This review contains SPOILERS****

Lani St. John first saw hero Jake Pendragon when she was fourteen and on holiday in Cornwall with her parents (who were trying to make an attempt to save their bad marriage). But after Lani's mother Clare discovers that her husband Roger (a solicitor) is planning on visiting a client during this holiday she gets fed up and leaves. So just Lani and her father are left to enjoy the rest of the holiday together. Lani first meets Jake at his grandmother's house (Roger's client) and she later follows him home to his house on the cliff by the sea. Jake is annoyed that she followed him home but he invites her in and they talk. They don't see each other again for six years.

Six years later Lani's mother and father are divorced. Lani rarely sees or hears from her mother Clare, who is a popular opera singer. Clare always seems to have a new man in her life. And to Lani's dismay, her latest man is Jake Pendragon. Lani and Jake eventually meet again. Jake thinks Lani looks familiar, and then to his surprise he discovers Lani is the girl he met six years ago in Cornwall and that she's Clare's daughter. Lani finds herself attracted to Jake but she is trying to stay away from him because she thinks he's involved with her mother. Jake is known as Clare's protégé. Clare discovered Jake playing piano in a nightclub in San Diego and without Clare's assistance and financial help Jake wouldn't be where he is today. Jake recently gave a piano recital at the Royal Albert Hall and he is rapidly gaining popularity and recognition as a great pianist.

Jake keeps trying to meet up with Lani, who is trying to avoid him. But eventually they become lovers. One day when Jake takes Lani back to his hotel her mother Clare is in his room in nothing but a silk dressing gown. Clare gets mad when Jake tells Clare to leave and she storms out taking Jake's keys to his Porsche. Jake and Lani race after her. But when they get outside an angry Clare tries to run into Jake with his Porsche. When Lani tries to save Jake from the oncoming Porsche her mother plows into both of them and they both end up in the hospital. Lani, with a fractured skull, and Jake, with broken bones and smashed hands. Will he ever be able to play the piano again?

This was a captivating story with a lot of tension and drama. The main couple had good chemistry. It wasn't labeled as a Harlequin Presents but it was just like one, only longer at 382 pages. A good vintage read. ( )