An old-fashioned romance with lots of family drama.

Another one for the first 100 HP quest. This one is numbered 14 and was originally published in 1971. I think I’ve read 30 or so now.

Well Anne Mather sure had a thing for older man/younger woman romances. Here again just like the last one I read by her, the man is 37 and the heroine is17. This time she’s his ward though after his father, her great uncle, dies. She’s straight out of the convent though. There’s the usual bitchy mother and a couple of wannabe OWs. The hero spanks the heroine (a few over the knee swats) and then kisses her. Then he’s all angsty about it and tries to get her forgiveness for the rest for the rest of the book. He acts like he beat and raped her. Her actions didn’t seem to correlate with his. I don’t know what he was so upset about. She never accused him really except to say basically how could you spank me you meanie? I think the author could have done a better job of writing there. Anyway she finds out that turns out she had inherited her uncle’s estate and not him, he was illegitimate. She tries to give it all up for him but he won’t let her. Then some I love your and HEA.

Sometimes in these old harlequins, I feel like they are having conversations which each other that need translators for us dumb readers. Half of what all the characters were saying in this were backhanded, vague, non-commital, and {insert other beating around the bush type phrases or words here}. Worse, I never saw James fall for her. When did that happen? There were a few moments of "ooop! There it is!" But then if fizzled.

At the time of reading this, I truly liked Anne Mather and she was one of my favorite Harlequin writers. Looking back, I don't know why I liked her. I haven't read a Harlequin in years...imagine it would be a good type of book for relaxing and brain fodder.