Afbeelding van de auteur.

Victoria Pade

Auteur van The Marriage Bargain

111+ Werken 1,160 Leden 31 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Bevat de namen: Victoria Pade, Victoria Pade

Reeksen

Werken van Victoria Pade

The Marriage Bargain (2000) 32 exemplaren
From Boss to Bridegroom (2001) 30 exemplaren
Divorce Can be Murder (1999) 29 exemplaren
A Baby for the Bachelor (2009) 27 exemplaren
Willow in Bloom (2002) 27 exemplaren
On Pins and Needles (2002) 22 exemplaren
Designs on the Doctor (2008) 21 exemplaren
Cowboy's Kin (1994) 21 exemplaren
Fortune Found (2011) 21 exemplaren
Her Baby Secret (2002) 20 exemplaren
The Baby Deal (2006) 20 exemplaren
Baby My Baby (1995) 20 exemplaren
Hometown Cinderella (2006) 20 exemplaren
The Doubletree (1990) 20 exemplaren
Cowboy's Baby (2001) 20 exemplaren
The Pregnancy Project (2005) 19 exemplaren
Hometown Sweetheart (2008) 19 exemplaren
Red-Hot Ranchman (1996) 19 exemplaren
His Pretend Fiancée (2003) 18 exemplaren
The Maverick's Christmas Baby (2013) 18 exemplaren
The Baby Surprise (2003) 18 exemplaren
Baby Love (1999) 17 exemplaren
It Takes a Family (2006) 17 exemplaren
The Cowboy's Gift-Wrapped Bride (2000) 17 exemplaren
Wedding Willies (2004) 16 exemplaren
Babies in the Bargain (2004) 16 exemplaren
Mommy in the Making (2011) 16 exemplaren
Maybe My Baby (2003) 15 exemplaren
Dating Can be Deadly (1999) 15 exemplaren
The Doctor Next Door (2008) 14 exemplaren
Having the Bachelor's Baby (2005) 14 exemplaren
For Love and Family (2004) 14 exemplaren
Marrying the Northbridge Nanny (2010) 14 exemplaren
Texas Cinderella (2009) 13 exemplaren
Bachelor No More (2007) 13 exemplaren
Big Sky Bride, Be Mine! (2011) 13 exemplaren
Baby Be Mine (2001) 12 exemplaren
Celebrity Bachelor (2006) 12 exemplaren
Out on a Limb (1990) 11 exemplaren
Back in the Bachelor's Arms (2006) 11 exemplaren
The Camden Cowboy (2012) 11 exemplaren
Reckless Yearning (1987) 11 exemplaren
The Bachelor's Northbridge Bride (2009) 11 exemplaren
The Cowboy's Ideal Wife (1998) 11 exemplaren
The Bachelor's Christmas Bride (2010) 10 exemplaren
The Case of the Borrowed Bride (1995) 10 exemplaren
A Baby in the Bargain (2013) 10 exemplaren
A Camden Family Wedding (2014) 10 exemplaren
The Case of the Maybe Babies (1995) 10 exemplaren
Over Easy (1991) 10 exemplaren
Corner-Office Courtship (2012) 9 exemplaren
Wyoming Wrangler (1999) 9 exemplaren
Something Special (1990) 9 exemplaren
Cowboy's Love (1988) 9 exemplaren
Cowboy's Lady (1997) 9 exemplaren
Cowboy's Kiss (1995) — Auteur — 8 exemplaren
Cowboy's Caress (2000) 8 exemplaren
Shades and Shadows (1988) 7 exemplaren
Divine Decadence (1988) 7 exemplaren
It's a Boy! (2013) 7 exemplaren
Mom's Main Man [2-in-1] (2001) — Auteur — 6 exemplaren
Passion's Torment (1985) 6 exemplaren
A Camden's Baby Secret (2016) 5 exemplaren
Her Sister's Keeper (2005) 4 exemplaren
Shelter from the Storm (1989) 4 exemplaren
The Right Time (1991) 4 exemplaren
Ladylight (1987) 4 exemplaren
Twice Shy (1989) 4 exemplaren
The Major Gets It Right (2021) 4 exemplaren
The Foleys and the McCords (2009) 2 exemplaren
When Love Remains (1983) 2 exemplaren
Special Forces Father (2018) 2 exemplaren
Tales from Elk Creek [2-in-1] (2005) 2 exemplaren
Harlequin Special Edition July 2021 Box Set 1 of 2 (2021) — Auteur — 1 exemplaar
The Coltons (7 Miscellaneous Books) (2006) — Medewerker — 1 exemplaar
Felicidad robada (2021) 1 exemplaar
The Marine Makes Amends (2021) 1 exemplaar
Doubletree 1 exemplaar

