Call It Destiny

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Summary: This is a reprint of her Temptation #21 book from 1984
Review: The 'harsher' story line is typical of the writing of the time. Men were rough & tough; the women were headstrong but wanted/needed to be brought to heel by a man strong enough to take them in hand. I'm far fonder of her current works than some of these earliest ones but enjoy her stories nevertheless. For readers who love her work but are not book collectors - this is your way to acquire & read some of her earlier work.

Rating:
Summary: Call It Drivel
Review: THis is the sort of plot and the sorts of main characters that make me want to give up romance fiction. The heroine, Heather, found out the night before her wedding that she didn't own the resort that she thought was hers: it really belonged to her marriage-of-convenience fiance Jake, who didn't tell her because he thought, with complete justification, that she would back out on the marriage. Am I the only one who found Heather's anger to be completely justified? These heroes of JAK are dishonest with the heroines all the time, and NOTHING HAPPENS. The men get away with it, because it 's for the heroine's own good, of course.(Even the heroine's FATHER is in on the deception in this one-no wonder she can accept being treated so disrespectfully!) Heather is, at happy- ever-after time, agreeing to slave away at the resort that she thought would be hers, but thanks to a pre-nup, not actually getting to own any of it nor seeing a dime in her own name. How likely is it that a fiercely independent woman is going to voluntarily accept not only being lied to and deceived by her man,(who really doesn't think he's done anything wrong-in fact, it was all Heather's fault for being arrogant) but making herself financially helpless? Is she really so stupid and lacking in backbone that she would accept Jake saying that "We'll run the resort together" knowing that she has no real power and certainly no money of her own, and absolutely no security?
If you want a feisty, independent heroine, you have to make winning her somewhat of a challenge.Heather talked a good game, but Jake had her in bed and bowing to his will pretty quickly.
I'd walk out on any man who did to me what Jake did to Heather, and I don't even ride a motorcycle. Let's hope this kind of plot stays in the past where it belongs.