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Living Together
Would her tragic past blight her future?
Helen was not emotionally ready for any man--much less the forceful actor Leon Masters. A brief disastrous marriage had left her terrified of men.
She wanted desperately to forget her past, but she couldn't--not yet. And she couldn't expect Leon to wait for her.
She must get out of his life before he found out her secret, for surely he would hate her for it. Anything was better than having Leon hate her... even living without him, the man she loved with all her heart.
Helen was not emotionally ready for any man--much less the forceful actor Leon Masters. A brief disastrous marriage had left her terrified of men.
She wanted desperately to forget her past, but she couldn't--not yet. And she couldn't expect Leon to wait for her.
She must get out of his life before he found out her secret, for surely he would hate her for it. Anything was better than having Leon hate her... even living without him, the man she loved with all her heart.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
16 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Carole Mortimer
1,302 books911 followersI have written almost 250 romance novels in contemporary and Regency.
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 2, 2017
Where to begin? Warning: this story is bonkers, batshit, bananas . . .
Backstory:
18 year-old orphaned heroine was raped on her wedding night and her rich wastrel husband tried to pimp her out to his friend the next night. She fled to her fellow orphan cousin. Four months later she told her husband she was pregnant. He hit her and then the universe did every one a favor by killing him off in a car crash. Heroine then miscarried.
Doctors warned her she may never have children. Dead husband’s mother lashes out at the heroine in the press – says she was a golddigger, etc. . . But heroine still gets her inheritance from the husband’s estate.
When the story opens the heroine is 22 and her cousin is trying to get her to live again by going to a party. There she meets the hero, a famous actor in his 30’s who has had more bed partners than hot dinners. The heroine is very beautiful and the hero can’t believe she isn’t as attracted to him as he is to her.
Heroine feels something, but she is mostly terrified when the hero forcefully kisses her. She runs out into the night and the hero is so worried about her, he tells her cousin to call him when she finds the h.
And so it begins. The hero decides he’s going to catch this elusive bird. The heroine puts up great resistance, but she finally tells him why she hates men so much. (She has never told anyone about the rape and the pimping) Hero devises the sex-with-me plan.
When the heroine doesn’t buy that – he decides that living together will help her become accustomed to being around him (and then the sex part will follow).
Heroine dithers but eventually moves in with him and his manservant. She has her own room, but the hero makes passes at her all the time. She eventually touches his arm on her own accord, accepts his kisses and goes to bed with him.
She cured! The hero wants to get married and have children. The heroine breaks it off without telling him that she doesn’t know if she can have children. Once she finds out she’s pregnant, she goes back to the hero – HEA.
Sounds nice, right? A little unrealistic since sex isn’t the cure all for rape, a miscarriage and having your name dragged through the mud.
The batshit, dear readers, is in the details.
*At the beginning this hero is Austin Powers with better teeth. He swaggers, he pouts, he begs, he threatens, he can’t stop thinking about his erection.
*He is filming in the States but flies back to London after one week to browbeat the heroine into living with him. This was quite an expensive endeavor back in 1979 when this was written. He was desperate.
*Because he has the world’s biggest erection for the heroine and heroine is off limits he has sex with two maybe three different women the first week he’s in the States. He tells the heroine this so she can know just how serious he is about her. For the first time in his tomcat life, he woke up next to a strange woman and wasn’t happy. He wanted her and no one else.
If that’s not true love I don’t know what is.
*In this universe the hero hasn’t cheated on the heroine because they aren’t sleeping together while he’s out trying to obliterate her memory.
*The heroine buys him a gold medallion with a long chain. Hero has to unbutton several buttons so it can be seen snuggled in the blond hairs on his chest.
*As the story proceeds, the hero suffers for his erection. He loses weight. He drinks and smokes. He can’t sleep.
*The heroine, on the other hand, is happier by the minute as she feels alive again and desired. She just can’t take that physical leap until CM runs out of pages. (Seriously – there’s no logic to any of this)
*The hero is a puddle of emotional jelly by the end of this story. She has truly neutered him and his tomcat ways. He has no ego left. He is humble and grateful. They will move to the country and the hero will retire to worship her full time.
CM really made the hero suffer for another man’s (and his) sins and it’s amazing to read. I can’t say I liked it so much as I couldn’t look away.
Backstory:
18 year-old orphaned heroine was raped on her wedding night and her rich wastrel husband tried to pimp her out to his friend the next night. She fled to her fellow orphan cousin. Four months later she told her husband she was pregnant. He hit her and then the universe did every one a favor by killing him off in a car crash. Heroine then miscarried.