Gerelateerde werken

Keepsake Christmas Stories 1993 [Anthology 3-in-1] (1993) — Medewerker — 34 exemplaren

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Geslacht
female
Nationaliteit
USA
Woonplaatsen
Arvada, Colorado, USA

Leden

Besprekingen

Good second chance story with complications. Dalton and Marli grew up together in their small town, best friends from the ages of eight and seven. That friendship grew into more when they were in high school. But Marli always had plans to get out of the small town as soon as possible, while Dalton's plan took him to the Naval Academy and the Marines. After a traumatic experience, Marli followed up on her plans, leaving Dalton behind without a word.

Marli is back in Merritt, happy to be there after ending her third engagement, and looking forward to starting her new business. The last person she expects to see is Dalton, who is back in Merritt to review the court martial case of her brother Holt, accused of disobeying orders, causing casualties during a rescue mission. Marli has long felt guilty about how she left Dalton and now fears that it could hurt Holt's case.

The story opens as Dalton arrives to keep track of Holt during his medical leave (Holt was paralyzed during the mission). His reaction when Marli tries to apologize is rife with anger, resentment, and residual hurt, and Marli is stunned by its intensity. I liked that she didn't give up on trying to make things right. Fortunately, Dalton's normal level-headedness returns, and he realizes he may have been a little over-the-top. He chalks it up to venting, believing he has now managed closure on their former relationship. But Marli isn't done with him - she wants them to return to some semblance of friendship, even if a relationship is no longer possible.

I liked watching Dalton and Marli slowly rekindle their friendship. It isn't easy, and Marli puts more effort into it initially. But it isn't too long before their memories of the good times they had begun to outweigh the bad memories. When that happens, what were sparks of antagonism turn into sparks of attraction. There are some terrific scenes of them together as that happens, from painting her new office to having dinner in a treehouse. But Dalton has avoided relationships for years, citing his career, and makes no secret of his return to duty once he's done in Merritt.

At the same time, Marli is wary of getting involved with Dalton. Her fiancés have all turned critical of what makes her who she is after they put the ring on her finger. I ached for her as she described their attitudes to Dalton. I liked his support of her and how she remembers that he was never like that when they were together.

I liked watching Dalton with his brothers and grandfather and seeing how close they all are. He's surprised to see his brothers' happiness after giving up their Marine careers for love and wonders about his future. I loved his introspection as he examined his life and what he wanted from it. His conversation with Marli is fantastic as they finally admit their feelings and belief that they are now where they should be. I especially enjoyed Dalton's comments about engagements and marriage and what was most important.

Marli's brother was a first-class jerk. He's had a grudge against the Camdens since he and Daltons were kids because of something their parents did, and he took it out on Dalton throughout their school days and into their time at the Naval Academy. When Holt was assigned to a mission under Dalton's command, he disobeyed a direct order, making a complicated mission even more difficult. It is also where he got hurt, and he is now looking at the possibility of a court-martial. Even now, with Dalton the one to decide his fate, he can't keep his mouth shut, and I felt his wife's and Marli's frustration with his intransigence. Dalton has a lot to consider in his decision, and it isn't easy to make. I liked how it turned out.

I enjoyed the story and thought it was well-written. My only complaint is the author's inability to properly capitalize anything to do with the United States Marine Corps. The word "Marine" is ALWAYS capitalized when speaking of a member of the Marine Corps. If you shorten "Marine Corps," it is "the Corps," NOT "the corps." Dalton, his brothers, and Holt all attended the Naval Academy, not the "naval academy." This has been a consistent issue in any book she has written involving Marines.

