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Night Music
Lisa's former life was behind her nowLisa was not exactly happy working in Evan Wright's advertising agency. Competent herself, she found it unpleasant covering for Jon, Evan's inept brother-in-law.Then Steve Crawford, a demanding new client, insisted that Jon should handle his account. Evan was amazed. Lisa was furious.Unknown to anyone, Lisa had once abandoned a glamorous career to get away from Steve Crawford. She would not be moved by Evan's demand that she be nice to an important client--nor by Steve's undiminished charm!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
2 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books316 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 12, 2021
Revenge-enchantment-forced seduction-misunderstanding.
Everything i love about Charlotte Lamb`s intense romances gets delivered in "Night Music" which is about a married couple that very much love each other. But a mistaken cause of betrayal that leads to hate and bitterness on both sides Lisa leaves her husband as she can`t take his cruel punishing for something she haven`t done. A year later he finds her and with a ruthless plan on his mind he is determined to get her back.!
With a flawless language CL described the angst very well and the causes of it. The hero states a very interesting point to Lisa when he says that knowing what Denny feels about her, she should have told him and about the love letters. Even spending time with Denny without anything physical, she still committed adultery knowing that Denny loves her.Even then i felt so sad for her, knowing that she never meant for anyone to suffer and that she never deliberately did any of it. Steve Crawford, as most CL`s Alphas are, is a very possessive and jealous man. Mostly so, also very madly in love with Lisa. Still thinking that she had an affair with another man he would never have let her go and still even fights to take her back. What did that say about HIS pride or self-respect? I am surprised that Lisa never really thought about that. I love the way Steve talked about their marriage,its faults and realizing that neither of them really got to knew each other (well except in bed) and what little they knew each other they greedily took into their minds. Her being a model when they met, and Steve slowly starting to fall in love with the woman inside that mask, that admission really shocked me and that was also why he proposes to her within six weeks of meeting her.!There is many unforgettable scenes in this book, and every time their passion for each other exploded are one of them! This is yet again another guilty pleasure of mine by Charlotte Lamb, no one creates more dynamic and horrific romances like she does!
'I have my dreams too,' Steve murmured huskily. She turned her cheek to look at his inverted face, smiling at him. 'Do you? Tell me.'
'You,' he whispered, his lips on her cloudy hair. She smiled, her mouth brushing his shoulder. 'Mmm, and what else, darling?'
'You,' he said in a voice which stripped away the masks from both of them for ever. Lisa lifted her head. His face was alight with moonlight and passion, the blue eyes glittering and intent. Lisa felt her heart stop, then start again with a hammering speed which shook her whole body.
'You,' Steve said again, laying bare for her his own loneliness and need and the stark reality of their involvement.
-Steve and Lisa
Everything i love about Charlotte Lamb`s intense romances gets delivered in "Night Music" which is about a married couple that very much love each other. But a mistaken cause of betrayal that leads to hate and bitterness on both sides Lisa leaves her husband as she can`t take his cruel punishing for something she haven`t done. A year later he finds her and with a ruthless plan on his mind he is determined to get her back.!
With a flawless language CL described the angst very well and the causes of it. The hero states a very interesting point to Lisa when he says that knowing what Denny feels about her, she should have told him and about the love letters. Even spending time with Denny without anything physical, she still committed adultery knowing that Denny loves her.Even then i felt so sad for her, knowing that she never meant for anyone to suffer and that she never deliberately did any of it. Steve Crawford, as most CL`s Alphas are, is a very possessive and jealous man. Mostly so, also very madly in love with Lisa. Still thinking that she had an affair with another man he would never have let her go and still even fights to take her back. What did that say about HIS pride or self-respect? I am surprised that Lisa never really thought about that. I love the way Steve talked about their marriage,its faults and realizing that neither of them really got to knew each other (well except in bed) and what little they knew each other they greedily took into their minds. Her being a model when they met, and Steve slowly starting to fall in love with the woman inside that mask, that admission really shocked me and that was also why he proposes to her within six weeks of meeting her.!There is many unforgettable scenes in this book, and every time their passion for each other exploded are one of them! This is yet again another guilty pleasure of mine by Charlotte Lamb, no one creates more dynamic and horrific romances like she does!
'I have my dreams too,' Steve murmured huskily. She turned her cheek to look at his inverted face, smiling at him. 'Do you? Tell me.'
'You,' he whispered, his lips on her cloudy hair. She smiled, her mouth brushing his shoulder. 'Mmm, and what else, darling?'
'You,' he said in a voice which stripped away the masks from both of them for ever. Lisa lifted her head. His face was alight with moonlight and passion, the blue eyes glittering and intent. Lisa felt her heart stop, then start again with a hammering speed which shook her whole body.
'You,' Steve said again, laying bare for her his own loneliness and need and the stark reality of their involvement.
-Steve and Lisa
June 17, 2016
Bow down, Bitches. For in the parallel universe that we call "Harlequin", Charlotte Lamb is the Head Bitch In Charge.
That is all. *drops mike*
That is all. *drops mike*
October 21, 2018
This is the sequel to Sally Wentworth’s Shattered Dreams. Not really, but it feels like it.
A year before, the hero was convinced that the super model wife was having an affair with her photographer. They were caught out when the photographer was killed in a car accident with the heroine at his side. The hero found some love letters to the h and hired a detective to make the case against her. The hero waited for the h to heal from her injuries and then he took her to their beach house in Florida for a week of punishment-by-rape and psychological torture. The heroine fled to London and became a secretary at an advertising agency.
