Sara Craven (1938–2017)
Author of The Forced Bride
About the Author
Sara Craven is the pseudonym used by Anne Ashurst, originally Anne Bushell. She was born in October 1938 in Devon, England. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as journalist for the Paignton Observer and as teacher. Her first romance novel, The Garden of Dreams, was published in 1975 show more under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. Since then she has written over 80 romance novels including The Innocent's Surrender, His Untamed Innocent, The Highest Stakes of All, and Wife in the Shadows. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Anne Bushell Thomas Ashurst writes under the pseudonym of Sara Craven.
Series
Works by Sara Craven
His Contract Bride (The Marriage Proposition / The Bride Price / The Borghese Bride) (2009) — Author — 6 copies
His Wife, His Revenge (The Vengeful Husband / The Greek Tycoons Ultimatum / The Forced Marriage) (2009) 3 copies
To Claim His Mistress (Mistress at a Price / Mother and Mistress / His Mistress's Secret) (2008) 2 copies
Romance Treasury: The Garden of Dreams / Lovely Is the Rose / One Hot Summer (1981) — Contributor — 2 copies
Escape to Greek Affairs (Smokescreen Marriage / The Mediterranean Tycoon) (2006) — Contributor — 2 copies
Mulheres De Poder — Author — 1 copy
Fascino greco 1 copy
The Italian's Love-Child (Marchese's Love-Child/ Italian's Stolen Bride/ Italian's Marriage Demand) (2009) — Contributor — 1 copy
Julia Gold Band 60 : LIEBESNACHT AUF KEFALONIA / AUF DER SUCHE NACH DEM GLÜCK / DU HAST MICH WACHGEKÜSST (2015) 1 copy
His Bride on His Terms (His Bid for a Bride / His Inherited Bride / His Forbidden Bride) (2008) 1 copy
81 المنبـــوذة سارة كرافن 1 copy
Julia Exklusiv Band 0227: Sieben Nächte voller Liebe / Hast du eine andere? / Du küsst zu gut / (2012) 1 copy
Além Do Sonho 1 copy
Sara Craven Best Selection, Vol. 2 — Original Text — 1 copy
169- الرجل الفراشة 1 copy
Associated Works
The Virgin's Wedding Night — Original Text — 1 copy
Marriage by Deception — Original Text — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Craven, Sara
- Legal name
- Bushell Thomas Ashurst, Anne
- Other names
- Craven, Sara
- Birthdate
- 1938-10
- Date of death
- 2017-11-15
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- UK (birth)
- Birthplace
- Devon, England, UK
- Places of residence
- West Highlands, Scotland, UK
Somerset, England, UK - Occupations
- journalist
novelist
teacher - Organizations
- Romantic Novelists' Association
- Awards and honors
- BBC's Mastermind (1997)
- Short biography
- Anne Bushell was born in South Devon, England on October 1938, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson. - Disambiguation notice
- Anne Bushell Thomas Ashurst writes under the pseudonym of Sara Craven.
Members
Discussions
Vintage Harlequin in Name that Book (January 2016)
Reviews
This is marginally better then THE HIGHEST STAKES OF ALL. At least she wasn't sold to Jake by a relative.
Before I begin this review let's start with something that REALLY set my hackles up:
Let me break down what that means:
--the heroine will be at least 18, but under 22
--the hero will be somewhere above 30
--the hero will be rich and used to getting his way
--the heroine will not have a job, or if she does it will be some sort of 'female' job like secretary/nurse/assistant
--the heroine will protest a lot, the hero will laugh at her protestations
--the heroine will fall in love with the hero, for no real reason except the story calls for it
The book is set in 1975 (why?), the heroine is 18 (not quite 19), the hero is some age over 30 (though that's kind of a guess given some contextual clues) and the hero is so rich he owns his own ISLAND. The heroine has no job (but has aspirations to being a nanny, which in and of itself is not a bad profession, I was one once, but she honestly can not think of anything else she may want to go to school for and only settles on that because someone else tells her its a good idea) beyond what her father uses her for (he's a gambler and she is his scantily clad, sultry look giving good luck charm...that no one knows is his daughter and speculates is his mistress).
Yeah this sounds like a winner folks!
I have no good things to say about this book by the by so take from that what you will. Joanna has no backbone, also I find it hard to believe that no one at all thought it wrong that Vassos kidnapped her, openly threatened to rape her until he no longer wanted her and then promised to sell her off. Revenge is one thing, but seriously--how frelling loyal were his people that even the WOMEN thought it was okay for him to use Joanna like a piece of meat? How did no one object to this?
Beyond that what kind of father was Joanna's father that he didn't immediately jump up and say 'THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'? And why would Joanna expect a rescue from him when he wouldn't even acknowledge they were related? Why would she WANT a rescue from him?
Vassos was just...repulsive and disgusting. He either spends the book having sex with an unwilling Joanna, or a reluctantly willing Joanna (which besides the point but he's trying to get her to want to have sex with him for the pleasure of it...and goes about it by NOT driving her to climax. If I understood the writing rightly he would get her worked up, have his release and then send her back to her room without her own.) and promising to sell her off if she displeases him. He orders her around, keeps her cooped up, won't talk to her when she asks a question so she understands a situation he doesn't want her meddling in and even after learning the truth about her life he is still 'well. changes nothing I still want to have sex with you'. He goes so far to say that his revenge was only made sweeter because of who and what she was.