P 151, The Associated Press Stylebook, 2004

Marines: Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Marines, the Marines, the Marine Corps, Marine regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USMC.
Capitalize Marine when referring to an individual in a Marine Corps unit: He is a Marine.
Do not describe Marines as soldiers, which is generally associated with the Army. Use troops if a generic term is needed.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
scoutmomskf | Aug 9, 2023 |
This one was pretty good, but kind of slow. I really liked the couple and the little boy was so adorable. Hunter's adopted son had hemophilia and needed blood. So he went to the birth mother and begged her for a donation, but she flat out refused. Her twin sister, Terese, was there and jumped at the chance to do so. After the baby was born, she had actually wanted to raise him herself, but her sister refused. So she was thrilled to be doing something for him and asked for the chance to meet him. After some reluctance, Hunter agreed and invited Terese to his ranch for a visit. Terese ended up being more down to earth than Hunter expected because of her being so rich and Terese fit in well at the ranch. The two ended up falling for each other.

It was a very sweet read and a very sweet couple. My heart broke at the way Terese had to grow up. Her family was terrible to her. It just goes to show that money can't buy everything. She deserves a man like Hunter. I hope we see glimpses of these two in future books.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
NickyM96 | Nov 21, 2022 |
Fantastic enemies-to-lovers story. After her mother's death when she was eight, Clairy's Marine father packed her off to his parents to raise, leaving him free to pursue his career. On his rare visits home, he paid very little attention to Clairy. Those attentions disappeared altogether when ten-year-old Quinn showed up, asking for the general's help preparing to become a Marine himself. Over the next eight years, Clairy found herself shoved aside time and again.

Quinn was raised to pursue any goal in a no-holds-barred fashion, so he saw nothing wrong with asking for the general's help. However, with the typical selfishness of a teenage boy, he never saw the effect it had on his idol's daughter.

The book opens shortly after General McKinnon's death. In his will, he left instructions and money for a memorial and foundation showcasing his career and those of other town military members. The foundation will help veterans, and is to be run by Clairy. Quinn is tagged to set up the actual display of the general's life and career. This means that Clairy and Quinn must find a way to work together. Furious, Clairy wants nothing to do with Quinn but can't find a way out of it. All she can think of is the way he treated her, even though she hasn't seen him in fifteen years.

Quinn knows he has a challenging task ahead of him. He recently learned some things about the general that shook him to the core and caused him to take a hard look at himself and his attitudes. Can he overcome the effects of his mentor's training, or is he destined to follow in his footsteps?

The first couple of meetings between Quinn and Clairy are painful. The hurt and anger Clairy feels run deep, and with her father's death, any hope of changing their relationship is gone. She still holds Quinn responsible for keeping her father from her, and she makes no secret of her feelings toward him. Quinn attempts to apologize, but Clairy is skeptical of his sincerity. I liked that Quinn didn't give up and did his best to demonstrate by his actions that he'd changed. In a very emotional scene, Clairy explains to Quinn what life with her father was like, countered by the same events from Quinn's point of view. It was an eye-opening conversation for both of them and the first steps in healing the rift between them. As the general's secrets come out, we see the effect on Quinn as he learns about them and again as he shares them with Clairy. Her reaction surprised him, and I loved how she helped him deal with the guilt he felt.

As that rift narrowed and then disappeared, the attraction that each felt began to simmer and grow. The question became one of what to do about it? Clairy, recently divorced from a man who turned out to be much like her father, wants no part of a relationship with a man whose life revolves around his work. At the same time, Quinn's look at his past relationships leaves him wondering if he's capable of a normal relationship with any woman, much less Clairy. I loved watching Quinn's journey as he looked at himself, the changes he needed to make, and the effect that Clairy had on how he saw himself. I loved the ending as he bared his heart to her, and Clairy had to decide if she could trust him and herself enough to have a lifetime together.

My only complaint about the book has nothing to do with the story itself. Yet again, Harlequin and its editors have shown themselves unable or unwilling to capitalize the word Marine in their books properly. When writing of a member of the United States Marine Corps, the word Marine is ALWAYS capitalized. Lower case "marine" refers to something related to water or the sea, such as marine mammals or marine life.

See: P 151, The Associated Press Stylebook, 2004

Marines: Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Marines, the Marines, the Marine Corps, Marine regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USMC.
Capitalize Marine when referring to an individual in a Marine Corps unit: He is a Marine.
Do not describe Marines as soldiers, which is generally associated with the Army. Use troops if a generic term is needed.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
scoutmomskf | Sep 15, 2021 |
Good book. Tanner arrived back in town on leave at the end of the previous book, The Marine Makes Amends, facing the news that he may be a father. Eleven months earlier, Tanner made the mistake of hooking up with his old high school girlfriend. Della was always a little obsessed with him, and her actions back then nearly caused a disaster in his plans for the future. The most recent encounter turned out to be more of the same, but she didn't live to carry out her plans. Instead, Della's sister Addie took over as Poppy's guardian, loving her like a mother.