Doctors warned her she may never have children. Dead husband’s mother lashes out at the heroine in the press – says she was a golddigger, etc. . . But heroine still gets her inheritance from the husband’s estate.
When the story opens the heroine is 22 and her cousin is trying to get her to live again by going to a party. There she meets the hero, a famous actor in his 30’s who has had more bed partners than hot dinners. The heroine is very beautiful and the hero can’t believe she isn’t as attracted to him as he is to her.
Heroine feels something, but she is mostly terrified when the hero forcefully kisses her. She runs out into the night and the hero is so worried about her, he tells her cousin to call him when she finds the h.
And so it begins. The hero decides he’s going to catch this elusive bird. The heroine puts up great resistance, but she finally tells him why she hates men so much. (She has never told anyone about the rape and the pimping) Hero devises the sex-with-me plan.
When the heroine doesn’t buy that – he decides that living together will help her become accustomed to being around him (and then the sex part will follow).
Heroine dithers but eventually moves in with him and his manservant. She has her own room, but the hero makes passes at her all the time. She eventually touches his arm on her own accord, accepts his kisses and goes to bed with him.
She cured! The hero wants to get married and have children. The heroine breaks it off without telling him that she doesn’t know if she can have children. Once she finds out she’s pregnant, she goes back to the hero – HEA.
Sounds nice, right? A little unrealistic since sex isn’t the cure all for rape, a miscarriage and having your name dragged through the mud.
The batshit, dear readers, is in the details.
*At the beginning this hero is Austin Powers with better teeth. He swaggers, he pouts, he begs, he threatens, he can’t stop thinking about his erection.
*He is filming in the States but flies back to London after one week to browbeat the heroine into living with him. This was quite an expensive endeavor back in 1979 when this was written. He was desperate.
*Because he has the world’s biggest erection for the heroine and heroine is off limits he has sex with two maybe three different women the first week he’s in the States. He tells the heroine this so she can know just how serious he is about her. For the first time in his tomcat life, he woke up next to a strange woman and wasn’t happy. He wanted her and no one else.
If that’s not true love I don’t know what is.
*In this universe the hero hasn’t cheated on the heroine because they aren’t sleeping together while he’s out trying to obliterate her memory.
*The heroine buys him a gold medallion with a long chain. Hero has to unbutton several buttons so it can be seen snuggled in the blond hairs on his chest.
*As the story proceeds, the hero suffers for his erection. He loses weight. He drinks and smokes. He can’t sleep.
*The heroine, on the other hand, is happier by the minute as she feels alive again and desired. She just can’t take that physical leap until CM runs out of pages. (Seriously – there’s no logic to any of this)
*The hero is a puddle of emotional jelly by the end of this story. She has truly neutered him and his tomcat ways. He has no ego left. He is humble and grateful. They will move to the country and the hero will retire to worship her full time.
CM really made the hero suffer for another man’s (and his) sins and it’s amazing to read. I can’t say I liked it so much as I couldn’t look away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
avoid
January 9, 2023Self note
The h was raped by her hub ( not H) and is scared of sex. Pet peeve trope drags.
H not celibate after meeting the h. He has sex with 3 women after moving in together because the h is scared of sex and won’t be intimate with him.
Some people consider this not cheating simply because MCs didn’t fuck, but if you’ve moved in together so you can work on building a relationship with the h, then you ARE in a relationship, therefor it is cheating.
Avoid.
The h was raped by her hub ( not H) and is scared of sex. Pet peeve trope drags.
H not celibate after meeting the h. He has sex with 3 women after moving in together because the h is scared of sex and won’t be intimate with him.
Some people consider this not cheating simply because MCs didn’t fuck, but if you’ve moved in together so you can work on building a relationship with the h, then you ARE in a relationship, therefor it is cheating.
Avoid.
August 22, 2018
I don`t really understand why people say that the hero cheated on the heroine,he DID NOT CHEAT ON HER.The time he went to America to act in his movie he had two night stands he deeply was disgusted by,and he was NOT in any relationship with the heroine.She flat well rejected him and even hurt him,and i understand that he wanted to forget her..but sadly he couldn`t.So he did NOT ever cheat.And he DID NOT have sex with anyone since they moved in together,but i wouldn`t be surprised if he did,He wanted loved her very much,and she broke him over and over again,but he never did.I don`t get why everyone says that he did sleep with other woman after they moved in together,i think you guys read the wrong book.
