Penny Jordan (1946–2011)
Author of Power Play
About the Author
Disambiguation Notice:
(spa) Penny Halsall, nacida Penelope Jones, comenzó escribiendo romances ambientados en la Regencia inglesa como Caroline Courtney, luego historias aéreas como Melinda Wright y de suspense como Lydia Hitchcock, y ahora, ella escribe romances actuales como Penny Jordan y historicos como Annie Groves.
Penny Halsall, neé Penelope Jones, wrote regency romances as Caroline Courtney, air-hostess romps as Melinda Wright and thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock, and later in her career, she wrote contemporany romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves.
Series
Works by Penny Jordan
Christmas Treats (Figgy Pudding/ A Man For All Seasonings/ All The Trimmings) (1997) 46 copies, 2 reviews
It Happened at Christmas (Bride at Bellfield Mill/ A Family for Hawthorn Farm/ Tilly of Tap House) (2007) 43 copies, 1 review
Latin Lovers (A Spanish Christmas/ Christmas Eve Bride/ Christmas in Venice) (2001) — Contributor — 34 copies
Boardroom to Bedroom (The Boss's Marriage Arrangement / His Darling Valentine) (2005) 23 copies, 1 review
Sunsational (Fantasy/ Rent-A-Bride Ltd/ You Owe Me/ Lovers in the Afternoon) (1991) — Contributor — 12 copies
The Crightons: The Perfect Seduction / Perfect Marriage Material / The Perfect Match? (By Request 3's) (2001) 10 copies
Winter Weddings (Christmas Eve Wedding / A Scandalous Courtship / Snowbound Sweetheart) (2002) 6 copies
Jet Set Wives (Bedding His Virgin Mistress / Expecting the Playboy's Heir / Blackmailing the Society Bride) (2008) 5 copies
The Mills and Boon Collection (The Tycoon's Virgin / The English Bride / Rescuing Dr Ryan) (2006) 4 copies
Jet-Set Summer Affairs (Surrendering to a Smouldering Sardinian / Red-Hot Nights in Rio / One Gorgeous Man) (2009) 4 copies
Christmas Presents (Her Christmas Fantasy / A Baby for Christmas / Christmas Nights) (1999) — Contributor — 3 copies
Passionate Nights: The Mistress Assignment / Mistress of Convenience / Mistress to Her Husband (Mills & Boon Special Releases) (2012) 3 copies
Duty & Desire: The Future King's Pregnant MistressA Royal Bride at the Sheikh's Command (The Royal House of Niroli) (2012) 3 copies
Macht der Leidenschaft / Liebe im Schatten der Angst / Die zwei Gesichter einer Frau. Drei Romane in einem Band. (1994) 2 copies
Chosen by the Sheikh (In His Power... / Sleeping with the Sultan / Betrayed by Her Fiance) (2010) 2 copies
The Royal House of Niroli (8 books) — Contributor — 2 copies
Mistelzweig und Weihnachtszauber: Ein Weihnachtsmärchen in Montana / Zwei Spuren im Schnee ... / Viel Liebe zum Fest / Dein Kuss unterm Mistelzweig (2016) — Author — 2 copies
Three Sisters in the Snow: the brand-new uplifting and heart-warming WW2 historical fiction novel, perfect for Christmas 2025: Book 3 (2025) 2 copies
Connie’s Courage 2 copies
Sélection des Lectrices: Les détours de l'amour / Séduisante rencontre / L'émotion au rendez-vous (2005) 1 copy
Numa Ilha Dourada & Mistérios Do Oriente — Author — 1 copy
Her Playboy Boss (Ultimate Surrender/ Boss's Convenient Bride/ His Secretary Mistress) (2009) — Contributor — 1 copy
Housekeeper in His Bed (An Unforgettable Man / The Italian Millionaire's Virgin Wife / His Live-in Mistress) (2009) 1 copy
