Great old vintage HP. The hero falls for the heroine at first sight and maneuvers things to get her married to him before she can catch her breath. Of course he doesn't tell her and traumas from miscommunication ensue. There's forced seduction in this one but keeping in mind the way books were written at the time I gave it a pass. I know I'm not reading feminist literature here. It was believable really. There was some melodramatic trauma. Hey sign me up for that! ;-) The confession of love at the end was nice too. All in all well worth reading for the fan of the vintage HP. ( )

Whoah, this was some old school stuff. Controlling to the nth degree, this was one of those kind of Harlequins where half the time you wanted to run from the 'hero' screaming. He even does a light "slap" and a few painful arm grabs. Eek. Still, the heroine is enjoyable - sometimes. There was a dark Gothic overcast for this one that raised it a notch - I rarely noticed Gothic themes in Harlequins. Here it's there a little with the castle, towers, and some cruel relatives. It was dark because it touched upon a tragedy that happens to the main character later. Rarely does this happen in Harlequins - especially with so much detail, including the 'hospital' help which seemed partly mental. Bedroom scenes are brief and barely there, this one is enjoyed for a completely different kind of mood (morbid relationships, check!) Because of the daring differences, I have to give it an affirmative nod. ( )