Anyways...this was a deep and passionate love-story.The hero and heroine were both golden and i really fell for them.
The hero,the incredibly sexy actor Leon Masters were a very temperal and exploding Alpha male.He fell in love with the heroine on first sight,and has since her rejection deeply regretted it,Poor man.He was deeply smitten and absorbed in her...and he really well couldn`t live without her.As he mention he really loses his self-respect and pride,cuz he never hide his feelings for her.
He asks his heroine Helen West to live together with him,so she can learn to feel and learn her to desire him too.Her dark past makes her cold towards all men,and knowing of her past i understand completely why.I couldn<´t live it through if it was me.
There are much angst and drama between them,and i just LOVED it.Leon was a very passionate man and such a demanding lover! and it was heartbreaking to watch the heroine reject his advances,his desire,his love and in the end a full head proposal.
'Please, stop this. Leave me alone,' she begged, despising herself for her weakness. 'Oh, please, Leon, leave me alone!' The last came out as a choked sob.
He stood up and came to stand in front of her. 'I can't, my cool Helen. You have me tied up in knots. If it's time you want, you've got it, but you have to let me see you, be with you, talk to you.'
Anyways...this was a deep and passionate love-story.The hero and heroine were both golden and i really fell for them.
The hero,the incredibly sexy actor Leon Masters were a very temperal and exploding Alpha male.He fell in love with the heroine on first sight,and has since her rejection deeply regretted it,Poor man.He was deeply smitten and absorbed in her...and he really well couldn`t live without her.As he mention he really loses his self-respect and pride,cuz he never hide his feelings for her.
He asks his heroine Helen West to live together with him,so she can learn to feel and learn her to desire him too.Her dark past makes her cold towards all men,and knowing of her past i understand completely why.I couldn<´t live it through if it was me.
There are much angst and drama between them,and i just LOVED it.Leon was a very passionate man and such a demanding lover! and it was heartbreaking to watch the heroine reject his advances,his desire,his love and in the end a full head proposal.
'Please, stop this. Leave me alone,' she begged, despising herself for her weakness. 'Oh, please, Leon, leave me alone!' The last came out as a choked sob.
He stood up and came to stand in front of her. 'I can't, my cool Helen. You have me tied up in knots. If it's time you want, you've got it, but you have to let me see you, be with you, talk to you.'
May 26, 2017
It was clear this one was written before therapy was a common thing. The heroine and hero both could have used some serious therapy. Despite that he was totally smitten with her from first glance. She's attracted but does not know how to deal with the results of her rape at the hands of her former husband. Our hero thinks living together with out sex will allow her to get used to him and overcome her reluctance to be physically intimate. That backfires on him big time and drives him crazy in the meantime. Despite his horrible treatment of her, I read every word of this train-wreck and smiled at the HEA.
avoid
August 2, 2017Hero wasn't only not celibate AFTER meeting heroine and getting world's longest lasting erection thinking about her. He has sex with three women after moving in together simply because she wasn't giving any. I wonder what he'd do if she said one night she has a headache and fell asleep while he had an erection. How many OW would he need that night?
If you move in with someone planning on working on having a relationship, I'm sorry to point out, you're in a relationship, if you sleep around at that point, sorry, in plain English you cheated regardless of whether you slept with your girlfriend or not.
If you move in with someone planning on working on having a relationship, I'm sorry to point out, you're in a relationship, if you sleep around at that point, sorry, in plain English you cheated regardless of whether you slept with your girlfriend or not.
May 27, 2017
Jerk of a hero. Doormat heroine. Don't know why I liked this book. One of those stories with a 'I love to hate' hero and an occasional re-read for me.
not-interested-or-bad-reviews
August 3, 2017Cheating hero.
Heroine apparently is afraid of sex. She moves in but won't sleep with him. So he goes overseas and sleeps with 2-3 other women because he must get rid of his constant erection. Must be true love.
Heroine apparently is afraid of sex. She moves in but won't sleep with him. So he goes overseas and sleeps with 2-3 other women because he must get rid of his constant erection. Must be true love.
November 14, 2019
Sexy movie star Leon falls under Helen's spell and tries his darndest to get her to go out with him. But Helen is hiding from a heartbreaking past and is afraid to take a chance again.
slowly but surely Leon starts to win her over and believes that them living together will help her not realizing the agony for himself in having her near but far. The stress starts to get to him and pushes him over the edge of passion and forcing Helen to finally take action but is it too late?