Spécial Noël: Un coup de foudre pour Noël / Un bébé pour Olivia / Un irrésistible séducteur (2004) 1 copy
mistress of cenvenience 1 copy
Cuando el amor es sincero 1 copy
Procura-se uma amante 1 copy
Cienie przeszlosci (polish) 1 copy
Segredos Que Ferem 1 copy
Juntos de nuevo 1 copy
Rakkauden voitto 1 copy
Valkoinen unelma 1 copy
Muukalaisen suudelma 1 copy
Kohtalon oikku 1 copy
Ranskalainen kreivitär 1 copy
Only a mother knows 1 copy
Tendre ennemie 1 copy
Träume voller Sehnsucht 1 copy
Veneno Cor De Rosa 1 copy
Troca Desleal & Uma Noite Em Cozumel — Author — 1 copy
Séducteurs en uniforme : Un agent très spécial - La fiancée du shérif - L'enfant du héros (Edition Spéciale) (French Edition) (2011) 1 copy
For the Sheikh's Pleasure Arabian Nights : The Sheikh's Virgin Bride / One Night with the Sheikh / Possessed by the Sheikh (2015) 1 copy
Virgin for the Billionaire's Taking [and] The Greek Billionaire's Taking — Author — 1 copy
Matrimonio fugaz 1 copy
The Italian Duke's Virgin Mistress / Argentinian Playboy, Unexpected Love-Child / A Bride for Kolovsky (3-in-1) — Contributor — 1 copy
Happy End am Valentinstag : Valentinszauber // Entscheidung am Valentinstag // Heisse Nacht in New York (2014) 1 copy
JULIA COLLECTION Band 08: EIN MANN ZUM HEIRATEN? / EINE FRAU ZUM HEIRATEN? / HEIRAT NICHT AUSGESCHLOSSEN? / (2009) 1 copy
Nacht der wrake 1 copy
Julia Collection Band 25: Sommerträume in Marbella / Die geliebte des Milliardärs / Hochzeitsglocken auf Mallorca / (2010) 1 copy
Force of Fate 1 copy
Kobieta z przeszłością 1 copy
Un bouleversant mensonge 1 copy
Gwiazdkowe prezenty 1 copy
Lilia wśród cierni 1 copy
Grzechy 1 copy
Mężczyzna na weekend 1 copy
U kresu sił 1 copy
Doskonała rodzina 1 copy
Miłość, honor i zdrada 1 copy
Francuskie wakacje 1 copy
Prawdziwy diament 1 copy
Skrywana namiętność 1 copy
Ukryte lata 1 copy
Ukryty skarb 1 copy
Válaszúton 1 copy
To Love Honour & Betray 1 copy
Un pizzico di gelosia 1 copy
Sommerträume in Marbella - 2. Teil der Miniserie "Jet Set Wives" (Julia 1720) (German Edition) (2006) 1 copy
Nem omlik ossze 1 copy
Σίλβερ 1 copy
Arabski książę 1 copy
Associated Works
A Cure for Love — Original Novel — 1 copy
The Perfect Lover — Original Text — 1 copy
Game of Love — Original Text — 1 copy
Rescue Operation — Original Text — 1 copy
Island of the Dawn — Original Novel — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Halsall, Penelope Jones
- Other names
- Courtney, Caroline
Hitchcock, Lydia
Wright, Melinda
Jones, Penny
Groves, Annie
Roding, Frances - Birthdate
- 1946-11-24
- Date of death
- 2011-12-31
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- novelist
- Awards and honors
- Romantic Times Career Achievement Award (Series Romance, 2003)
- Short biography
- Frances Roding - 6 titles
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on 24 November 1946 in Preston, Lancashire, England. She left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She spent fourteen years working as a shorthand typist in Manchester. She began her writing career in 1979 as Caroline Courtney, writing regency romances. She also used the nom de plume of Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and Lydia Hitchcock, for two thrillers. Since 1980s, she signs contemporary romances as Penny Jordan and Frances Roding, and since 2003, she signs historical novels as Annie Groves, her mother's maiden-name.