It’s been a year when the hero catches up with her. Hero is still angry, still wanting revenge, but the heroine is done trying to explain what really happened. (Photographer was an old friend who was jealous of her marriage and decided he was “in love” with the heroine. Heroine didn’t tell the H because she thought she could handle it with more diplomacy, etc . . .)
The hero gives a big account to the advertising agency and the heroine feels obligated to cooperate since she’s come to care about the people she works with. Why I don’t know – they are all horrible people. The cruel, abusive way *everyone* talked about the so-beta-maybe-he’s-gamma-or-all-the-way -to-zed brother-in-law whom the heroine worked for was over the top.
I know CL was making a distinction between the alpha hero and the alpha head of the advertising agency, but they all sounded like they were in junior high, shunning the weakest link. I hated those passages and that mind-set.
Other points not in the story’s favor:
Hero was a throwback alpha who mansplains everything – even the heroine’s character – even after he confesses to not really knowing her.
Heroine was so beautiful and sexy and perfect that every man she met wanted her.
There are some memorable scenes (like the heroine seeing her famous lingerie ad plastered all over the walls of their Florida bedroom) and some really pointless scenes (like the so-beta-he’s-gamma-and-maybe-even-zed OM nervously ordering drinks.)
I won’t go into the plot, since CL does a great job keeping up the suspense. Is the hero really giving their marriage another chance or is he trying to destroy the heroine in a new way? I had no idea where this story was going when I picked it up. And that was part of the appeal. I couldn’t put it down even though there were way too many secondary characters and storylines.
I think the biggest problem I had with this reading experience was the cruelty. I don’t have a problem with mean alphas who can only express their strong emotions through anger, revenge, sex, and shoe shopping. But I do have a problem when the strong pick on the weak and when all the secondary characters exhibit this kind of behavior for no good reason.
It's a trainwreck, but not a fun one.
A year before, the hero was convinced that the super model wife was having an affair with her photographer. They were caught out when the photographer was killed in a car accident with the heroine at his side. The hero found some love letters to the h and hired a detective to make the case against her. The hero waited for the h to heal from her injuries and then he took her to their beach house in Florida for a week of punishment-by-rape and psychological torture. The heroine fled to London and became a secretary at an advertising agency.
It’s been a year when the hero catches up with her. Hero is still angry, still wanting revenge, but the heroine is done trying to explain what really happened. (Photographer was an old friend who was jealous of her marriage and decided he was “in love” with the heroine. Heroine didn’t tell the H because she thought she could handle it with more diplomacy, etc . . .)
The hero gives a big account to the advertising agency and the heroine feels obligated to cooperate since she’s come to care about the people she works with. Why I don’t know – they are all horrible people. The cruel, abusive way *everyone* talked about the so-beta-maybe-he’s-gamma-or-all-the-way -to-zed brother-in-law whom the heroine worked for was over the top.
I know CL was making a distinction between the alpha hero and the alpha head of the advertising agency, but they all sounded like they were in junior high, shunning the weakest link. I hated those passages and that mind-set.
Other points not in the story’s favor:
Hero was a throwback alpha who mansplains everything – even the heroine’s character – even after he confesses to not really knowing her.
Heroine was so beautiful and sexy and perfect that every man she met wanted her.
There are some memorable scenes (like the heroine seeing her famous lingerie ad plastered all over the walls of their Florida bedroom) and some really pointless scenes (like the so-beta-he’s-gamma-and-maybe-even-zed OM nervously ordering drinks.)
I won’t go into the plot, since CL does a great job keeping up the suspense. Is the hero really giving their marriage another chance or is he trying to destroy the heroine in a new way? I had no idea where this story was going when I picked it up. And that was part of the appeal. I couldn’t put it down even though there were way too many secondary characters and storylines.
I think the biggest problem I had with this reading experience was the cruelty. I don’t have a problem with mean alphas who can only express their strong emotions through anger, revenge, sex, and shoe shopping. But I do have a problem when the strong pick on the weak and when all the secondary characters exhibit this kind of behavior for no good reason.
It's a trainwreck, but not a fun one.
March 3, 2017
Current Harlequin and romance writers could take lessons on from Charlotte Lamb on how to build up tension and scare the hell out your readers. There were more than a couple of times reading this book when it read more like a suspense/horror genre than a romance.
We’ve all eye-rolled when the h succumbs to the magic p at one touch. Lamb provides pretty convincing and valid evidence to support why this can happen without losing respect for the heroine. In this case, the hero is not far behind her in obsession.
PLOT
The h is secretary to a rather feeble, asexual executive at an advertising agency. He takes the h out occasionally to bolster his ego; she goes because he’s not threat. Out at a snazzy dinner, the h can feel someone watching her. Turns out it’s her ex-husband she fled from a year ago. She had been a relatively famous lingerie model, and he was convinced she had had an affair with her photographer Svengali type. The pair were in a car accident where the photographer was killed. The whole scenario looked as if she was leaving for an assignation. Compound this with some love letters the H found, and he was on a rampage. The H took revenge by taunting her with some pretty nasty epithets, making her lose all control sexually then taunting her some more. It almost broke her emotionally so she fled to England.
The H plays a cat and mouse game by hiring the agency to work on his business. The pair finally wear each other down, admitting that they can’t live without each other. The H says that he finally believes her in what, for me, was an abrupt turnaround, but hey, who knows. Each comes to the realization that their insane physical connection has allowed them to not connect in other ways, allowing them to keep pieces of themselves private.