A nice older HP read full of passion and tragedy.
slowly but surely Leon starts to win her over and believes that them living together will help her not realizing the agony for himself in having her near but far. The stress starts to get to him and pushes him over the edge of passion and forcing Helen to finally take action but is it too late?
A nice older HP read full of passion and tragedy.
January 31, 2011
Let me get this straight....you berate a vulnerable, scared, previously raped and miscarried woman into moving in with you...knowing she has intimacy issues...then you berate her for them?
Okay...who bought this stuff back then?
When she tries and fails at intimacy, he says later,"Leon shrugged. 'Then I can't help you. You're slowly destroying me, Helen, and it has to stop. If you leave I may not be able to forget you, but at least I'll get back my self-respect, something wanting you has taken away from me."
A real prince, huh? It got worse. I did not like this book at all.
Okay...who bought this stuff back then?
When she tries and fails at intimacy, he says later,"Leon shrugged. 'Then I can't help you. You're slowly destroying me, Helen, and it has to stop. If you leave I may not be able to forget you, but at least I'll get back my self-respect, something wanting you has taken away from me."
A real prince, huh? It got worse. I did not like this book at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2023
I don’t understand why people say he cheated on her during his trip in America.
They had only seen each other three times before he went on that trip. She kept telling him to back off and that she was not attracted to him.
They were not dating: he came to her house to see her because she didn’t want to date him.
So how can a man cheat on a woman who does not want him and whom he is not in a relationship with.
She was raped by her late husband and is now scared of all physical contact with men. That’s why she told him off.
The kissing scenes are written wonderfully. He is totally bananas for her.
They had only seen each other three times before he went on that trip. She kept telling him to back off and that she was not attracted to him.
They were not dating: he came to her house to see her because she didn’t want to date him.
So how can a man cheat on a woman who does not want him and whom he is not in a relationship with.
She was raped by her late husband and is now scared of all physical contact with men. That’s why she told him off.
The kissing scenes are written wonderfully. He is totally bananas for her.
November 28, 2012
This novel was horrible. The heroine was a very damaged woman after being raped and miscarrying her baby. The hero blackmailed the heroine to live with him and basically forced himself on her in all different kinds of manners. I was just astonished at how morally wrong this novel was.
August 12, 2011
This one is so ridiculously over-the-top with the demanding "hero" and the wounded "heroine."
October 15, 2012
Loved it!!
November 24, 2013
it was a good book but meant 4 teenagers. the tone, the narration itself sounded childish n i got irritated. i was rather shocked when i saw it's a book of carole
February 14, 2021
ΤΕΛΕΙΟ!!!!
February 13, 2025
Absolutely terrible book.
The FMC was so traumatized from her deceased husband, he raped her and had his friend rape her, she miscarried her baby at 4 months along and then she had a terrible mother in law that drug her name threw the press. She opened up to the MMC about her past and what does he do?? He goes to the US to film and tells her he will call her but he doesn't and instead he sleeps with 2 other women. Then he makes FMC move in with him. WTF???
He was a nightmare to live with, she didn't magically get over her trauma and sleep with him so he said mean things to her and threatened to rape her himself. One night he told her he was going out to find someone who would welcome his company and came back drunk, unclear if he slept with another woman.
The ending chapters were terrible, he demands marriage and she just wants to have sex (she thinks she can't have kids so doesn't want him to not have to be childless with her). He leaves but comes back and sleep together but she hasn't changed her mind so he leaves. They are apart for 6+ weeks and he has been drunk the whole time (also unclear if he was with other women). She finds out she's pregnant so goes to him and they get back together. Absolute terrible story and MMC. P.
The FMC was so traumatized from her deceased husband, he raped her and had his friend rape her, she miscarried her baby at 4 months along and then she had a terrible mother in law that drug her name threw the press. She opened up to the MMC about her past and what does he do?? He goes to the US to film and tells her he will call her but he doesn't and instead he sleeps with 2 other women. Then he makes FMC move in with him. WTF???
He was a nightmare to live with, she didn't magically get over her trauma and sleep with him so he said mean things to her and threatened to rape her himself. One night he told her he was going out to find someone who would welcome his company and came back drunk, unclear if he slept with another woman.
The ending chapters were terrible, he demands marriage and she just wants to have sex (she thinks she can't have kids so doesn't want him to not have to be childless with her). He leaves but comes back and sleep together but she hasn't changed her mind so he leaves. They are apart for 6+ weeks and he has been drunk the whole time (also unclear if he was with other women). She finds out she's pregnant so goes to him and they get back together. Absolute terrible story and MMC. P.
July 20, 2025
"Living Together" is the story of Helen and Leon.
