Dominic's POV, so it was hard to know what he was thinking and/or feeling at any given moment throughout the story.
Christy and Dominic grew up in the same small town. Their parents had been close friends, as had the two of them...until she was sixteen and had a crush on him. At the age of 17, a friend convinced her she should "make a move" on Dominic to show him how she felt about him. However, when she did, he cruelly crushed her romantic dreams with some of the harshest treatment she had ever experienced. Unable to stay in the same town as him, she convinced her parents to send her away to school.
Eight years later when her mother was in need of an operation, Christy took the opportunity to quit her job and move back home, not realizing that Dominic too had returned to his roots, working as the local general practitioner as had his father and grandfather had before him.
When Dominic let Christy know that he did desire her, he was shocked to learn that she still held a grudge for how he had treated her when she was a teenager. This kept the feud going between them for the entire book, with all manner of hateful words being slung from one to the other, especially from Dominic as he believed her to be carrying on an affair with a married man.
This book was definitely full of misconstrued ideas and accusations. While the sexual tension was sky high between Dominic and Christy, they really didn't have much of a relationship other than the vicious verbal war they engaged in whenever together. The angst and drama were, for want of a better word, stupid. The lack of communication between them was even worse.
The characters were so immature. Christy, at age 25, and Dominic, at age 33, seemed to be stuck in a time loop from what had happened eight years before, and neither was willing to dig themselves out of it, which made for a bad read. Because of all the negativity, this book did not earn a five-star rating.
September 29, 2020
Brilliant mills and boons, misunderstandings but you know its gonna be a happy ending, and the thought of "Just talk to each other!" Is very much at play as always in the books but knowing the book always has a happy ending.
I agree that the Heroine is annoying but most of PJ's characters are women who are not confident and a nervous wreck .
There has only been one(Out of the Penny Jordan Collectors Edition, Please note I'm only on no8 outta 20 so a few more to go hopefully more like this) , who was flirty and fun (Desire For Revenge) I enjoyed her she knew what she wanted and went for it (Even tho she was still a virgin).
I agree that the Heroine is annoying but most of PJ's characters are women who are not confident and a nervous wreck .
There has only been one(Out of the Penny Jordan Collectors Edition, Please note I'm only on no8 outta 20 so a few more to go hopefully more like this) , who was flirty and fun (Desire For Revenge) I enjoyed her she knew what she wanted and went for it (Even tho she was still a virgin).
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