The H is an over the top alpha male obsessed with the h. The h is a pretty smart cookie, but has shut down over the emotional trauma of her husband’s emotional rape when he was convinced of her adultery. The turnaround was plausible, but I am not entirely convinced these two have happily EVER after in their future.
My one real complaint about this book is the atrocious title. Time and time again, the characters discuss what is behind the mask you present to the world, and if either had ever been totally honest with each other hiding behind their own masks. Behind the Mask or The Mask Ripped Away or something along those lines would have been better titles. Night Music sounds like a poor editorial choice.
She was about to draw the curtain again when she heard the slow click of feet on the pavement above the area.
She drew back, holding the curtain but keeping out of sight. The iron gate at the top of their steps creaked in its familiar way. A black shadow fell across the paving stones, moving slowly.
Lisa's nerves screamed.
We’ve all eye-rolled when the h succumbs to the magic p at one touch. Lamb provides pretty convincing and valid evidence to support why this can happen without losing respect for the heroine. In this case, the hero is not far behind her in obsession.
She could walk away and keep walking along this empty silvered sand into the void which waited for her, because if she walked away from Steve life would be a void.
Whatever he did to her, she needed him, needed his presence to assuage the loneliness she had never recognised until now with that emptiness of sea and sky in front of her, forcing her to admit her own humanity and isolation. She stood there, shivering with the tremors of fear and recoil, feeling the hot pulse beating at her throat and wrists beneath all that, because, however he hurt her, Steve brought her to life too.
PLOT
The h is secretary to a rather feeble, asexual executive at an advertising agency. He takes the h out occasionally to bolster his ego; she goes because he’s not threat. Out at a snazzy dinner, the h can feel someone watching her. Turns out it’s her ex-husband she fled from a year ago. She had been a relatively famous lingerie model, and he was convinced she had had an affair with her photographer Svengali type. The pair were in a car accident where the photographer was killed. The whole scenario looked as if she was leaving for an assignation. Compound this with some love letters the H found, and he was on a rampage. The H took revenge by taunting her with some pretty nasty epithets, making her lose all control sexually then taunting her some more. It almost broke her emotionally so she fled to England.
The H plays a cat and mouse game by hiring the agency to work on his business. The pair finally wear each other down, admitting that they can’t live without each other. The H says that he finally believes her in what, for me, was an abrupt turnaround, but hey, who knows. Each comes to the realization that their insane physical connection has allowed them to not connect in other ways, allowing them to keep pieces of themselves private.
The H is an over the top alpha male obsessed with the h. The h is a pretty smart cookie, but has shut down over the emotional trauma of her husband’s emotional rape when he was convinced of her adultery. The turnaround was plausible, but I am not entirely convinced these two have happily EVER after in their future.
My one real complaint about this book is the atrocious title. Time and time again, the characters discuss what is behind the mask you present to the world, and if either had ever been totally honest with each other hiding behind their own masks. Behind the Mask or The Mask Ripped Away or something along those lines would have been better titles. Night Music sounds like a poor editorial choice.
September 26, 2016
This one is way messed up. One of CL's obsessive H's and mixed up h's.
The h left the H after he accused her of having an affair with her photographer and spends a week raping her. They meet up again when he comes after her and eventually have an HEA after lots of bullying and violence and roofie kisses.
This one isn't a compelling as the Long Surrender or Dark Dominion. It has a lot of the violence but I just kinda wished they would both get lost in Florida.
The h left the H after he accused her of having an affair with her photographer and spends a week raping her. They meet up again when he comes after her and eventually have an HEA after lots of bullying and violence and roofie kisses.
This one isn't a compelling as the Long Surrender or Dark Dominion. It has a lot of the violence but I just kinda wished they would both get lost in Florida.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2021
Hah I still hadn’t one of this!
A psychopath hero who turns into a psychologist!
Really???
This was too much.
I give 3 for the angst that was anxiety for most of the first part of the book.
The heroine left the hero because he thought she cheated on him with her photograph( she was a model) and he raped and humiliated her for revenge.
He finds her and he wants her back.
Then he analyzes her like a professional telling her she repeats the pattern of her childhood with men. She wants her men weak like her father. This is why she left the hero, because he wasn’t on his knee ( not because he destroyed her psychologically and emotionally, nope)
Ok, man you got it.
But since you’re a basket case yourself, this bout of geniality is simply not believable.
It is ludicrous.
I can hear him following her in his big house with a knife calling Wendyyyyyyyyy… the creep.
The poor heroine was humiliated and abused by him for weeks until she was shaking every time she saw him.
I hoped she was able to resist him.
Of course she was guilty of encouraging om aaaaaand it was all her fault if the hero had multiple women while they were apart since she left him and he wasn’t for celibacy.
Go f**k yourself you sob.
Sorry but he’s an abuser and a cheater while she maybe was only a little too naive and easily manipulated.
Not fair.
I hate double standard as a rule but here it seems to me like another abuse.
He was not able to love and she was a poor passive dependent creature. What a sad pair.
But if you like angst and suspense as in a thriller book this is for you.
Oh …no hea though, the villain (aka hero) doesn’t die in the end (sadly)
A psychopath hero who turns into a psychologist!
Really???
This was too much.
I give 3 for the angst that was anxiety for most of the first part of the book.
The heroine left the hero because he thought she cheated on him with her photograph( she was a model) and he raped and humiliated her for revenge.
He finds her and he wants her back.
Then he analyzes her like a professional telling her she repeats the pattern of her childhood with men. She wants her men weak like her father. This is why she left the hero, because he wasn’t on his knee ( not because he destroyed her psychologically and emotionally, nope)
Ok, man you got it.