LOL! This book is the VERY definition of push and pull. A heroine traumatized by her past, a hero insanely obsessed with her.
If I had to give a rundown
hero pursues heroine
*heroine pushes him away*
hero returns with more determination
*heroine pushes him away*
hero convinces heroine to go out with him and accept his kisses
*heroine pushes him away*
hero makes heroine meet his family
*heroine pushes him away*
hero taunts heroine with many women he used to get over her
*heroine pushes him away*
hero convinces heroine to give up her job yet she can barely kiss him
*heroine pushes him away*
heroine gets jealous of OW
*heroine pushes him away*
hero and heroine have sex
*heroine pushes him away*
hero proposes, heroine declines
*heroine pushes him away*
hero grovels and repeatedly shows how he cant survive without her
*heroine pushes him away*
She finally gives in at very end when the unexpected happens. In short, she needed therapy and he needed her ha!
Both were insane but it was fun
Unsafe
3/5
LOL! This book is the VERY definition of push and pull. A heroine traumatized by her past, a hero insanely obsessed with her.
If I had to give a rundown
hero pursues heroine
*heroine pushes him away*
hero returns with more determination
*heroine pushes him away*
hero convinces heroine to go out with him and accept his kisses
*heroine pushes him away*
hero makes heroine meet his family
*heroine pushes him away*
hero taunts heroine with many women he used to get over her
*heroine pushes him away*
hero convinces heroine to give up her job yet she can barely kiss him
*heroine pushes him away*
heroine gets jealous of OW
*heroine pushes him away*
hero and heroine have sex
*heroine pushes him away*
hero proposes, heroine declines
*heroine pushes him away*
hero grovels and repeatedly shows how he cant survive without her
*heroine pushes him away*
She finally gives in at very end when the unexpected happens. In short, she needed therapy and he needed her ha!
Both were insane but it was fun
Unsafe
3/5
February 10, 2017
I read this within the first year of reading romance titles. I was total enthralled by it. Read it many times as a teenager. If you pick this up, please be familiar with what "storylines" in these books were at the time frame this was written. Ms. Mortimer is still a fav author of mine.
April 9, 2021
Not sure I would have gone anywhere near
Storyline was rushed. H was too dominant and This teamed with her past makes the whole story a farce.
Can tell it was written some time ago.
Storyline was rushed. H was too dominant and This teamed with her past makes the whole story a farce.
Can tell it was written some time ago.
April 13, 2022
A favourite, though from 1980 so many bits are distinctly anti feminist, and the sexual pressure will not be appreciated through a modern gaze. But it's been a well loved one for years so just take in context of the time.
July 5, 2017
Worst hero I can think of and I generally love this author.
Want to read
February 5, 2020Going to read this but cautions needed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 20, 2022
ilk okuduklarımdan biriydi. beğenmiştim. klasik
January 22, 2023
Wish the h had seen a psychiatrist, no the H has a couple of one night stands before they start living together so he does not cheat on her even h acknowledges this and only feels jealous.
November 16, 2023
Oldies
March 15, 2018
Helen is worry of men. She had enough in the past from them through her abusive little rich boy husband who hurt her so badly. Therefore, she kept rejecting the advances of Leon Masters, the famous actor who showed great interest in her.
The story would have been so much better if dialogues where shortened and more narration of clear inner thoughts and emotions were described. Not a novel worthy of reading again in any time.
The story would have been so much better if dialogues where shortened and more narration of clear inner thoughts and emotions were described. Not a novel worthy of reading again in any time.
January 15, 2025
This book was good, but also sad! Poor Helen went through so much and suffered badly, thinking she could never trust another man again (and who could blame her). Leon was patient and caring, but then Helen decides to sacrifice their relationship and reject his proposal, because she thinks it's the right thing to do. (This is sometimes called being the "noble idiot", when you think the person you love is better off without you, so you set them free, by making them think you don't care.) It takes a while for things to get back on track, in a surprising way.
Worth reading!
Worth reading!
February 23, 2024
This book needs a trigger warning for rape, abuse
And while the main male character is not the rapist his treatment of the female main character is verbally abusive and emotional borderline abusive
Seriously should not be an HQN.
And while the main male character is not the rapist his treatment of the female main character is verbally abusive and emotional borderline abusive
Seriously should not be an HQN.
October 23, 2023
Helen was widowed after a very brief and abusive marriage. She meets actor Leon Masters who recognizes her fear of intimacy and is willing to wait.
December 16, 2015
a very sweet HEA
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews