What might well have been a silly, throw-away typical Harlequin romance has turned out to be a well written romance with depth; a multi-layered plot, and realistic characters. The plot concerns a young school teacher on vacation, Venetia, who by way of her car breaking down, meets a wealthy Spaniard, Andres, during her tour of Spain. She stays with his family and forms a friendship with him, albeit one laced with his occasional disapproval of her "free & easy" (read: relaxed) English ways and mores. For once, the heroine is intelligent, perceptive, and not at all anxious to have an affair. The hero is reserved, almost hide-bound with his status and his Spanish pride, and overdue for a wakeup call, which the heroine's openness and intelligence (for once, it's not just her beautiful face and figure) provides. And, for once, the hero's not an overpowering alpha-male devouring a virginal-wimp-heroine with his sexual energy. These characters are refreshingly above these over done; typical Harlequin-style characterizations. The friendship, and the romance, between this realistic hero and heroine develops naturally, and at a nice pace. There's no sex, but plenty of sexual tension. The author's deft plot turns and the descriptive writing really make this a rare treat. Influenced by the silly '70's cover art, I was really expecting to dispose of this book with all speed, but the truly charming romance under the covers (no pun intended!) makes it a keeper.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.