Penny was one of the most prolific writers with more than 200 novels and 70 million copies of her books translated into many languages. Widow of Steve Halsall, an accountant, she lived in Nantwich, Cheshire with her dog, Sheba, and her cat, Posh. Sadly, she died of cancer on December 31, 2011 at a hospital in Cheshire. - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Preston, Lancashire, England, UK
- Place of death
- Cheshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- Penny Halsall, neé Penelope Jones, wrote regency romances as Caroline Courtney, air-hostess romps as Melinda Wright and thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock, and later in her career, she wrote contemporany romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves.
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Discussions
A harlequin romance with deceptively shy professor and his men shy secretary in Name that Book (August 2015)
Reviews
I think this must have been written by a melodramatic 13 year old and PJ just let her publish under her name. It lept around from unbelievable situation to unbelievable situation. First of all the hero and heroine didn't meet until page 63 which is totally unacceptable in a 189 page romance novel. Even in 1982 that must have been obvious. The heroine was an absolute ignorant ninny. The hero was a mustache twirling insane man child. The first time he meets her in his uncle the sheikh's house, show more he unbuttons this 20 year old stranger's dress and gropes and kisses her breasts? WTF? These two deserved each other I guess. She decided on hearsay that he was the worst kind of playboy and when she meets him, insults him and then when he gropes her she trembles too much to fight back. Then there is the drugging and forced marriage and wedding night rape that she turns out to enjoy. I know, it sounds like an interesting trainwreck but trust me it is so poorly written and so poorly plotted and the characterizations are so poorly realized that you can't even enjoy the rubbernecking. show less
5 HP stars Liked it just as well on the reread.
This book was very different and is frankly the best one I've read from Penny Jordan. It is the story of a woman who was raped as a teenager but who never told anyone and so she never got over it. Unlike most HPs where the author glosses over the fact that the heroine should have had therapy, here the heroine acknowledges that she should have gone to some but was too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. Of course the only other person who show more knows what happened is the hero. He is the cousin of the rapist and came upon them just after the fact when the heroine was lying dazed and so he doesn't know that is was rape but thinks it was consensual and that the heroine loved his cousin. The heroine however thinks that the hero despises her for being a 'ho.
All that is slightly different but the thing that makes this book shine is that a lot of the story was told from the hero's POV. You learn very quickly that the hero has loved her all along. When in his POV you see him trying his best to always do things right for her and help her and love her. Especially once he figures out that the heroine does not love his cousin. Then it is all about how he can make her fall in love with him.
If you love different HPs then you definitely need to read this one. It is one of those jewels in the HP world that keeps you slogging away through the dross in hopes of finding the treasure. show less
This book was very different and is frankly the best one I've read from Penny Jordan. It is the story of a woman who was raped as a teenager but who never told anyone and so she never got over it. Unlike most HPs where the author glosses over the fact that the heroine should have had therapy, here the heroine acknowledges that she should have gone to some but was too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. Of course the only other person who show more knows what happened is the hero. He is the cousin of the rapist and came upon them just after the fact when the heroine was lying dazed and so he doesn't know that is was rape but thinks it was consensual and that the heroine loved his cousin. The heroine however thinks that the hero despises her for being a 'ho.
All that is slightly different but the thing that makes this book shine is that a lot of the story was told from the hero's POV. You learn very quickly that the hero has loved her all along. When in his POV you see him trying his best to always do things right for her and help her and love her. Especially once he figures out that the heroine does not love his cousin. Then it is all about how he can make her fall in love with him.
If you love different HPs then you definitely need to read this one. It is one of those jewels in the HP world that keeps you slogging away through the dross in hopes of finding the treasure. show less
For a Harlequin this one was pretty good. The hero was likeable as he was calm, intelligent, and interesting enough, although nothing stood out as unique. The heroine I dug even if she had a massive chip on her shoulder - I liked the author didn't melt away her issues so quickly as many authors do, where she kept up her motivations for being untrusting for most of the book, used her brain and distrust. She also had a valid motive that was reasonable, made sense, and strong enough to keep the show more plot issues up. The end of the book had a nifty twist on why she was forced to trust him after all. But their strange clutch on a baby again is a turn off - why can't couples want some alone time? Is it that unusual to think about it? The other negative was the dialogue was cheesy during...intimate moments, which is a common thing for Harlequins. There was some good writing with those scenes though, some steamy areas authors don't always go to.
And, there was some humor -
"I may not brag about it, but I certainly know how to do it," Christa told him, blushing a little as she responded to his gentle humor. "One of my friends' teenage daughters has told me all about it. They had a demonstration at school - with a cucumber..."
"A cucumber?" Daniel burst out laughing. "And women wonder why men have such fragile sexual egos."
show less
And, there was some humor -
"I may not brag about it, but I certainly know how to do it," Christa told him, blushing a little as she responded to his gentle humor. "One of my friends' teenage daughters has told me all about it. They had a demonstration at school - with a cucumber..."
"A cucumber?" Daniel burst out laughing. "And women wonder why men have such fragile sexual egos."
show less
Sara Browning (who is 29) lives in London and has been in love with her boss (Ian) for years. But after Ian tells Sara he is marrying someone else she hands in her notice and leaves her job. She decides to go back to her parents' home in Shropshire. When Sara arrives she meets a stranger (hero Stuart Delaney) who tells her that Sara's parents have just left for a few days because her sister is having her baby. Since Sara is alone till her parents come back she spends some time with Stuart show more and gets to know him. Stuart (who is in his 30's) is a tree expert who grows and sells trees and has worked with the Forestry Commission. He is now living in the manor house down the road, near her parents' home. Eventually Stuart offers Sara a job doing some computer work for him. Sara tells Stuart about how she loved her boss Ian and that Ian's fiancée Anna had a talk with Sara about how sexless and undesirable both she and Ian thought Sara was. So now Sara believes she is unappealing to men. Sara also tells Stuart about how much she wants children and a family. One day Stuart suggests a marriage of convenience...they are both compatible and want the same things in life. As time goes by Sara begins to realize how shallow Ian was and starts to fall for Stuart.
I liked Sara. She was a sweet, innocent, and at times naïve heroine. I couldn't figure out why she was so hung up on Ian for so many years. Maybe it was because at nineteen, when she arrived in London, she fell in love with Ian so he was her first love? Besides being good-looking he didn't have any good traits. It seemed that Sara was seeing him through rose-colored glasses. After being away from Ian for a while she started noticing his many bad qualities.
I really liked Stuart. He was kind, and thoughtful, and caring, and obviously smitten with Sara. He was a bit different for a Harlequin Presents hero. I can’t think of many HP heroes that worked with trees and the Forestry Commission.I thought it was sweet and romantic when Stuart secretly made an oak bed for Sara as a wedding present after she expressed an interest in one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The first few chapters were a little slow when Sara dwelled for a bit on Ian but after that it really picked up. Another wonderful read by Penny Jordan! show less
I liked Sara. She was a sweet, innocent, and at times naïve heroine. I couldn't figure out why she was so hung up on Ian for so many years. Maybe it was because at nineteen, when she arrived in London, she fell in love with Ian so he was her first love? Besides being good-looking he didn't have any good traits. It seemed that Sara was seeing him through rose-colored glasses. After being away from Ian for a while she started noticing his many bad qualities.
I really liked Stuart. He was kind, and thoughtful, and caring, and obviously smitten with Sara. He was a bit different for a Harlequin Presents hero. I can’t think of many HP heroes that worked with trees and the Forestry Commission.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The first few chapters were a little slow when Sara dwelled for a bit on Ian but after that it really picked up. Another wonderful read by Penny Jordan! show less
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- Works
- 556
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- Rating
- 3.0
- Reviews
- 122
- ISBNs
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