But since you’re a basket case yourself, this bout of geniality is simply not believable.
It is ludicrous.
I can hear him following her in his big house with a knife calling Wendyyyyyyyyy… the creep.
The poor heroine was humiliated and abused by him for weeks until she was shaking every time she saw him.
I hoped she was able to resist him.
Of course she was guilty of encouraging om aaaaaand it was all her fault if the hero had multiple women while they were apart since she left him and he wasn’t for celibacy.
Go f**k yourself you sob.
Sorry but he’s an abuser and a cheater while she maybe was only a little too naive and easily manipulated.
Not fair.
I hate double standard as a rule but here it seems to me like another abuse.
He was not able to love and she was a poor passive dependent creature. What a sad pair.
But if you like angst and suspense as in a thriller book this is for you.
Oh …no hea though, the villain (aka hero) doesn’t die in the end (sadly)
December 13, 2017
"Night Music" is the story of Steve and Lisa.
Without going into the OTT confusing storyline, its about two married but estranged manipulative individuals.
We have everything from male chauvinism to female doormat-ism, cheating, bruising kisses, humiliation, bullying, domination, stalking and two toxic people who couldn't let go of one another. Both did stuff to hurt each other, and I couldn't sympathize with both, especially the heroine- who was for the first time in a CL book more in the wrong than the hero.
Unsafe
1.5/5
Without going into the OTT confusing storyline, its about two married but estranged manipulative individuals.
We have everything from male chauvinism to female doormat-ism, cheating, bruising kisses, humiliation, bullying, domination, stalking and two toxic people who couldn't let go of one another. Both did stuff to hurt each other, and I couldn't sympathize with both, especially the heroine- who was for the first time in a CL book more in the wrong than the hero.
Unsafe
1.5/5
October 16, 2015
well, i'm a big sucker of charlotte lamb's old books and she did not disappoint me wid this one as well. the hero was unbearably jealous and possessive! he was so completely besotted dat it took my breath away ! good one, it lost 1 star as i was bored wid stories on lisa's colleagues at work. really who cares abt them lol !?
May 5, 2011
An interesting old skool romance; sexist as hell, mind you, but interesting. Lisa ran away from her husband Steve after he became convinced she’d been unfaithful to him; now he’s found her and is determined to get her back. But Lisa is afraid he will never truly believe or forgive her, and will continue to punish her forever.
Lamb seems to be trying to add depth to her typical old skool crazy here, perhaps even analyze it a bit. There’s a lot of attention paid to secondary characters and a lot of dialog and discussion about motivations, character, and so on. It’s heavy on the telling, rather than the showing, and parts of the commentary about the nature of men and women made my grit me teeth, but I respected the effort she put into writing something a little less ordinary and more thoughtful.
Lamb seems to be trying to add depth to her typical old skool crazy here, perhaps even analyze it a bit. There’s a lot of attention paid to secondary characters and a lot of dialog and discussion about motivations, character, and so on. It’s heavy on the telling, rather than the showing, and parts of the commentary about the nature of men and women made my grit me teeth, but I respected the effort she put into writing something a little less ordinary and more thoughtful.
September 25, 2016
It was ok, some parts were boring!
September 1, 2022
Ott sometimes but never boring!
December 14, 2020
Why is that the title of the book? The hero is dumb and not in a fun ‘he’s just pissed he’ll get over it an be romantic’. None of that. He claims the heroine’s kindness, helpfulness is her fatal flaw, she needs to overcome so they can get back together. Ignoring oh I don’t know RAPING your wife!!! And for a reason she was completely innocent for. Ugh, he was just gross. Didn’t really like anyone else either. Skip. No fun to be had in this mess.
November 20, 2014
I think this is the first Charlotte Lamb book I've read where the hero didn't have grey eyes (this hero's were blue).
This book was published around the time I was born, so it's way out of date in PC aspects. Not that I ever hold that against a book, even modern ones, since I'm just not feminist enough.
This was also my first Charlotte Lamb book where she tried to give deeper meaning to her characters and the plot by analyzing things that should never be analyzed in a Harlequin. Not the right arena for that.
Anyways, the plot was good even if it was minimal and I truly believed the hero loved the heroine even if he was a raging prick. Rewritten today, this book could be even more interesting.
This book was published around the time I was born, so it's way out of date in PC aspects. Not that I ever hold that against a book, even modern ones, since I'm just not feminist enough.
This was also my first Charlotte Lamb book where she tried to give deeper meaning to her characters and the plot by analyzing things that should never be analyzed in a Harlequin. Not the right arena for that.
Anyways, the plot was good even if it was minimal and I truly believed the hero loved the heroine even if he was a raging prick. Rewritten today, this book could be even more interesting.
August 1, 2017
For the first time in harlyland I liked the secondary caracters more than the hero or the heroine specially Evan her boss who adred his wife and shoew care and consern for her more than the H to the h 😂
The writing was excellent as usual for Charlotte Lambe but I think the internal dialogues were too long
The writing was excellent as usual for Charlotte Lambe but I think the internal dialogues were too long
September 22, 2021
I’m not sure what to say or even why this book is good or bad. The characters are caricatures and none are likable nor admirable. I despise the idea of using sex to humiliate and thus punish someone. It's evil and despicable, a complete reversal of what love should be.
January 22, 2018
The story is good but too much of useless information. I got bored. It felt too long.
December 8, 2020
Ok , this is deep stuff. The author trying to engage with her female readers at a much deeper level than the fluffy romantic dreams that they usually sell.
