Celia Scott

This is 4 stars for OF ITS TYPE. This is a perfect little nutshell of a Harlequin Romance. There were no real surprises but each necessary element was there and it was well written enough to keep me entertained and reading. Downtrodden heroine, check. besotted hero who comes up with MOC plan to get the heroine into his life, check. Exotic location, high fashion makeover, evil jealous family member, heroine hiding her supposed unwanted love from the hero, check, check, check.

The hero of course attempts seduction and because this is an HR written in 1983 he calls her a c*** tease when she changes her mind after a few hot kisses. This is an area where you can really see the changing mores from that era to this. Guys may still think like that (although I hope most are accepting the no means no thing and that a girl or a guy I guess has the right to change their mind at any time.) but it's not really accepted for most heroes to voice that when they're turned down. Of course there isn't as much turning away from sex in HPs anymore. It's more accepted that both men and women can have sex without love. It's now not so much about will they or won't they but about what each means by it and what they are receiving emotionally from it.

One other thing that I have to mention is that the heroine's sister called her Tusker because she's as big as an elephant although really she's just tall. I wanted this issue to be addresses more strongly by both the hero and the heroine. The hero did stand up for her and say that she was lovely etc., but he should have really laid into the sister when she continued throughout the book. And the heroine should have eventually bitch slapped her sister over it and stood up for herself.… (more)