THEN to top it all off Joanna is suddenly 'in love' with Vassos? Because he chooses to get over himself enough to send her home? Really? But she doesn't tell him this, no instead she assumes he's done with her and wants to hold onto her pride (ha! lost that already). Their 11th hour confessions to each other were about as romantic as a hedgehog in bed.… (more)
"The Untamed arrogant and proud, unashamedly male! Harlequin Presents with a retro twist....Step back in time to when men were men--and women knew how to tame them!"
Let me break down what that means:
--the heroine will be at least 18, but under 22
--the hero will be somewhere above 30
--the hero will be rich and used to getting his way
--the heroine will not have a job, or if she does it will be some sort of 'female' job like secretary/nurse/assistant
--the heroine will protest a lot, the hero will laugh at her protestations
--the heroine will fall in love with the hero, for no real reason except the story calls for it
The book is set in 1975 (why?), the heroine is 18 (not quite 19), the hero is some age over 30 (though that's kind of a guess given some contextual clues) and the hero is so rich he owns his own ISLAND. The heroine has no job (but has aspirations to being a nanny, which in and of itself is not a bad profession, I was one once, but she honestly can not think of anything else she may want to go to school for and only settles on that because someone else tells her its a good idea) beyond what her father uses her for (he's a gambler and she is his scantily clad, sultry look giving good luck charm...that no one knows is his daughter and speculates is his mistress).
Yeah this sounds like a winner folks!
I have no good things to say about this book by the by so take from that what you will. Joanna has no backbone, also I find it hard to believe that no one at all thought it wrong that Vassos kidnapped her, openly threatened to rape her until he no longer wanted her and then promised to sell her off. Revenge is one thing, but seriously--how frelling loyal were his people that even the WOMEN thought it was okay for him to use Joanna like a piece of meat? How did no one object to this?
Beyond that what kind of father was Joanna's father that he didn't immediately jump up and say 'THIS IS MY DAUGHTER'? And why would Joanna expect a rescue from him when he wouldn't even acknowledge they were related? Why would she WANT a rescue from him?
Vassos was just...repulsive and disgusting. He either spends the book having sex with an unwilling Joanna, or a reluctantly willing Joanna (which besides the point but he's trying to get her to want to have sex with him for the pleasure of it...and goes about it by NOT driving her to climax. If I understood the writing rightly he would get her worked up, have his release and then send her back to her room without her own.) and promising to sell her off if she displeases him. He orders her around, keeps her cooped up, won't talk to her when she asks a question so she understands a situation he doesn't want her meddling in and even after learning the truth about her life he is still 'well. changes nothing I still want to have sex with you'. He goes so far to say that his revenge was only made sweeter because of who and what she was.
THEN to top it all off Joanna is suddenly 'in love' with Vassos? Because he chooses to get over himself enough to send her home? Really? But she doesn't tell him this, no instead she assumes he's done with her and wants to hold onto her pride (ha! lost that already). Their 11th hour confessions to each other were about as romantic as a hedgehog in bed.… (more)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 156
- Also by
- 26
- Members
- 1,798
- Popularity
- #14,308
- Rating
- 3.1
- Reviews
- 37
- ISBNs
- 623
- Languages
- 12
If possible this managed to be creepier than the novel it's based on.
Step 1 in Revenge:
Get your enemy(?) to hand over his good luck charm that supposedly caused your friend's downfall.
If you've mentioned a couple times that good luck charm looks hella young, like a child, ignore that voice. Revenge Matters.
Step 2 in Revenge:
Kidnap said good luck charm to a far off island and tell your staff she's literally the worst woman ever so treat her bad.
If you notice she looks hella young while sleeping, crying or in general talking to you, ignore that voice. Revenge Matters.
Step 3 in Revenge:
Tell the gal she has no choice, it's all her fault for being a fool and you'll do as you like.
If you notice she looks hella young and innocent while arguing against taking her against her will, ignore that voice. Revenge Matters.
Step 4 in Revenge:
Don't bother seducing the harlot, didn't you say you'd take what you want? She didn't say no...Rape away!
If you notice she is OMG SHE'S A VIRGIN, LISTEN TO THAT VOICE. Revenge DOES NOT matter.
Step 5 in Revenge(?):
Look at the passport, oh she IS a child (18) and she's NOT a harlot. Did your friend lie perchance? New revenge!
So you noticed she's not a harlot, you made a bad mistake, revenge was bad...but oh look at that love maybe you can convince her to stay?
Step 6 in...whatever the fuck this is now:
Send her away!
But give her sad puppy dog looks and oh she came back this stupid fucking loon...can anyone say Stockholm Syndrome?
Look. Joanna called her father "Daddy" a lot. She saw no problem with him displaying her like a sexy doll constantly (Daddy needs me!). Then she decided she loved Vassos because he had the same hang dog expression and "needed" her like her dad.
In the book he's almost twice her age, so just a few years shy of her dad. In this manga Joanna mentions A LOT how she stayed with her dad because he needed her, would be lost without her and then she mentions that she wants to stay with Vassos for the same reasons.
Seriously this book was creepier as a manga. SHE IS 18. And the housekeeper, if possible, was a worst enabler here. Vassos' entire staff is OK with him potentially raping this strange oddly youthful looking girl because he told them how "evil" she was.
ugh. just. ugh.… (more)