This story is a psycho-analysis on the man-woman relationship and what makes a marriage tick. Especially when both the man and woman are powerful personalities.
Lisa is an extremely beautiful, sexy, confident woman and she knows it. Her intelligence tells her she is far superior to most of the men she meets. Especially in her line of work, as a glamorous photographic model.
She is married to and estranged from her husband Steve. He is the regular alpha male we know quite well. But in this story, since the woman is also aggressive and strong, the entire conflict in the story is about how they find an equilibrium in their relationship.
Why estranged? Obvious reason, she is a model, so plenty of men around her. Steve thinks she has been having an affair with her mentor, a fashion photographer. The guy dies in a car crash when Lisa was with him. Circumstantial evidence.
But the nasty part is how he reacts. He keeps her in near-captivity for a week. And humiliates her repeatedly with forced sex, exploiting her physical reaction to him. She hates the blow to her self respect, and runs away.
The story begins when he manages to track her down a year later. A major cat and mouse game ensues. With another wimpy OM this time.
Finally both of them drop their insecurities and prejudices and bare their need for each other. And admit they are each other's weakness. That's why they act strange around that feeling of weakness.
Two unpalatable things to swallow in this intelligent, thought provoking story.
1) Lisa is deliberately friendly with men friends, and rather allows a few concessions that wives do not. As a married woman, a female lead does not show such liberties, whatever be her justification. She pities those men, she is trying to protect them, blah blah ... Its not ethical behavior to spend so much of time in their company, so what if you are not sleeping with them!
2) Steve really puts in a barbaric show during that week of cruelty. So what if you suspect your wife of adultery. You cannot justify acting like an animal even then. Especially when she is screaming her innocence at you!!
So two strong but somewhat flawed people finding peace with each other. And beginning a genuine effort to live life together, facing come what may. Not exactly a HEA, just a "we are in it together".
This story is a psycho-analysis on the man-woman relationship and what makes a marriage tick. Especially when both the man and woman are powerful personalities.
Lisa is an extremely beautiful, sexy, confident woman and she knows it. Her intelligence tells her she is far superior to most of the men she meets. Especially in her line of work, as a glamorous photographic model.
She is married to and estranged from her husband Steve. He is the regular alpha male we know quite well. But in this story, since the woman is also aggressive and strong, the entire conflict in the story is about how they find an equilibrium in their relationship.
Why estranged? Obvious reason, she is a model, so plenty of men around her. Steve thinks she has been having an affair with her mentor, a fashion photographer. The guy dies in a car crash when Lisa was with him. Circumstantial evidence.
But the nasty part is how he reacts. He keeps her in near-captivity for a week. And humiliates her repeatedly with forced sex, exploiting her physical reaction to him. She hates the blow to her self respect, and runs away.
The story begins when he manages to track her down a year later. A major cat and mouse game ensues. With another wimpy OM this time.
Finally both of them drop their insecurities and prejudices and bare their need for each other. And admit they are each other's weakness. That's why they act strange around that feeling of weakness.
Two unpalatable things to swallow in this intelligent, thought provoking story.
1) Lisa is deliberately friendly with men friends, and rather allows a few concessions that wives do not. As a married woman, a female lead does not show such liberties, whatever be her justification. She pities those men, she is trying to protect them, blah blah ... Its not ethical behavior to spend so much of time in their company, so what if you are not sleeping with them!
2) Steve really puts in a barbaric show during that week of cruelty. So what if you suspect your wife of adultery. You cannot justify acting like an animal even then. Especially when she is screaming her innocence at you!!
So two strong but somewhat flawed people finding peace with each other. And beginning a genuine effort to live life together, facing come what may. Not exactly a HEA, just a "we are in it together".
November 11, 2021
There was a lot of introspection and navel gazing in this one. The H is an alpha male, the attitudes are chauvinistic but expected for its times. For those who disagree, hey, I grew up in the 70s and 80s. Remember equal pay for equal work? A work requirement that women wear pantyhose and conservative shoes (no strappy ones but closed toe or peep toe type pumps) in a business setting? Arguments in court on whether it was considered rape if within a marriage? Remember the Farah Fawcett movie "The Burning Bed?" So yeah. When I read Charlotte Lamb it's interesting. You can see the more aggressive over the top a-hole attitudes in many of her works but then you can start to see these "newer" ideas creeping into her novels. She still keeps the alpha jerks because they're fun to read (er, well, they are to me anyways because it's far removed from my reality and hangs somewhere in the realm of, but not quite, science fiction!) and because I am pretty sure that's what her publisher wanted but then you read something like this book and the h is truly thinking about what makes a marriage. It was actually surprising the amount of self-reflection the h does not just about marriage but about people and human nature and relationships platonic, familial and romantic.
In fact, if you're reading Lamb for 100% pure escapism fun into a world with chauvinistic, over the top ultra alpha jerks, then this is probably not going to be one of them. The topic and introspection weighed the tone down considerably.
In fact, if you're reading Lamb for 100% pure escapism fun into a world with chauvinistic, over the top ultra alpha jerks, then this is probably not going to be one of them. The topic and introspection weighed the tone down considerably.
December 13, 2022
Every single person in this book is loathsome, pathetic, infuriating and wretched. There is no romance here, only hateful, pathetic, damaged people tearing each other down over and over again until you wonder how they can stand it. Several times during this 'romance' I honestly thought the h was on the cusp of suicide, and as terrible as it sounds I was sort of cheering her on to find some kind of release from the utter misery of her marriage.