I ached for both Addie and Tanner at the beginning. Tanner's arrival could mean the end of Addie's dream of being Poppy's mom. If Tanner really is Poppy's father, he'll have the right to take her away and raise her himself, leaving Addie alone. At the same time, Tanner wants to do the right thing, but he is terrified of being responsible for a tiny baby. I liked how Tanner stepped up, determined to learn how to care for Poppy. I had a little harder time liking Addie at this point because she attempted to discourage Tanner. I wanted to shake her for her teaching methods and loved it when he called her out on it.

Tanner and Addie came to an interesting arrangement. Tanner would help do the repairs on the house she inherited in exchange for baby care lessons. This entailed Tanner moving into the home with Addie and Poppy so that he could experience ALL of it. I felt terrible for Tanner because he was so nervous and tense that the lessons didn't go well. This was very hard on his confidence. Though Addie's attitude frustrated me initially, I understood a little of what made her that way. She lost her parents and her sister in a short period, leaving her with no family except Poppy. Then her fiancé left her at the altar.

Both Tanner and Addie had past issues that influenced the way they looked at each other. Addie was a preteen when the high school drama between Tanner and Della happened and only saw it from Della's perspective. She saw Tanner as cold and uncaring and didn't want that for Poppy. Meanwhile, we learn about the hell Della put Tanner through, why he was so ready to leave town, and why he rarely came home for a visit.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Addie and Tanner. Once they moved past the initial problem of Addie's sabotaging his lessons, things got a little easier. Despite the tough Marine reputation, Tanner is a pretty sensitive man. I liked seeing him pitch in to help Addie with the post-jilting cleanup and how he supported her when she returned wedding presents. I liked seeing them get to know each other and some of the deep conversations they had. One night, aided by a bit of wine, Addie learned how deep an effect Della's actions had on Tanner. I loved Addie's take on the things he told her and his reaction when she told him. Of course, Addie's jilting affected her, and Tanner pointed out some things she hadn't considered either.

Complicating the whole waiting for the paternity results issue was the attraction that grew between Addie and Tanner. Tanner is wary because Addie is Della's sister, and how can he be sure that she isn't as excessively emotional? Poppy resists because of his former relationship with her sister, plus it being so soon after her breakup. But the attraction continues to build until they can't help giving in. The experience profoundly affected Tanner, and I loved his time of introspection the next morning. The ending was terrific. I loved the thought that Tanner gave to Addie's love for Poppy, his feelings for both Poppy and Addie, and what he saw as his role.

There were a couple of issues I had with the book. They did not affect my enjoyment of the story. One very minor, and one that is a consistent problem with Harlequin books. The minor issue was with the timeline of Tanner's departure for Annapolis. Unlike civilian colleges, which start at the end of August or the beginning of September, the Academy does things differently. If you are a Plebe (freshman), you report in at the beginning of July for Plebe Summer. "Plebe Summer is the summer training program which is required of all incoming freshmen to the United States Naval Academy. The program lasts approximately seven weeks and consists of rigorous physical and mental training. The stated purpose of Plebe Summer according to the Academy is to "turn civilians into midshipmen" (Wikipedia).

The other issue is that Tanner is a Marine, not a marine. Marine is ALWAYS capitalized when referring to a member of the Marine Corps. Harlequin nearly always gets it wrong.

P 151, The Associated Press Stylebook, 2004
Marines: Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Marines, the Marines, the Marine Corps, Marine regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USMC.
Capitalize Marine when referring to an individual in a Marine Corps unit: He is a Marine.
Do not describe Marines as soldiers, which is generally associated with the Army. Use troops if a generic term is needed.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
scoutmomskf | Jun 7, 2021 |

Misschien vindt je deze ook leuk

Gerelateerde auteurs

Statistieken

Werken
111
Ook door
2
Leden
1,160
Populariteit
#22,147
Waardering
½ 3.5
Besprekingen
31
ISBNs
318
Talen
2

Tabellen & Grafieken