I just finished reading this and I still feel some residual anxiety and outrage... god I hated it.
I just finished reading this and I still feel some residual anxiety and outrage... god I hated it.
November 15, 2020
I absolutely love Charlotte Lamb’s old school books. The strong, dominant, sexy alpha male H who is absolutely besotted for the h and does not make a secret about his feelings for her. He is practically begging for it. Wow.
October 11, 2014
Very un-PC novel with lots of angst. I found the H really creepy for about 60% of the book. But overall a fun read with possessiveness, fights and twists.
January 19, 2025
Charlotte Lamb must have been going through a dime store psychologist phase when she wrote this one, and it sure got annoying! Too much time was wasted with the h being introspective on anyone and everyone, not just the H and herself, and they both could have used their share of therapy!
When the book starts, the h is working as a secretary in an ad firm, and despite becoming friends with her boss and his family, and dating the boss's brother-in-law (strictly friendship, at least on her part) she keeps to herself a lot and seems reluctant to talk about her past. It turns out, she returned to her native London to get away from her California husband, but he's managed to track her down after a year, becoming one of her boss's clients, but keeping their marriage a secret too.
Unlike the OM, the H is a strong, alpha type (sometimes too much so) and is angry at her leaving him, despite his cruel behavior toward her for what he considered punishment for her "infidelity". Then, the arguments, accusations, denials, humiliations, seduction attempts, and other assorted semi-toxic behavior begins.
It was obvious why the h was drawn to what she referred to as troubled men who needed some kindness and understanding, and it wasn't what the H thought, that she felt threatened by strong men and liked to be around weak ones that she could control. But in truth, both these men (both OM in the story) reminded her of her late father, who was a quiet, gentle beta male, while the h's mother was a domineering, demanding alpha female who made him miserable, and wasted no time finding a more alpha man after he died, alienating the h further so that, at 16, she preferred boarding school in another country to living with her and her new stepdad. At 18, she launched a modeling career (of which her mom strongly approved and pushed her into) and the photographer who discovered her (the other OM) turned her into a turn-on, by making the most of her stunning looks and body, taking lingerie shots of her, and training her to walk and look provocative. She was nothing like that in truth, which guys she dated found out (much to their disappointment), and she tended to stay away from men until she met the H.
It was one of those overpowering sexual attractions that neither could resist, and they got married too fast, without getting to know each other all that much, as she held out for marriage and he wanted her too much to wait long. But with both their demanding careers (he was often away on business trips, while she had to travel for modeling assignments), they didn't spend enough time together, and most of that time was in bed. There was no real communication, as these two weren't even aware of who the other was, they both kept so much of themselves hidden, and the h didn't even turn to the H when she was having trouble with the photographer/OM, who had become obsessed with her, telling her he was in love with her, wanting her to leave the H, sending her sexy love letters (some of which she foolishly kept; I would have ripped them up and sent the pieces back to him) and becoming more unhinged, but because she felt sorry for him and was also grateful to him for all he did for her career (when what he did was give her a false sexy image that she was never comfortable with) she didn't say anything, hoping she could handle it on her own, and boy, did that backfire!!!
While the H was away, and the h and OM were returning from a modeling shoot, he decided to take her to his secluded cottage without asking her first, and when she realized he wasn't heading toward her home, they got into an argument, he took his eyes off the road and crashed the car, causing her some injuries, but killing him (Oh, BOO HOO!), and when the H (who had found the letters that she foolishly didn't destroy) got a call from the police about the accident and where it happened (near the OM's place) and that their luggage was in the car, he assumed they were lovers, and that's what blew up their marriage.
But first, the H forced the h to their Florida getaway place for a week of punishment/sex revenge, as he degraded and humiliated her, using her desire for him as a weapon to treat her like a whore, while telling her he was onto her game, believing that she and the late OM had set him up from the start, using her body as bait so he'd marry her, and then they planned a way for her to get a divorce with a sizeable amount of his assets, meanwhile sleeping together whenever they were on photo shoots! His money had made him a target for gold-diggers for too long and he was angry at himself for believing she was different, and furious with her for being just like the others (or so he thought). No matter how many times she tried to explain, he wouldn't listen and he kept accusing her of adultery and calling her vile names and forcing her to submit to his "lovemaking" (aka "forced seduction") that she had to get away or lose her mind!
She managed to escape him for a year but when he caught up with her it turned into a real battle, because they were both still "in love" (if you could call it that) and neither wanted to admit it, while they could barely control their desire for each other. The H sure contradicted himself, as he'd keep saying what a conniving, lying 304 she was, yet he kept telling her she was his, he'd never let her go, etc.; you would think if he believed all that about her he'd be glad to let her go!
He accuses her of sleeping with OM #2, then flaunts the fact that he had more than one affair in the year they were apart, as he didn't believe he owed her any fidelity after her "betrayal". (You never find out if he actually did cheat or he just wanted to hurt her, the way some h's will tell the H they had lovers when it wasn't true, just to get under the H's skin. So, maybe he did and maybe he didn't.) Meanwhile, they're both jealous of that fact that each of them are extremely attractive to the opposite sex, and this is very apparent at a party the boss threw, where the H is continually surrounded by women, and the h has one man after another claiming a dance with her. They're both easily jealous, but she tries to hide it while he says it's because he "owns" her and won't let her go! Meanwhile, neither is above playing games and using their sexual allure as a weapon. Despite her claims that she hates it, when it's used to make the H jealous she doesn't mind flaunting it, and he throws on the charm and captivates the women, knowing it's making the h green with jealousy.
Can these two supposed adults act like children? You bet they can!!!
(One irony is the H unwittingly insulting himself by saying she'll never escape him, that he'll always find her and never let her go, like there can be no worse punishment than staying married to him! And the way he acted half the time, it's pretty easy to agree!)
They start to break through the misery when he (finally) believes she didn't cheat, but then points out (and rightfully so) that she was guilty of not trusting him enough to tell him about the psycho photographer, of keeping letters she should have destroyed, and especially of not cutting all ties with a guy who was becoming unhinged, despite her feeling that she owed him a lot. You can't argue with him there, but you CAN argue that he should have known from the start that she wouldn't have cheated and believed her when she told him for the umpteenth time, not just out of trust, but because if she had cheated, why would she keep lying when it wasn't getting her anywhere?
Like so many h's in other books (and a number of H's as well) he was quick to think the worst, which shows the state of their marriage. So many of these HP couples are overwhelmed with sex desire that they let it take precedence over everything else. Getting to know each other takes a back seat to getting naked! A marriage based on lust won't last.
This book has some interesting side relationships too, like the boss's wife and her refusal to treat her brother like a grown man, thinking she knows what's best for him and playing matchmaker for him and the h, when it's obvious they were all wrong for each other. The boss is a loud, quick tempered man, but with a golden heart, who adores his wife and kids but can't stand his wishy-washy brother-in-law, who works for him because his wife thinks it's where he belongs. (Wrong again!) Meanwhile, the brother gives new meaning to "wimp" and lets everyone walk all over him and is actually frightened of the h's physical appeal! His reaction when he learns of her secret marriage is first shock, then relief! What a ninny!!
The H and h had to learn to let go of the past, see each other for who they really were, and start over with love and trust, not just passion and desire. One nice touch was when the H takes her back to their Florida home, so he can make up for the nightmare he put her through by turning it into their dream home again; make new happy memories to wash away the old ones.
This book was tough to take at times, especially with all the psychoanalyzing going on (like the H getting the h to admit she despised her mother for the way she treated her father), but still an entertaining read.
ty
When the book starts, the h is working as a secretary in an ad firm, and despite becoming friends with her boss and his family, and dating the boss's brother-in-law (strictly friendship, at least on her part) she keeps to herself a lot and seems reluctant to talk about her past. It turns out, she returned to her native London to get away from her California husband, but he's managed to track her down after a year, becoming one of her boss's clients, but keeping their marriage a secret too.
Unlike the OM, the H is a strong, alpha type (sometimes too much so) and is angry at her leaving him, despite his cruel behavior toward her for what he considered punishment for her "infidelity". Then, the arguments, accusations, denials, humiliations, seduction attempts, and other assorted semi-toxic behavior begins.
It was obvious why the h was drawn to what she referred to as troubled men who needed some kindness and understanding, and it wasn't what the H thought, that she felt threatened by strong men and liked to be around weak ones that she could control. But in truth, both these men (both OM in the story) reminded her of her late father, who was a quiet, gentle beta male, while the h's mother was a domineering, demanding alpha female who made him miserable, and wasted no time finding a more alpha man after he died, alienating the h further so that, at 16, she preferred boarding school in another country to living with her and her new stepdad. At 18, she launched a modeling career (of which her mom strongly approved and pushed her into) and the photographer who discovered her (the other OM) turned her into a turn-on, by making the most of her stunning looks and body, taking lingerie shots of her, and training her to walk and look provocative. She was nothing like that in truth, which guys she dated found out (much to their disappointment), and she tended to stay away from men until she met the H.
It was one of those overpowering sexual attractions that neither could resist, and they got married too fast, without getting to know each other all that much, as she held out for marriage and he wanted her too much to wait long. But with both their demanding careers (he was often away on business trips, while she had to travel for modeling assignments), they didn't spend enough time together, and most of that time was in bed. There was no real communication, as these two weren't even aware of who the other was, they both kept so much of themselves hidden, and the h didn't even turn to the H when she was having trouble with the photographer/OM, who had become obsessed with her, telling her he was in love with her, wanting her to leave the H, sending her sexy love letters (some of which she foolishly kept; I would have ripped them up and sent the pieces back to him) and becoming more unhinged, but because she felt sorry for him and was also grateful to him for all he did for her career (when what he did was give her a false sexy image that she was never comfortable with) she didn't say anything, hoping she could handle it on her own, and boy, did that backfire!!!
While the H was away, and the h and OM were returning from a modeling shoot, he decided to take her to his secluded cottage without asking her first, and when she realized he wasn't heading toward her home, they got into an argument, he took his eyes off the road and crashed the car, causing her some injuries, but killing him (Oh, BOO HOO!), and when the H (who had found the letters that she foolishly didn't destroy) got a call from the police about the accident and where it happened (near the OM's place) and that their luggage was in the car, he assumed they were lovers, and that's what blew up their marriage.
But first, the H forced the h to their Florida getaway place for a week of punishment/sex revenge, as he degraded and humiliated her, using her desire for him as a weapon to treat her like a whore, while telling her he was onto her game, believing that she and the late OM had set him up from the start, using her body as bait so he'd marry her, and then they planned a way for her to get a divorce with a sizeable amount of his assets, meanwhile sleeping together whenever they were on photo shoots! His money had made him a target for gold-diggers for too long and he was angry at himself for believing she was different, and furious with her for being just like the others (or so he thought). No matter how many times she tried to explain, he wouldn't listen and he kept accusing her of adultery and calling her vile names and forcing her to submit to his "lovemaking" (aka "forced seduction") that she had to get away or lose her mind!
She managed to escape him for a year but when he caught up with her it turned into a real battle, because they were both still "in love" (if you could call it that) and neither wanted to admit it, while they could barely control their desire for each other. The H sure contradicted himself, as he'd keep saying what a conniving, lying 304 she was, yet he kept telling her she was his, he'd never let her go, etc.; you would think if he believed all that about her he'd be glad to let her go!
He accuses her of sleeping with OM #2, then flaunts the fact that he had more than one affair in the year they were apart, as he didn't believe he owed her any fidelity after her "betrayal". (You never find out if he actually did cheat or he just wanted to hurt her, the way some h's will tell the H they had lovers when it wasn't true, just to get under the H's skin. So, maybe he did and maybe he didn't.) Meanwhile, they're both jealous of that fact that each of them are extremely attractive to the opposite sex, and this is very apparent at a party the boss threw, where the H is continually surrounded by women, and the h has one man after another claiming a dance with her. They're both easily jealous, but she tries to hide it while he says it's because he "owns" her and won't let her go! Meanwhile, neither is above playing games and using their sexual allure as a weapon. Despite her claims that she hates it, when it's used to make the H jealous she doesn't mind flaunting it, and he throws on the charm and captivates the women, knowing it's making the h green with jealousy.
Can these two supposed adults act like children? You bet they can!!!
(One irony is the H unwittingly insulting himself by saying she'll never escape him, that he'll always find her and never let her go, like there can be no worse punishment than staying married to him! And the way he acted half the time, it's pretty easy to agree!)
They start to break through the misery when he (finally) believes she didn't cheat, but then points out (and rightfully so) that she was guilty of not trusting him enough to tell him about the psycho photographer, of keeping letters she should have destroyed, and especially of not cutting all ties with a guy who was becoming unhinged, despite her feeling that she owed him a lot. You can't argue with him there, but you CAN argue that he should have known from the start that she wouldn't have cheated and believed her when she told him for the umpteenth time, not just out of trust, but because if she had cheated, why would she keep lying when it wasn't getting her anywhere?
Like so many h's in other books (and a number of H's as well) he was quick to think the worst, which shows the state of their marriage. So many of these HP couples are overwhelmed with sex desire that they let it take precedence over everything else. Getting to know each other takes a back seat to getting naked! A marriage based on lust won't last.
This book has some interesting side relationships too, like the boss's wife and her refusal to treat her brother like a grown man, thinking she knows what's best for him and playing matchmaker for him and the h, when it's obvious they were all wrong for each other. The boss is a loud, quick tempered man, but with a golden heart, who adores his wife and kids but can't stand his wishy-washy brother-in-law, who works for him because his wife thinks it's where he belongs. (Wrong again!) Meanwhile, the brother gives new meaning to "wimp" and lets everyone walk all over him and is actually frightened of the h's physical appeal! His reaction when he learns of her secret marriage is first shock, then relief! What a ninny!!
The H and h had to learn to let go of the past, see each other for who they really were, and start over with love and trust, not just passion and desire. One nice touch was when the H takes her back to their Florida home, so he can make up for the nightmare he put her through by turning it into their dream home again; make new happy memories to wash away the old ones.
This book was tough to take at times, especially with all the psychoanalyzing going on (like the H getting the h to admit she despised her mother for the way she treated her father), but still an entertaining read.
ty
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
266 - لا كبرياء في الحب
عبير الجديدة
" لقد اشتريتك وما اشتري يبقى لي ولو ظهر انه عديم النفع " ستيف كارفورد قال لليزا بقساوة عندما التقاها ثانية بعد سنة من الافتراق.
علاقتهما انهارت لان ستيف اساء فهم الوضع بين ليزا وداني هاريسون كلياً ومتعمداً , والآن هو كذلك معمياً عمداً, عن صداقتهما مع جون لستر , اللطيف والغير متطلب , وبالرغم من ذلك الح على انه يريد عودتها.
وبالرغم من كل شيء ليزا وجدت انه من المستحيل مقاومته حتى عندما علمت ان ستيف لا يحبها , بل فقط يريدها , لماذا لم ينهي الأمر معها وينتهي.
عبير الجديدة
" لقد اشتريتك وما اشتري يبقى لي ولو ظهر انه عديم النفع " ستيف كارفورد قال لليزا بقساوة عندما التقاها ثانية بعد سنة من الافتراق.
علاقتهما انهارت لان ستيف اساء فهم الوضع بين ليزا وداني هاريسون كلياً ومتعمداً , والآن هو كذلك معمياً عمداً, عن صداقتهما مع جون لستر , اللطيف والغير متطلب , وبالرغم من ذلك الح على انه يريد عودتها.
وبالرغم من كل شيء ليزا وجدت انه من المستحيل مقاومته حتى عندما علمت ان ستيف لا يحبها , بل فقط يريدها , لماذا لم ينهي الأمر معها وينتهي.
December 19, 2022
The hero himself says that he was not celibate even for a day in the year they are living seperatly but casts aspirations on all h male friends it was too much to take and the h is such a doormat that she never calls out the H for it.
Read
June 22, 2020حلو
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
August 7, 2021كيف استطيع قراءة الرواية ؟
December 20, 2021
Steve is toxic and he's a manipulator. Why is it even called Night Music??
August 1, 2022
Abusive, obsessed, stalking rapists as male leads - particularly in romance novels! - make my stomach turn.
Read
October 9, 2023DNF based on reviews.
February 29, 2024
Good, passionate romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews